S3 on Windows server

[k6ccc]

We all know that S3 wont run on operating systems older than Windows XP. I was recently reminded of that when I attempted to load it on my Windows 2000 Server computer - didn't work. Oh yea.. I remembered that right after the error messages started..

So, will S3 run on some of the newer versions of Windows Server? I can easily upgrade to Windows Server 2003, but anything later would require a hardware upgrade (although that will happen one of these days).

BTW, I will have 2 networks so a Showtime Director is not an answer.

In case someone is wondering why, or worried about running a show on a server, let me explain. I will be running a VERY low intensity show year round for my landscape lighting and I would prefer not to have to leave yet another computer on 24 x 7 (my electric bill is high enough). If I do decide to run a Christmas show, I will run it on a dedicated computer, but for the other 10 months or so, if I can run it on a computer that is running already, it would help my electric bill.

[gizmomkr]

I have never TRIED to run s3 on Server OS, but the Core of server 03 and xp are the same.

Drivers should load just fine and it should run fine.

In a similar way, Server 08 Windows Vista and Windows 7 are baed on the same core. If something runs on any of those, it should run on all.

[k6ccc]

Thanks. Guess I need to fire up the computer that already has Windows Server 2003 loaded and give it a try. If it works, then it will be time to upgrade the operating server to 2003.

[texascop]

I have run it on Windows Home Server which is a stripped down version of Win 2003 Std. Win Server 2008 or 2008 R2 should work since S3 runs on Win 7 32-bit or 64-bit but I don't have the ability to test that.

[bob_moody]

I can't attest to S3 but I had S1 and S2 running on Win 98SE, Win2000 Server and Workstation, Vista, and Win7.

Also would add in refrence to OS cores...

Windows Vista = Windows 2008, and Windows 7 = Windwos 2008R2 statement>

They are actually VERY different animals much the same as was XP vs Vista most of which is buried beyond what the user sees.

[KenL_MCSE]

in XML format - funny!

Throw a VM together and find out. I would be surprised if things worked in any serverversion prior to 2008. But I would expect 08 to run it. If you do run it in server, remember to change from background services to forground for better performance.

[k6ccc]

Jeff Millard wrote:

k6ccc wrote:

We all know that S3 wont run on operating systems older than Windows XP.

...and I think the issue is that LOR S3 is "not supported" to run on any operating system prior to XP. There have been a few users who tried earlier OSs and were successful. Only certain portions of the software prohibit it's use prior to XP. I can't recall the post, which had someone from LOR reply... even after a half hour search...

Jeff

I could not even get S3 to load under Windows 2000 Server. I don't remember what the error message was, but as soon as I read it, I remembered that it took XP or later and did not even try to force the issue. I have a test computer with Server 2003 loaded on it, so I will dig it out of storage and try it on that. If it works, I will have a least a month or so to get the main server upgraded to 2003 before I will be ready to start running a "show" on it. I can't upgrade to 2008 on my current hardware because Server 2008 requires 64 bit hardware, and my current server is 32 bit. One of these days I will have to upgrade it, but it serves my purposes at this time.

As far as performance, my year round landscape lighting "show" is intended to be so slow paced, that you will have to watch it carefully to really notice that the lights are actually changing. If a command is delayed a couple seconds, no one would even notice (even me). If I do run a Christmas show in 10 months, I will run it on a dedicated computer, but for the landscape "show", the server should have no trouble keeping up.