betterITsolutions

I recently installed Windows SharePoint Services (WSS) 3.0 with SP2 on Windows Server 2008 R2, with the intention of adding Search Server Express 2008 for enterprise search functionality. However, when I tried to run the Search Server install I was greeted with the following unfriendly message:

Program Compatibility Assistant

After some digging around and Googling, I discovered that Search Server wouldn’t install on Server 2008 R2 without Service Pack 2. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear possible (at this time) to download it with SP2 so what do you do? I did a little experimenting and found out that you can slipstream the The 2007 Microsoft Office Servers Service Pack 2 (SP2) into the install. Note that the download page actually specifies the service pack will update Search Server. Here's how to slipstream it:

1. Open a command prompt, navigate to the location of the file SearchServerExpress.exe and run SearchServerExpress.exe /extract:SearchServer. This extracts (but doesn't install) Search Server Express to the folder SearchServer.
2. Download the 2007 Microsoft Office Servers Service Pack 2 to the same location as the install file for Search Server Express.
3. From the same command window, run officeserver2007sp2-kb953334-x64-fullfile-en-us.exe /extract:SearchServer\Updates (you will have downloaded the 64–bit version as Windows Server 2008 R2 is 64–bit only). This extracts the service pack files into the Updates folder of the Search Server install.
4. Run setup.exe from within the SearchServer folder

You should find that the Search Server install now runs happily without complaining and pauses for a period of time to apply updates towards the end of the process.

Happy searching!

This entry was posted on Monday, November 30th, 2009 at 22:23 and is filed under 2008, 3.0, Search Server, Server 2008, WSS, Windows. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.