Windows Server 2012: Install & Configure Windows Server 2012 using VHD Boot

Hi IT Professionals,

Often I receive lot of queries on evaluating Windows Server on their test environment or on some spare machines. Most of the times users want to carry a laptop to try/test evaluate Windows Server on their laptop. Well during our recent IT Camps, we delivered the same experience using Boot from VHD using Windows Server 2012. Attendees installed Windows Server 2012 on their sample machine and subsequently configured the demo machine to evaluate the features.

Note: I WOULD RECOMMEND EVERYONE TO TRY THIS ON NON-PRODUCTION TEST MACHINE. MAKE SURE YOU BACK UP ALL OF YOUR CRITICAL DATA BEFORE YOU BEGIN.

Minimum System Requirements

Windows Server 2012 Evaluation – http://aka.ms/ws2012rtm

1 GHz CPU supporting Intel-VT or AMD-V

DEP – NX/XD

SLAT – Optional

4 GB RAM

50 GB HDD on C: or D:

Windows Server 2012 RTM Evaluation DVD

NOTE: IN THIS SETUP PROCESS YOUR COMPUTERS’S BOOT LOADER WILL BE UPDATED USING WINDOWS SERVER 2012 INSTALLATION MEDIA.

For detailed System Required kindly visit http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj134246.aspx 

Insert Windows Server 2012 DVD & boot your computer from DVD. Press any key to boot from DVD. 
Please wait while Windows is loading the installation files…

Once completed you will see the following Windows Setup dialog box. Click Next

Click on Install Now button.

 

Please wait while Setup is starting.

Select Windows Server 2012 Datacenter Evaluation (Server with a GUI) x64 & Click Next

Accept the Licensing terms & click Next

Click on Custom: Install Windows only (advanced)

On your keyboard press SHIFT+F10 key combination to invoke Command Prompt CMD.

After pressing SHIFT+F10 you will a command prompt. CMD

!!IMPORTANT!! – DO THIS STEP IS CAREFULLY. Do not modify/delete System Reserved Partition.

NOTE: At this step we will create a 50 GB Dynamically Expanding VHD on C: or D:. Also, make sure that the physical partition has actual free space available because Dynamically expanding VHD gets mounted & occupies full space during VHD Boot.

Note:  In the next screen this D: is actually your original C: Windows Partition (Windows 8, Windows 7 or 2008 R2) When you are running Windows 8/7/2008 R2, you cannot view hidden System Reserved partition. But in this case the C: is assigned to that System Reserved partition & subsequent partitions will be allocated the drive letter in the same series.  

Type the following command to create a new VHD on the D:

 

Close the CMD & Click on Refresh to see a new 50 GB drive with unallocated space. Click on the Unallocated Space (Drive 1 in this e.g.) and click Next

Please wait Windows Setup will installing the files on the disk. (It will take few minutes depending upon system performance) – You can grab a tea/coffee meanwhile

 

After completion system will be restarted automatically.

Please wait while Windows is getting devices ready…It will take few minutes…

A system will be restarted…

After a restart. You will see a DUAL Boot option. Choose Windows Server 2012& Press ENTER

Please wait while Windows Server 2012 loads for the first time…

On the Settings page, please enter an Administrator account password and click Finish

Please while Windows is finalizing your settings… It will take few minutes…

 

Congratulations. Your Windows Server 2012 Datacenter is now ready for Evaluation.

 

Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete to sign in. Enter your Administrator account password. E.g. Passw0rd!

You are now logged on to Windows Server 2012 Datacenter with Full GUI. And it will launch Server Manager.

This completes your Windows Server 2012 Datacenter installation using VHD Boot.

THANK YOU.

Windows 8: Enable .NET Framework 3.5 (includes .NET 2.0 and 3.0)

I have been using Windows 8 for last few months. When Windows 8 CP released I installed CP & subsequently RP too. When I wanted to install some 3rd party application in my Windows 8 VM, I realized that these applications require .NET Framework 2.0 or 3.0 in few cases. Apparently my virtual machine does not have internet connection. Obviously the first step for us is to check the Program and Features to enable any available additional features in an Operating System. This is what you see in your Control Panel –>Program and Features. Click on Turn Windows features on or off.

Here you can see .NET Framework as a feature and by default the feature is disabled. You can enable this particular right away using this GUI Tool but in order to do that you need to be connected to internet i.e. Online Mode. Other way is using DISM Command and this can be done in an Offline Mode using Windows 8 installation media. Let’s see these 2 methods.

Method 1: When you are Online, connected to Internet.

In order to install the following window click on the .NET Framework 3.5 (included .NET 2.0 and 3.0) select it & click OK

Now, it will download the entire package from the internet & install the .NET Framework feature.

Method 2: When you are Offline and not connected to Internet

If you open CMD.EXE with Administrative Privileges i.e. at elevated level & run the this DISM command dism /online /get-features you will see that from the State that .NET Framework is not part of the Operating System.

So the first thing you need to do is to copy the required package to local machine before you run the command to install .NET Framework. To do that use Windows 8 ISO/DVD/USB Media. You need to copy SXS folder to local machine located at D:\sources\sxs (In this case D: your drive letter on which you have loaded Windows 8 Media)

You can also use the following command to copy this folder locally. xcopy d:\sxs\*.* c:\sxs /s

Once completed, in order to install this feature you can run the following command dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:NetFx3 /All /SourceC:\sxs /LimitAccess  and hit Enter

After completing the installation of .NET Framework 3.5 you can see that the feature is enabled in the Control Panel –> Program and Features

Bingo. Now you can enable .NET Framework feature on Windows 8 without needing of an internet connection.

Enjoy

SOURCE LINK : http://blogs.technet.com/b/aviraj/archive/2012/08/04/windows-8-enable-net-framework-3-5-includes-net-2-0-and-3-0-i-e-netfx3-feature-in-online-amp-offline-mode.aspx

How to Get the Product Key in 64-Bit version of Windows 7

Unfortunately, many users wipe out the OS itself after buying a new Vista machine, replaces it with Windows XP and they forget to check if there’s a backup CD or copy of the product key.

Most of the manufacturers nowadays doesn’t give the installer of the OS.

Prevention is Better than Cure
Using the new version of WinGuggle, you can create a backup if you don’t have the original installation disc of your 64-bit version of Windows.
Just run the program and copy the product key for safe keeping.
Windows 7 64-Bit Enterprise Edition

Your antivirus program will not give any alarm and also works with 64-Bit version of Vista, Microsoft Office XP, 2003 and 2007!