In Chapter 1, “Introduction to Windows Server 2022,” I talked about the difference between the Desktop version and the Server Core version of Windows Server 2022. The Server Core version of Server does not have a GUI interface. This means that there are no wizards, Start Menus, or user desktops. Once the system boots up, you need to use the command prompt or PowerShell commands to configure the system.
In Exercise 3.2, you will learn how to install Windows Server 2022 Server Core. You’ll notice that the steps are similar to the ones in Exercise 3.1, with a couple of exceptions. As mentioned earlier, Server Core is a command- line configuration of Windows Server 2022.
EXERCISE 3.2
Installing Windows Server 2022 Using Server Core
- Insert the Windows Server 2022 installation media and restart the machine. You may be asked to press any key to start the installation.
- At the first screen, Windows Server 2022 will prompt you to configure your language, time and currency, and keyboard. Make your selections and click Next.
- At the next screen, click the Install Now button.
- Depending on what version of Windows Server 2022 you have (MSDN, TechNet, and so on), you may be asked to enter a product key. If this screen appears, enter your product key and click Next. If this screen does not appear, just go to step 5.
- The Select The Operating System That You Want To Install screen then appears. Choose Windows Server 2022 Datacenter (see Figure 3.8) and click Next.
FIGURE 3.8 Windows Server Edition
EXERCISE 3.2
6. The license terms screen appears. After reading the Windows Server 2022 license agreement, check the I Accept The License Terms check box and click Next.
7. At the Which Type Of Installation Do You Want? screen, choose Custom: Install Windows Only (Advanced).
8. The next screen will ask you where you want to install Windows. If your hard disk is already formatted as NTFS, click the drive and then click Next. If the hard disk is not set up or formatted, click the New link and create a partition. After creating the partition, choose the Primary partition and click the Format link. Once the partition is formatted, make sure you choose the new partition and click Next.
9. The Installing Windows screen will appear next. This is where the files from your media will be installed onto the system. The machine will reboot during this installation.
10. After the machine is finished rebooting, a screen requesting the administrator password will appear. Click OK (see Figure 3.9) and then type your password. (P@ssword is used in this exercise. Do not use this password in a live environment.) You will be asked to enter your password in a second time. Your password must meet the password complexity requirements (one capitalized letter, one number, and/or one special character).
11. After the password is changed, a screen will appear telling you that the password has changed (see Figure 3.10). Press the Enter key.
12. You will be automatically logged in. You will notice that the command prompt will appear (see Figure 3.11). Your Windows Server 2022 Server Core installation is now complete.
FIGURE 3.11 Server Core command prompt
EXERCISE 3.2
13. If you want to do a quick configuration of Server Core, type PowerShell and press Enter. This will put you into a PowerShell prompt. Type sconfig and press Enter. You will now be able to do some basic configuration of the Server Core system (see Figure 3.12). You can run sconfig in the command prompt, but I recommend that you start using PowerShell for all of your configuration. PowerShell is a much more powerful tool and you should use it every time you can to get used to it.
FIGURE 3.12 Server Core sconfig command
- Choose option 15 and press Enter to exit this screen.
- To turn off the machine, type Shutdown /s /t 0.
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