installation nightmare

[DaveGoTech]

We have 2 servers running - a Windows 2000 Server and a Windows 2003 Server - each with 25 licenses.
There was a power failure and on the Win 2K server, the UPS batteries must have been dead, so it just crashed. It would no longer boot after that. There was a strange POD error relating to BIOS and I could not even enter BIOS. I located a vendor that had a new motherboard from the same manufacturer (SuperMicro). It's the same form factor with the same features, only Pentium 4 instead of Pentium 2. The intention was to swap motherboards. While waiting for it to arrive, I decided to check the hard disks. Both the system drive and the data drive were corrupted. We decided to upgrade the HD's to larger and faster drives. This would now require a reinstallation of Win 2K (we have a good backup of the data). All the parts came in and I started the reinstallion.
I couldn't get the drives to operate properly. Turns out the new board's disk drivers are not certified for Win2K. So I borrowed our second servers copy of Win2K3 to see if it worked. It works perfectly. So now I need to buy a second copy of Win2K3 Server.
So the question is:
Now that the repaired server is running with our already allocated copy of Win2K3, can I continue with the installation until the new software arrives? When it does arrive, I intend to deactivate Windows, then change the product code to the new number, then activate it. Will this work? I would like to do it this way because I can put the machine back in service right away. Then, when the new Windows arrives, I can simply change the activation key on the fly (we have already lost enough time). I have done something similar with XP in the past, but am not sure if it works the same with the Server O/S.

 

[Roadki11]

I say go, get it done. Buy your 2nd 2k3 license if you can, probably have to buy a 2k8 license though, but thats fine. When you register it with MS eOpen you will get 2k3 and 2k8 keys. I do what your doing all the time, that doesnt make it legal but im betting there isnt a jury in the world that would convict me of using the same key twice when i have 2 legal licenses.

Just my opinion,



RoadKi11

"This apparent fear reaction is typical, rather than try to solve technical problems technically, policy solutions are often chosen." - Fred Cohen

 

[DaveGoTech]

Thanks for the vote of confidence. I am just trying to do the most efficient thing and don't want to waste more time waiting for the O/S to arrive and reinstall it all over again. And, yes, I was also paranoid about the legality of doing this, even though it is only temporary.