Hello, As I understand it, Microsoft no longer licenses just Windows Server 2003 Std/Ent (x86 or x64), but license the Windows Server 2003 R2 version. Here is my scenario. I have two Domain Controllers in our Domain both running "Windows Server 2003 Ent x64 Edition" OS (objectVersion 30). We have licenses for "Windows Server 2003 R2" (objectVersion 31). I would like to deploy a new Domain Controller but it will have to use R2 version. I originally was going to ask if the R2 discs (disc 2) supported both x86 and x64 version of Adprep, but I read a MS TechNote that said it does. So, yesterday I ran the adprep /forestprep command from disc two (on Schema Role server) to upgrade our schema to 31. As I build out the new DC, will any version of "Windows Server 2003 " (whether Std/Ent/R2) work in the DC promotion? Thank you.

Hello, if you have upgraded the schema to version 31 and this is shown with: "dsquery * cn=schema,cn=configuration,dc=domainname,dc=local -scope base -attr objectVersion" without the quotes in a command prompt, you can install a Windows server 2003 R2 machine as DC in the domain. This work together with any earlier OS DC, doesn't matter if 32or 64 bit version. See here about downgrade rights if you buy a new OS license, no problem with Windows server 2003: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/us/downgrade-rights.aspx Best regards Meinolf Weber Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties or guarantees , and confers no rights.