[Ultimate Guide] Manage your Windows Server 2008 as Client OS (Windows Vista) 

Today Windows Vista is facing some performance and capability issues and Microsoft is cooking first service pack for Windows Vista and will release SP1 for Vista soon. That’s the latest Client OS from Microsoft.....Now move to latest Server OS of Microsoft....Its Windows Server 2008 and still in beta and hope will release in next 2 or 3 months.

Now I have written a guide that helps to mange Windows Server 2008 as a client OS...The question raises Why we use Windows Server 2008 as client OS?

Windows Server 2008 has already contained Service Pack 1 and it’s solving many performance and capability issues. Windows Server 2008 doesn't contain many unnecessary services, program applications and drivers that save space in HDD as well as boost the performance.

Windows Server 2008 contains improved Kernel and makes Windows computing more secure and stable....!

 

We can get latest Evaluation Copy of Windows Server 2008 as well as genuine license that work up to 30 June 2008 from Microsoft Official Website. [[Download Windows Server 2008]]

·      Perform clean install of Windows Server 2008 and also install all display WDDM driver, Audio drivers...etc. If Installer of driver packages...doesn't supports to Windows Server then don't worry user Universal Extractor to extract drivers and perform manual installation using Device Manager.

·      Disable Server Manager and Initial Configuration Tasks Wizard from startup.

 

·      Add new User Accounts

Type control userpasswords2 in start search and click on Add button and follow screen instruction to create new User accounts

·      Disable CTRL+ALT+DEL at logon

Local Security Policy --> Local Policies --> Security Options

Interactive logon: Do not require CTRL+ALT+DEL set as ENABLED

·         Install Desktop Experience features

The Desktop Experience feature includes the following Windows Vista components and features:

 

·      Enable Themes & Audio services for Windows Aero and Windows Audio & Windows Audio Endpoint Builder set startup type to AUTOMATIC

 

·      Turn On all Windows Visual Effects (Adjust for best appearance)

Right click on (My) Computer --> Properties --> Advanced System Settings (In left Task pane). Press Setting button in Performance section and set it Best for Appearance and apply and OK to commit changes.

 

·      Unpin or remove Command Prompt and Server Manger from Start menu

In start menu right click on Command Prompt and Server Manger and select Unpin from Start Menu.

·      Reset all links and system folder in start menu User Defaults & add Internet Explorer & Windows Mail in start menu

Go to Control Panel --> Taskbar and Start Menu and navigate to Start Menu tab.

Click in Customize button and then press Use Default Settings button and check Internet link and E-mail link in Show on Start Menu section.

 

·      Disable Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration & change Default Home page

Server Manager --> Security Information --> Configure IE ESC

Turn off for Administrators and Users

 

·      Add or enable Windows Sidebar

Windows Sidebar has been removed from Windows Server 2008 RC0. In the last Evaluation version BETA3 was contained Windows Sidebar...and its not confirmed RTM will include or exclude. But here is a simple trick to port Windows Sidebar of Windows Vista RTM in Windows Server 2008...Follow the steps

1) Copy the Windows Sidebar folder from Windows Vista's Program Files folder and paste into Windows Server 2008's Program Files.

2) Open Command Prompt As Administrator in Windows Server 2008 and execute following commands (Lets say our root drive is C:\)

C:\Program Files\Windows Sidebar\sidebar.exe /RegServer

regsvr32 C:\Program Files\Windows Sidebar\sbdrop.dll

Launch the sidebar.exe and set to run in startup.

 

·      Disable or Remove Boot / Shutdown / Logon / Logoff status messages and verbose status

Run Registry Editor and navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System

Create a DWORD value named VerboseStatus and set it to 0

·      Disable Shutdown event tracker

Run Registry editor and navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT

Create [Ultimate Guide] Manage your Windows Server 2008 as Client OS (Windows Vista) a key named Reliability and then create a DWORD value named ShutdownReasonOn and set it to 0

·      Enable Shutdown without logon

Run Registry Editor and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System

Create or modify a DWORD value named shutdownwithoutlogon and set it to 1

·      [Vista Style] Change About Windows BITMAPs and system properties Windows Logo

Use Resource Hacker to mod About Windows and system properties Windows Logo images.

I have created and extracted some images from Windows Vista. [[Download Vista GUI]] & [[Download Resource Hacker & Vishal Gupts’s Resource Hacker Tutorial]]

1.)    Change in About Windows Dialog

Open basebrd.dll file (located under C:\Windows\Branding\Basebrd folder) in Resource Hacker and navigate to: BITMAP→101→1033 and right click to replace exiting bitmap…Locate the new one and replace.

 Perform same above for BITMAP→111→1033

1.)    System properties Windows Logo

Open shellbrd.dll file (located under C:\Windows\Branding\ShellBrd folder) in Resource Hacker and navigate to: BITMAP→1050→1033 and right click to replace the exiting image (As same as above shown)

NOTE: You have to take ownership before modifying or to make changes.

·       Add Aurora wallpaper and aero cursors and apply Windows Aero theme in Windows Server 2008

Copy the img24.jpg file in C:\Windows\Web\Wallpapers folder

Copy aero cursors to C:\Windows\Cursors folder

Now Right click on desktop and go to Personalize (Desktop Properties) →Theme. Select Windows Vista in theme and apply n OK.

Go to Window Color and appearance and at the bottom after color mixer, open Classic appearance properties for more color options….Here select Windows Aero and apply n OK.

·      Change Classic UI to Aero UI before logon.

Copy the registry code into a notepad and save as AeroUI.reg or whatever you want…now double click to patch this Logoff or restart to take effect.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

 

[HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ThemeManager]

"ThemeActive"="1"

"LMVersion"="105"

"LoadedBefore"="1"

"LastUserLangID"="1033"

"LastLoadedDPI"="96"

"DllName"=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,\

 74,00,25,00,5c,00,52,00,65,00,73,00,6f,00,75,00,72,00,63,00,65,00,73,00,5c,\

 00,54,00,68,00,65,00,6d,00,65,00,73,00,5c,00,61,00,65,00,72,00,6f,00,5c,00,\

 61,00,65,00,72,00,6f,00,2e,00,6d,00,73,00,73,00,74,00,79,00,6c,00,65,00,73,\

 00,00,00

"ColorName"="NormalColor"

"SizeName"="NormalSize"

·      Change Aero Cursors before logon

Copy the registry code into a notepad and save as AeroCursors.reg or whatever you want…now double click to patch this Logoff or restart to take effect.

·      Add Computer Management in right click context menu for (My) Computer

Copy the registry code into a notepad and save as CompMgmt.reg or whatever you want…now double click to patch this Logoff or restart to take effect.

 

@="Computer Management"

 

[[Download the Tutorial in PDF & Vista UI]]

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Ramesh Kumar
Email: ramesh.windows[at]hotmail.com
My Blog: WindowsValley.com

Ramesh Bro.. Thats really indeed a great compiltaion... Hats off

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Nice, Ramesh !

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^^ its really a good guide and I think it should be included in this month newsletter.

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Yes, I was hoping this was possible as Sever 2003 makes one of the finest workstation operating systems, as well as a very high performance platform for running games and game servers.

Does anyone know if it's possible to install DirectX 10 on Server 2008 or if some sub-version is already incorporated?