How did you get tagged with a portal migration  if you are a newbie  to
SharePoint?

I completed my previous project and no one else was available. Therefore, I inherited the task of moving sharepoint  2.0 WSS from one server to another. I still in the learning phase and may not be using the correct terminology. Originally, sharepoint was installed on a development server (A). Users started using it as their production application and now it must be move to a permanent production server (B). The SQL 2000 database resides on a different server (C), which will not change. The documents I’ve read, STSADMIN is the utility tool I should use. I need to move ALL the components (sites, settings, security, configuration, etc) of sharepoint from server A to server B. One, is stsadmin.exe the correct utility for the above scenario? Second, What pit falls should I be aware of?

You’re on the right track. STSADM will do exactly what you want. Do an STSADM –o backup of the site collection on the development server, then do STSADM –o restore on the production server. That’s really all there is to it. STSADM will maintain the sites, settings, security, etc. There are a couple of little things you’ll have to verify though. If you’re using any managed paths on the development server, you’ll need to make sure they’re configured on the production server as well. Also, if you made any changes to things like site templates on the development server, you’ll need to replicate them to the production server as well. Those would be changes made directly to files on the file system of the web server.

You can also use this opportunity to rename site collections if you want to. Just use a different URL when you restore.

Anyone knows a website where I can get resources from for
migration/moving MOSS 2007 from server A(old) to a new server B? MOSS
2007(BASIC installation) to MOSS 2007 (ADVANCED installation - Complete)

Previous setup: BASIC Installation with SQL Express 2005

Desired setup: ADVANCED -> COMPLETE

The desired setup will have its own SQL 2005 sitting on a separate
physical machine. I have been able to get the data (mdf, ldf's) from the
previous setup and have attached them to the machine with the desired
setup installed.

On the choose database, I choose - Connect to an existing farm and the
"Specify Configuration Database Settings" windows shows. The database
server is picking up and also the database name.

The problem is with the "Specify Database Access Account" section. By
default, it displays "NT Authority\Network Service" in the username
field.

It wont let me continue because its waiting for a password for that
account and ive tried using other domain  accounts but still cant get
through. Anyone know wats needed to be done so that I maybe able to
successfully migrate  the content?

You should probably rebuild the configDB, and then re-attach the contentDBs for
your long-term SharePoint pleasure

But, you might be able to run stsadm.exe -o updatefarmcredentials and stsadm.exe
-o updatefarmcredentials -local to get it to work. The original farm credentials
were probably network service in a single server install.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/934838/en-us

but you don't have a server attached to the farm to run that command, do you?

Sorry. Realized that after I hit send. You may need to build a new farm and
re-attach the content DBs. Ping us back if you have problems.