Installing Windows2008 Server

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System requirements

Now here is something quite interesting, the MS Server 2008 Standard Edition has a maximum limit
of 4GB of RAM, so even if you install more RAM you will only be using 4GB with the Standard
Edition.
Before you install Windows Server 2008, use the following guidelines to prepare for the installation:

• Check for application compatibility.

• Disconnect UPS devices.
• Back up your servers.
• Disable your virus protection software.
• Run the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool.
• Provide mass storage drivers.
• Be aware that Windows Firewall is on by default.
• Prepare your Active Directory environment with Windows Server 2008 updates.

Last updated: 13/07/2010 1 of 13 v1.0

Installation of Windows Server 2008 can be Server Core for a specific role, or a Full Server
installation containing all of the available Windows Server 2008 functionality.

1. Insert the installation DVD and boot

the server to the DVD.

2. Enter language, time and currency,

and keyboard format
Information Click Next.

Click Install now

Input your product key and check

Automatically Activate Windows When

I’m Online. Click Next.

If you don’t have a Product Key

Just Click Next.
Choose which version of Windows
Server 2008 R2 Beta to install. Each of
these editions offers a Server Core or a
Full installation

If you did not enter a product key you

now have to choose which edition you
will install and check

I Have Selected an Edition of Windows

That I Purchased.

If you did enter a product key, the

installation program will identify which
edition to install. Click Next.

Read and accept the license terms

Click Next.

Which type of installation do you

want? Click Custom (Advanced).
 Where do you want to install
Windows?
If you're installing on a regular IDE
hard disk, select the disk and click
Next.

If you're installing on a hard disk that's

connected to a SCSI controller, click
Load Driver and insert the media
provided by the manufacturer.

You can also click Drive Options and

manually create a partition on the
destination hard disk.

The installation now begins, and you can

go and have lunch. After 20 minutes, the
operating system is installed.

The server reboots you'll be prompted

with CTRL+ALT+DEL to log in.

You will be prompted to change the

Administrator user's password, enter
a new, complex password.
At least six characters long and contains
characters from three of the following
four categories:

uppercase (from A through Z)

lowercase (from a through z)
digits (from 0 through 9)
Non-alphanumeric (!, $, #, or %)
After you install a clean copy of Windows Server 2008, the Initial Configurations Tasks (ICT) is the
first page that you will receive after you logon to Windows Server 2008.

The "Initial Configuration Tasks" window has three different sections:

1. Provide Computer information: here you will define the admin account, change the time
zone (if necessary), configure your network settings and change the name (or add to a
domain) of the server.
2. Update this Server: here you can configure how the Windows Update and our Feedback
systems will work. You can also manually check if there are any updates and install them.
3. Customize this Server: Here is the very new part of 2008 server because by default nothing
is installed and you will be able to install different server roles like: Active Directory Domain
Services, Terminal Server, File Server, DNS, DHPC and many more server roles.
Furthermore you can add different features to the server like the .Net 3.0 framework, Network
Load Balancing, Windows Server Backup, etc, etc. To finalize the configuration you can
enable the Remote Desktop and configure the integrated Firewall.

With this tool you can configure the server for the role you need. You can choose to have a single
role on a server box or add multiple roles.
Set time zone
Click on Set time zone, if the date and time are not set properly, then click on Change date and time
button to set them, to change the time zone it is GMT-08:00 by default, click on Change time zone
button.

Configure networking
Assign your server with a static IP address, or leave it blank if you use DHCP.
To assign your server a static IP, click on Configure networking, the Network Connections page will
open, right click on the network card you want to configure > click on properties

From Local area connection Properties click on Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)
> Click on Properties

Choose Use the following IP address and fill the IP address, Subnet mask, Default gateway, DNS as
required > then click OK > OK
Provide Computer Information
The last step is giving a meaningful name to your server, join it to the appropriate workgroup or
domain. Something different about Windows 2008 Server is that the server name is auto-generated
and you are not given a chance during the install to name the server so you must do before installing
Active Directory.

Click on Provide computer name and domain, as you can see the machine has a long name.
Under the Computer Name tab, click on the Change button
Enter your computer name click ok

Installing Windows 2008 Server Core

A Core install comes with no GUI

Installing Server Core is the same as a full install for the Before questions. Just boot up off your
media, answer the language, time format, and keyboard format questions.

Click Install Now (the purpose of this seemingly useless screen is so that you can click the Repair
option at the bottom.) Then, the product key, and finally the differences begin.

Choose the Installation Type. Server Core

There is no such thing as an upgrade to Server Core. Whereas an upgrade of a full install requires
updating files, adding new files, and reconfiguring, upgrading to Core would actually require deleting
entire files, directories, and processes without taking out previously set configurations.

Imagine the nightmare of trying to code something like that. So, there is no Server Core upgrade.

Clean install it is. By the way, there is also no way to “add” the components to turn a Server Core
Install into a Full Install. That is, you have to re-install (clean) to get a Full Server Installation.
Pick your partition for the install and click Next. Now, get a cup of coffee all the file copying and
rebooting will happen without you.

If you were doing a full install, you would now get that nice new Initial Configuration Tasks (ICT)
screen not here just the login screen. Click Ctrl-Alt-Delete, click Other User.

When you login for the first time, you will have to change the password. Don’t forget, the Previous
Password is just blank. Once you are finished you’ll see the command prompt and nothing else!

The Initial Configure Task List, DOS Style

Without the ICT to guide you through the initial configuration steps, you are going to need a checklist.

1. Secure the Administrator Account

2. Set the Time and Date
3. Configure the Network
4. Activate the Server
5. Name the Server
6. Join a Domain
7. Configure Automatic Updates
8. Setup Remote Administration

Oops! Now What?

Every administrator who does a core installation will eventually close the command prompt window,
usually just out of habit.

When you do, Windows 2008 Server Core seems ominously blank. Your mind might go blank too.
Now what? Jab at Ctrl-Shift-Esc and fire up the Task Manager, run a new task, type cmd and you
are back in business.

Setting the time and date

Type: control [Link]

Now, just set the time and date like you always do.
Network Configuration

By default, your Windows 2008 Core Server will be DHCP enabled. If that is how you want it, then
you are done here. If not, you need to know what network interfaces are in your server and what
number they have been assigned by the system.

Configuring a Static IP Address

To find out type: netsh ipv4 show interfaces

or shorter version netsh int IPV4 sho int

All we really need from this output is the index number (Idx on the screen) of the interfaces we want
to configure. Jot them down (if you have more than one) so you don’t have to come back here.
Usually, 1 is the Loopback address. There is no need to configure this.

Now, with index numbers we are ready to setup our network. First, we setup our IP address
information; assuming the interface index number is 36 – replace the number in the parameter
“name” with whatever number you got from the netsh command:

netsh interface ipv4 set address name=”36” source=static address=[Link]

mask=[Link] gateway = [Link]

netsh interface ipv4 set address name="ID" source=static address=x.x.x.x mask=x.x.x.x

gateway=DefaultGateway

Next, we setup the DNS

netsh interface ipv4 set add dnsserver name=”36” address=[Link] index=1

netsh interface ipv4 add dnsserver name="ID" address=<DNS_IP> index=1

Add Primary DNS

netsh interface ipv4 add dnsserver name=”ID” address=[Link] index=1

Add Secondary DNS

netsh interface ipv4 add dnsserver name=”ID” address=[Link] index=2

Using dnscmd

For the primary domain, add a forward lookup zone as follows:

C:\Users\Administrator> dnscmd PRIMARY /zoneadd [Link] /primary /file [Link]

Add a Reverse Lookup Zone

C:\Users\Administrator> dnscmd PRIMARY /zoneadd [Link]

Add an “A” record for the domain

C:\Users\Administrator> dnscmd PRIMARY /recordadd [Link] @ A [Link]

Add Records

C:\Users\Administrator> dnscmd PRIMARY /recordadd [Link] dc1 CNAME [Link]

Activate the Server

To activate the server you can use the following command:

[Link] –ato

You can also do it from a remote machine by using the same script:

[Link] –ato <servername> <username> <password>

Configuring the Server Name

You can use different commands to identify the name of a server, I usually use the hostname
command but you could also make usage of the environment variables and use for example set c
and set u to find out the computer name and your username.

1. Determine the computername with the hostname command

2. Netdom renamecomputer <computername> /NewName:<newcomputername>
3. Reboot the server by using shutdown /R /T 0

Using the Windows Management Interface to rename the computer is the easiest. Otherwise, we
have to join the domain first in order to use the netdom command. Then we have to go back in and
clean up the name generated by setup.

Since it is just one command we don’t have to do a full script.

wmic computersystem where name=”SetupName” rename name=”NewName”

Unfortunately a reboot is required to get the name change to take affect and we want the name
changed before we try and add it to the domain, so it’s rebooting time.

Once the reboot is complete and you’ve logged back on, it is time to join the domain.
Joining a Domain

At this stage the server has the correct name and IP configuration the next step is adding this server
to the domain by using the netdom command.

Netdom Join <machine> /Domain:<domain name> /UserID:<domain user name>

/password:thepass

Restart the server shutdown /r /t 0

Configuring Windows Updates

To setup automatic updates we use the [Link] script. The /au switch sets the automatic
updates. A value of 4 is on. A value of 1 is off.

cscript [Link] /AU 4

cscript C:\Windows\System32\[Link] /au 4