Windows Server 2008 R2 Upgrade Paths
Applies To: Windows Server 2008 R2
This document outlines supported and unsupported upgrade paths for editions of the Windows Server® 2008 R2 operating system.
Unsupported Upgrade Scenarios
Upgrades to Windows Server 2008 R2 from the following operating systems are not supported:
Windows® 95, Windows 98, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows XP, Windows Vista®, Windows Vista Starter, or Windows 7
Windows NT® Server 4.0, Windows 2000 Server, Windows Server 2003 RTM, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 Web, Windows Server 2008 R2 M3, or Windows Server 2008 R2 Beta
Windows Server 2003 for Itanium-based Systems, Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-based Systems, Windows Server 2008 R2 for Itanium-based Systems
Cross-architecture in-place upgrades (for example, x86 to x64) are not supported.
Cross-language in-place upgrades (for example, en-us to de-de) are not supported.
Cross-edition upgrades (for example, the Windows Server 2008 Foundation SKU to the Windows Server 2008 Datacenter SKU) are not supported.
Cross-build type in-place upgrades (for example, fre to chk) are not supported.
Supported Upgrade Scenarios
| From Windows Server 2003 (SP2, R2) | Upgrade to Windows Server 2008 R2 |
|---|---|
Datacenter |
Datacenter |
Enterprise |
Enterprise, Datacenter |
Standard |
Standard, Enterprise |
| From Windows Server 2008 (RTM-SP1, SP2) | Upgrade to Windows Server 2008 R2 |
|---|---|
Datacenter |
Datacenter |
Datacenter Core |
Datacenter Core |
Enterprise |
Enterprise, Datacenter |
Enterprise Core |
Enterprise Core, Datacenter Core |
Foundation (SP2 only) |
Standard |
Standard |
Standard, Enterprise |
Standard Core |
Standard Core, Enterprise Core |
Web |
Standard, Web |
Web Core |
Standard Core, Web Core |
Note
Windows Server 2008 RTM is marked as "RTM-SP1" because a user sees "Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 1" in the system information.
| From Windows Server 2008 (RC, IDS, RTM) | Upgrade to Windows Server 2008 R2 |
|---|---|
Datacenter |
Datacenter |
Datacenter Core |
Datacenter Core |
Enterprise |
Enterprise, Datacenter |
Enterprise Core |
Enterprise Core, Datacenter Core |
Foundation |
Standard, Foundation |
Standard |
Standard, Enterprise |
Standard Core |
Standard Core, Enterprise Core |
Web |
Standard, Web |
Web Core |
Standard Core, Web Core |
Note
Windows Server 2008 R2 will be the last version of Windows Server to support the Intel Itanium processor and associated OEM server platforms. For more information, see Windows Server 2008 R2 for Itanium-Based Systems (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=188382).