Ease testing using Microsoft's free VHD files for Windows Server 2003 or Windows XP

by Scott Lowe MCSE | Feb 27, 2007 8:00:00 AM

Tags: Servers, Scott Lowe MCSE, Microsoft Windows XP, Virtual Hard Disk, Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Windows Server, Microsoft Corp., Microsoft Virtual Server, Windows Server 2003 Tips Newsletter

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Takeaway: Testing can be a pain, but with free Microsoft's Virtual Server 2005 R2 program, you can let your virtual machine do a lot of the work. Scott Lowe tells you how you can save time and money while ensuring that your system is up to date.

Are you so busy that it's difficult to even find time to test installed application server software? In the interest of helping IT pros stay up to date (and perhaps make a few sales), Microsoft is making available Virtual Hard Disk (VHD) files of various products. (A VHD file is the virtual file type used by Microsoft's free Virtual Server.)

Among the products that Microsoft makes available for Virtual PC are:

Windows Server 2003 R2
Exchange Server 2007
ISA Server 2006
SQL Server 2005

Get the free download from Microsoft's site, install Virtual Server, and fire up your virtual machine.

Virtual Server 2005 R2 runs under both Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. Keep in mind that you will need additional RAM and disk space in order to support this testing. For more information about the VHD program, visit Microsoft's VHD site.

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