Windows Server post-installation configuration
Windows Server post-installation configuration
After you install Windows Server, you’re not ready yet to add software on it. Therefore, you have to go through
Windows Server post-installation configuration tasks and ensure that the Windows Server is ready. The best way to
go through the Windows Server post-installation tasks is with a checklist. In this article, we will show the quickest
and safest Windows Server post-install configuration.
Let’s go through the checklist items one by one in the steps below.
By default, the Server Manager automatically starts when you sign in to Windows Server. You don’t need that, and
you can always start the Server Manager manually. So let’s turn that setting off.
Go to Manage > Server Manager Properties. Check the checkbox Do not start Server manager automatically at
logon.
If you have a Domain Controller, create a Group Policy Object (GPO) that will not start Server Manager automatically
at logon and link it to the appropriate Organizational Unit (OU).
Click in Server Manager on Local Server. Turn off IE Enhanced Security Configuration for administrators and users.
Adjust the Windows Server time zone. It’s possible that the time doesn’t show correctly after you set it. That’s
because you don’t have an internet connection.
Change computer name
Change the computer name to a name that you can identify. In our example, the computer name is DC01-2019. It
will be our first Windows Server 2019 Domain Controller. Reboot the Windows Server after applying.
Open Command Prompt and run ipconfig/all or use Windows PowerShell and run the cmdlet Get-
NetIPConfiguration.
Change the network adapter name to a name that you can identify. For example, we will configure it on the 192.x
network, so we name it Network 192x.
Configure a static IP address for the Windows Server. Change the Internet Protocol version 4 (TCP/IPv4)
properties to a static IP address and use a preferred DNS server. For example, Google Public DNS is 8.8.8.8 and
8.8.4.4.
Turn on Remote Desktop
Enable Allow remote connections to this computer. It will let you remote access the Windows Server with a
Remote Desktop Connection.
Ping requests are by default blocked in Windows Firewall. Most of the engineers disable Windows Firewall. This is
not what we recommend. Leave the Windows Firewall enabled.
Search for Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security. From the left pane, select Inbound
Rules and enable both the rules:
Go to Settings > Windows Update. Search and install Windows Updates. After a reboot, search again for Windows
Updates.
Keep searching and installing Windows Updates till you see the message that You’re up to date.
Active Windows Server
Don’t forget to activate Windows Server. There are different ways to license Windows Server, and we will leave
that up to you.
We showed how to go through the Windows Server post-installation configuration. As you can read, you have to
configure a couple of settings after a Windows Server installation. Always use a checklist, so you don’t forget any of
them.