Following sawo with his Windows Server 2008 to Workstation Converter, Neige and his team have created a Converter for Windows Server 2008 R2! This allows you to quickly configure your Windows Server 2008 R2 to be used as a day-to-day workstation.
Download
See forum topic.
Screenshots (from version 2; tool looks slightly different now)
Features
Services
Packs
Tweaks
Fixes
Misc
Credits
If you have any suggestions or need any help, please drop a comment below or ask your question at the forum.
The build-in Remote Desktop feature is very useful if you want to use your home-PC from your laptop in the living room, at work, at school or any other place in the world. This tutorial will enable this functionality including Aero over Remote Desktop and high quality audio and video playback. If you want to use Aero over Remote Desktop you will have to install the Desktop Experience feature first which is explained at this page.
Sticky Notes on your desktop can be a useful reminder for things you still have to do. To get Sticky Notes working in Windows Server 2008 R2 you have to install it first using the following installer. The files are extracted from the Windows 7 x64 MSDN DVD and the slc.dll file is created by msft.guy.
1. Download sticky_notes.zip (293 KB) from win2008r2workstation.
3. Enjoy the Sticky Notes on your desktop!
By default you can’t use the Microsoft eHome IR Transceiver in Windows Server 2008 R2, but using this page you ‘ll install drivers to get the hardware working. These drivers were extracted from the Windows 7 x64 RTM MSDN dvd.
1. Download eHome.zip (296 KB) from win2008r2workstation.
3. Install the drivers via the Device Manager using step 2 – 5 at the Drivers page.
Before people switch to a completely new operating system they often want to test it for a few weeks first. This is possible without losing your current Windows Installation (like Windows XP/ Vista / 7) by creating a multi boot installation. Using multi boot you can select which Operating System to start after turning on the computer. As an example we will create a dual boot installation with Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 R2. Assumed is that you already have Vista installed on a partition that uses the full harddisk.
Installation
2. We will shrink the partition of the Windows that is already installed first to create some space for the new Windows Server 2008 R2 installation. To do this click the Repair your computer link.
6. Shrink Vista partition:
a. At the command prompt first enter the diskpart command to start the Disk Management application.
b. Now execute the list volume command to view the available cd- and harddrives.
c. Select the Vista partition by executing the select volume # command where # is the volume id from the first column.
d. Shrink the selected partition using the shrink desired=# command where # is the amount of space in MB’s you want the volume to shrink. Make sure you shrink the volume at least 14GB (14000) to have enough space to install Windows Server 2008 R2. You can view the maximum amount you can shrink by executing the shrink querymax command.
e. After successfully shrinking the Vista partition type exit twice to exit both the Diskpart utility and the Command Prompt window.
7. Close the System Recovery Options screen to return to the main installation screen.
10. If you agree to the license terms, select I accept the license terms and click Next.
13. Now Windows Server 2008 R2 setup will install the selected version to your harddrive.
Configuring Boot Menu
By default the Windows Server 2008 R2 Setup sets itself to the default startup. (See image) You probably don’t want that while it’s still your secondary operating system. To change the startup order we will use the commandline tool bcdedit.
1. To edit the boot menu start the Command Prompt by clicking Run in the Start menu, entering cmd and clicking OK.
a. After opening the Command Prompt enter the bcdedit command without any parameters to view the boot configuration. Notice the identifier and description values of the different Windows Boot Loaders.
b. First we are going to configure Windows Vista as our default startup Operating System. To do this enter the command bcdedit /default {identifier} where {identifier} is the identifier of the Operating System you want to boot by default.
c. The timeout before automatically booting the default Operating System can be set using the bcdedit /timeout # where # is the number of seconds to wait before automatically booting the default OS.
d. Optionally you can also change the order in which the Operating Systems are displayed in the boot menu by using the bcdedit /displayorder {identifier 1} {identifier 2} {identifier N} command where you replace the identifiers by the ones corresponding with the different Boot Loaders.
2. Restart your system and see the results!
Continue to the installation of the Device Drivers…
To get Windows Server 2008 R2 in your native language you are able to download language packs from the Microsoft.com Download website. Select the language you want from the Change language dropdown and click Change. Now click the Download button and wait for the download complete.
1. Open the downloaded file and wait for the installation to complete.
3. Log on again and enjoy Windows Server 2008 R2 in your own native language!
Continue to change the Computer Name…
Different License types
There are 3 different types of licenses with corresponding dvds for Windows Server 2008 R2: Volume License, OEM and Timebased Evaluation. All these licenses have different time limits before you have to activate in order to continue using the Operating System. There is a possibility to reset the evaluation period for a few times which is called “rearming”. This method is also explained in the Microsoft Knowledge Base. The different licenses with corresponding DVD-image, hashes and evaluation times are as follows:
Windows Server 2008 R2 Evaluation English (TIMEBASED_EVAL) – Usable: (10 days + 5 * 10 days using rearm) + 180 days after activating = 240 days
Filename: 7600.16385.090713-1255_x64fre_server_eval_en-us-GRMSXEVAL_EN_DVD.iso (download)
SHA1: 799BF8DA077A3E842AA97C990E468B3AA7BDA4EB
MD5: 134F607CF4C633EF11D2576D1C635D08
Windows Server 2008 R2 OEM English (RETAIL) – Usable without activation: 30 days + 3 * 30 days using rearm = 120 days
Filename: 7600.16385.090713-1255_x64fre_server_en-us_OEM-GRMSXFREO_EN_DVD.iso (only available for OEM manufacturers)
SHA1: 515A9E7F4C7DF41AACA6872CB806DABD15BF7D64
MD5: 4FFB420543F5A9265BE5EEDB6C4E55A2
Windows Server 2008 R2 VL English (VOLUME_KMSCLIENT) – Usable without activation: 30 days + 3 * 30 days using rearm = 120 days
Filename: 7600.16385.090713-1255_x64fre_server_en-us_VL-GRMSXVOL_EN_DVD.iso (only available for MSDN and TechNet subscribers)
SHA1: AD855EA913AAEC3F1D0E1833C1AEF7A0DE326B0A
MD5: 0207EF392C60EFDDA92071B0559CA0F9
As you can see you can use the evaluation version of Windows Server 2008 R2 for free for 6 months and even for more than 7 months if you use the rearm method described below!
Rearming
Checking rearm count left
Activating
2. Wait until the online key verification and activation has finished.
Removing Desktop Watermark
1. Download watermark.zip (9KB) from win2008r2workstation.
If you get a sharing violation error during the installation, try running it again in Safe Mode. I Couldn’t test it myself because for some reason I can’t get into Safe Mode. Please confirm this works!
A lot of us will probably also use Windows Server 2008 R2 to play games! On this page games that work and don’t work are listed. If you have a game that is not listed on this page, please leave a comment and share your experiences. Make sure you have applied all game-related fixes for Windows Server 2008 R2 at step 9 of the manual before reporting a non-working game.
To view all games that are working in the non-R2 version of Windows Server 2008, click here.
| Game | Website | Compatible | Issues | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age of Mythology - Titans Expansion | No | Installs fine, but when executed, does not run, locks computer, requiring hard reset. No error message presented. | ||
| Aion | Yes | - | - | |
| Anno 1404 | http://anno.ubi.com/ | Yes | - | - |
| ArmA: Armed Assault - 1.16 Beta | Yes | - | Patch 1.16 is important for 4GB+ and ATI users | |
| Armed Assault 2 | Yes | - | - | |
| Battlefield 2142 : Northern Strike | Yes | - | - | |
| Battlefield 2 (and all Expantions) | Yes | - | - | |
| Bioshock | http://www.bioshockgame.com/ | Yes | - | - |
| Call Of Duty | http://www.callofduty.com/ | Yes | - | - |
| Call of Duty 4 | Yes | - | - | |
| Crysis (32-bit) | http://games.ea.com/crysis/ | Yes | - | - |
| Doom 3 | http://www.idsoftware.com/games/index.php | Yes | - | - |
| Dyson | Yes | - | - | |
| Eduke32 (Duke Nukem 3D) | Yes | - | - | |
| ET: Quake Wars | Yes | - | - | |
| ezQuake (Quake 1) | Yes | - | - | |
| Fallout Tactics - Brotherhood of Steel | Yes | - | - | |
| FlatOut 2 | Yes | - | - | |
| Frets on Fire | Yes | - | - | |
| Grand Theft Auto 2 | http://www.rockstargames.com/classics/ | Yes | - | - |
| Gothic 3 | http://www.gothic3.com/ | Yes | Doesn't start, executable just exits quietly. | Download & Apply Patch |
| Guild Wars | Yes | - | - | |
| Fallout 3 | http://fallout.bethsoft.com/ | Yes | - | - |
| Far Cry 2 | http://farcry.ubi.com/ | Yes | - | - |
| IcyTower | Yes | - | - | |
| Mafia | Yes | Unknown | works great after settings compatibility to Vista SP2 | |
| Max Payne | Yes | Unknown | works great after applying unofficial patch | |
| Max Payne 2 | Yes | - | - | |
| Medieval Total War 1 / Viking Invasion | Yes | - | - | |
| Monopoly by Parker Brothers | Yes | - | - | |
| Need for Speed - Porsche Unleashed 2000 | Yes | - | - | |
| Nexuiz | Yes | - | - | |
| Oblivion | Yes | - | - | |
| OpenArena | Yes | - | - | |
| Operation Flashpoint CWC/Resistance (Update 1.96) | Yes | - | - | |
| Osmos | Yes | - | - | |
| Project IGI 2 | No | This application requires DirectX version 8.1 or later | None yet. | |
| Quake 3 (with ioquake3 engine) | Yes | - | - | |
| Red Orchestra OstFront 41-45 | http://www.redorchestragame.com/ | Yes | - | - |
| rFactor 1.255 | http://www.rfactor.net/ | Yes | - | - |
| Rome Total War - Barbarian Invasion - Alexander | Yes | - | - | |
| Sauerbraten | Yes | - | - | |
| Savage 2 | Yes | - | Requires Administrator rights | |
| Second Life client | Yes | - | - | |
| Silent Hunter III | http://www.silenthunteriii.com/ | Yes | - | - |
| Smokin | Yes | - | - | |
| Soldier of Fortune 2 - Double Helix | Yes | - | - | |
| Stalker Clear Sky | Yes | - | Remember to install the last patch | |
| Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl | No | - | - | |
| Starcraft | Yes | Menu is discoloured. | - | |
| Steam & Valve games (Half-Life 1 & 2 engine powered games) | Yes | - | - | |
| Steel Fury: Kharkov 1942 | Yes | - | - | |
| StepMania | Yes | - | - | |
| Street Fighter IV | http://www.streetfighter.com/ | Yes | Unknown | Comment |
| Team Fortress Classic | http://www.teamfortress.com | No | Screen flashes quickly and then it closes. | - |
| Team Fortress 2 | http://www.teamfortress.com | Yes | - | - |
| Teeworlds | Yes | - | - | |
| Test Drive Unlimited | Yes | - | - | |
| Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 | Yes | - | - | |
| Theatre of War 1.081 | Yes | - | - | |
| The Saboteur | Yes | - | - | |
| Tremulous | Yes | - | - | |
| UltraStar Deluxe | Yes | - | - | |
| Unreal Tournament 2004 | http://www.unrealtournament2004.com/ | Yes | - | - |
| Unreal Tournament 3 | Yes | - | - | |
| Urban Terror | Yes | - | - | |
| Wizardry 8 | Yes | - | - | |
| Wolfenstein | Yes | - | - | |
| WolfQuest | Yes | - | - | |
| World of Goo | Yes | - | - | |
| World of Padman | Yes | - | - | |
| WWII Battle Tanks: T-34 vs Tiger | No | Too many problems (sound etc etc)...And, the software house that made this game went bankrupt...so no updates | - | |
| Zdaemon (Multiplayer DooM) | Yes | - | - |
All credits for keeping this list up-to-date go to Win2008[R2]Workstation crew member xxcom9a!
To protect your computer against viruses and hacking attempts you have to install security software. This page will list all sofware that is known to be compatible with Windows Server 2008. If you are using an application that isn’t listed here or if you are aware of an application that doesn’t work or needs a workaround, please add it using the form below! You can also always look at the Non-R2 Windows Server 2008 Security Software Compatibility list.
Security Software Compatibility
| Application | Website | Compatible | Issues | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application | Website | Compatible | Issues | Fix |
| Avast 7 Free | http://www.avast.com/free-antivirus-download | yes | - | http://www.win2008workstation.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=965&p=4802#p4802 Will even automatically update |
| Avast! Home Edition | http://www.avast.com/ | yes | - | - |
| AVG Free 2011 | http://free.avg.com/ | yes | - | - |
| AVG Free 2012 | http://free.avg.com | yes | Software will install but reports a licence issue. There is no fix for this issue. AVG specifically state in their support forums that AVG Free will not install on the server OS | - |
| AVG Free 8.x | http://free.avg.com/ | yes | Won't install on Server OS. | Win2k8ws SS (with an addition and note) |
| AVG Free 9.0 Beta | https://secure.avg.com/ww.70888 | no | Won't install on Server OS. Previous fix doesn't work. | - |
| AVG Internet Security SBS Edition | http://www.avg.com/product-avg-internet-security-sbs-edition | yes | - | - |
| Avira AntiVir Personal Edition | http://www.freeav.com/ | yes | Cannot be installed on a Server OS | Forum Topic |
| Bitdefender 2012 total security | http://www.bitdefender.com/ | yes | Gives problems in combination with SolidWorks (open Gl problem). | Get other AV. |
| Bitdefender 2012 total security | http://Bitdefender.com | yes | none so far | Unpack with winrar, run "installerpackage.exe" (selfextractor), run installer.exe ENJOY! |
| BitDefender 2013 total security | http://www.bitdefender.com/ | yes | none so far | Unpack with winrar, use the vcredist2010x??.exe to update your system and then run "installerpackage.exe" (selfextractor), run installer.exe ENJOY! |
| BitDefender Internet Security 2009/2010 | http://www.bitdefender.com/ | no | Details | - |
| Comodo Anti-virus | http://www.comodo.com/ | yes | - | - |
| Comodo Antivirus Free | http://antivirus.comodo.com/ | yes | - | http://forums.comodo.com/help-for-comodo-antivirus/manual-steps-to-uninstall-comodo-antivirus-t887.0.html |
| convert avi to mp4 | http://www.convert-avitomp4.com | no | Easily Convert AVI to MP4 with the Best Video Converter | - |
| EmsisoftAntiMalware | http://www.emsisoft.com | yes | - | - |
| ESET Home Editions | http://www.eset.com/ | yes | Won't install | Use workaround |
| ESET NOD32 Antivirus 4 Business Edition | http://www.eset.com/ | yes | - | - |
| F-Secure Internet Security 2010 | http://www.f-secure.com/ | no | "You can't run F-Secure Internet Security 2010 on a server system." | - |
| Gdata Internet Security 2010 | http://www.gdatasoftware.com/ | yes | - | - |
| Kaspersky Anti-virus | http://www.kaspersky.com/ | no | Operating System not supported. | See comment |
| Kaspersky Anti-Virus for Windows Servers | http://www.kaspersky.com/anti-virus_windows_server | yes | - | - |
| Lavasoft Ad-Aware Free Antivirus + | http://www.lavasoft.com/products/ad_aware_free.php | yes | no | - |
| Microsoft Security Essentials 2.1 | www.microsoft.com/security_essentials | no | - | - |
| Microsoft Security Essentials 4.0.1526.0 | http://windows.microsoft.com/en-ZA/windows/products/security | yes | NONE | NONE |
| Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Ultimate | http://www.microsoft.com/visualstudio/en-gb/products/2010-ed | yes | - | - |
| Outpost Firewall Pro 2009 | http://www.agnitum.com/products/outpost/ | yes | - | - |
| Panda Cloud Antivirus, Free version | http://www.cloudantivirus.com/ | no | The free version does not support server OS | - |
| PC Tools Internet Security 2010 | http://www.pctools.com/internet-security/ | yes | - | - |
| Rising Antivirus Free | http://www.rising-global.com/default.html | yes | - | - |
If you don’t like the default gray Windows Server 2008 R2 logon screen, it is also possible to use the colorful Windows 7 one.
1. Download logonscreen.7z (11,7MB) via Mirrorcreator or logonscreen.zip (29,9MB) via Mirrorcreator.
2. Extract the .zip or the .7z using 7-Zip to a folder and run install(.cmd).
3. Enjoy your new logon screen!
Manually
The files in this patch are the original ones from Windows Server 2008 R2 which are edited. You can edit them by opening the imageres.dll file with a Resource Editor like Restorator 2007, expanding the IMAGE resource and replacing all gray logon screens with the Windows 7 equivalent. Do this as follows (read as: copy … to …): 5031 -> 5044, 5032 -> 5045, 5033 -> 5046, 5034 -> 5047, 5035 -> 5048, 5036 -> 5049, 5037 -> 5050, 5038 -> 5051, 5039 -> 5052, 5040 -> 5053, 5041 -> 5054, 5042 -> 5055, 5043 -> 5056.
Continue to install the missing gameux.dll file…