I get an error message when I try to install SQL Server 2000 on Windows Server 2003 Web Edition. How can I install SQL Server on this OS version?
Windows Server 2003's Web Edition doesn't support SQL Server 2000 Standard and Enterprise editions. This restriction is a conscious licensing decision by Microsoft. You need to upgrade to Standard or Enterprise editions of Windows Server 2003 or run your database on another server. Alternatively, you can legally run Microsoft SQL Server Desktop Engine (MSDE) on Windows Server 2003 Web Edition. Scalability issues with MSDE and the lack of management tools might make this an unattractive solution, but it works and is legal.