You can use the script below.

http://www.sql-articles.com/index.php?page=Scripts/permission_list.php

Yes with SQL Server 2000 its not possible and need to have sysadmin rights.

No not all DBCC commands can be run by a read only user. Most can be run only by a sysadmin in the sql server.

As mentioned by other users file copy can be done only with windows account with network permissions. So you need to have a daomin user to copy the file to...

Yes don't give permissions to vreate procedures in PROD box.

You can use the script in the link given below

http://www.sql-articles.com/index.php?page=Scripts/permission_list.php

If you assign a min and max memory SQL Server limits its usage within that and loses performance benefits of extra memory available outside.

SQL Server runs fine with windows and why need to support other OS. I read in a recent article the MS software has the least number of vulnerabilities and now...

Log shipping or database mirroring don't go for large number of databases they might affecdt the server and network performance.

what permission did you give to the user. I hope you have given dbreader or dbwriter permissions.

There might be a chance when the data in the mirrored server changes. AS the snapshot file grows thoug it wwill not affect the database mirroring directly. Your snapshot might...

Is this sorted out or still having issues?

Do you have distributed transaction coordinator security turned on the server. Check that might cause issues with Win 2003 and also check if the domain user has rights to access...

Did you check the file properties. any compression or encryption in the backup file as that may lead to the file not being restored.

Other option is that you can move your data to flat files and then move them to the databases.