Are you 2010 demo ready –some advice from the field
Our technical guru in the field Doug Welsby of Canada answers the following question. Over to you Doug.
Why run a split partition? Just load W2K8 R2 on the metal and with the desktop experience and some other tricks, it works almost exactly like Win7.
Here are my build tricks.
Enjoy:
- Set policies:
- Local Security Policy | Local Policies | Security Options | Shutdown: Allow system to be shut down without having to log on
- Local Computer Policy | Computer Configuration | Administrative Templates | System: Display Shutdown Event Tracker
- ● Disable Server Manager from automatically running at login
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Server Manager - Do not open Server Manager at logon (0 to disable and open the window normally or 1 to enable and prevent the window from opening)
- Enable the Windows Vista/Win7 User Experiences (various roles and features) - support.microsoft.com/kb/947036
- Install 'Desktop Experience' feature
- Set 'Themes' service to auto-start
- Select an Aero Theme
- Set 'Audio' service to auto-start
- Install 'File Service' and sub 'Windows Search Service' role
- Enable 'Shadow Copies'
- Disable IE Enhanced Security Configuration
- Set performance to best appearance
- Install some workstation features - <weblogs.asp.net/israelio/archive/2008/02/21/windows-server-2008-as-workstation.aspx>
- Several sites/blogs have been useful to configure W2K8 such as:
- Convert your Windows Server 2008 R2 to a Workstation!
- Using Windows Server 2008 as a SUPER workstation OS
- <www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/888-quick-launch-enable-disable.html>
- <www.sevenforums.com/>
- Install W2K8 R2 Roles Using Server Manager (some of this is done earlier in the rebuild steps):
- XPS Viewer
- Fax Server
- Configure with instructions here technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc770900.aspx
- File Services
- Hyper-V
- Modify Hyper-V to NOT start automatically so that you can still use sleep on the machine <old.markharrison.co.uk/blog/2008/09/sleep-hibernate-with-hyper-v.htm>. You can have Hyper-V installed but not started by the following registry setting:
- Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
- [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\hvboot]"Start"=dword:00000003
- Now, when I start my laptop i have full access to the power management functionality. If I need to demo a VM, I can start Hyper-V with the command "net start hvboot". Power management is then disabled again until the next reboot.
- Modify Hyper-V to NOT start automatically so that you can still use sleep on the machine <old.markharrison.co.uk/blog/2008/09/sleep-hibernate-with-hyper-v.htm>. You can have Hyper-V installed but not started by the following registry setting:
- Print and Document Services
- Install W2K8 Features Using Server Manager (some of this is done earlier in the rebuild steps):
- Desktop Experience
- Wireless LAN Service
- .NET Framework 3.5.1 Features
- Remote Server Administration Tools (when joined to domain?)
- Microsoft Update
Doug Welsby | Microsoft Canada | Principal Technology Specialist - Enterprise Project Management