THE OFFICIAL BLOG OF THE SBS DIVA

I'm trying to break a server and I'm not having any luck tonight.... how am I trying to break it?

By installing SP2 for Windows 2003 before any other patch and seeing if I can still install the "rest" of the five part SBS 2003 sp1 patch bundle (Sharepoint, Exchange, XP sp2 and the specific final SBS fix up patch) and not break anything.

Oh sure.. you need to make sure you follow the SBS blog and the networking issues that SP2 causes ...but on a new build I can't get help and support to break...and believe it or not... you CAN install Windows 2003 sp2, then Sharepoint sp2, then Exchange sp2, then the XP sp2 upgrade and THEN put on the final patch SBS 2003 sp1 specific parts

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/sbs/downloads/sp1/default.mspx

Granted you sort of have to know your SBS parts if you are installing from RTM to fully patched (without R2) and only after you get past Exchange 2003 sp2 is everything begin to be MU-able... but if you built a RTM box and blondely went to Microsoft update and pulled down Windows 2003 sp2 that got offered up to you, don't panic.

I'm proof positive that a new box will survive the patch journey.

Once you get it past that stage of Exchange 2003 sp2, Microsoft Update will take you the rest of the journey.