Windows Server How ToYour Windows Server Knowledge Base

By default you have option to use Windows server 2008 for 60 days without activation . Do you know that you can reset this activation period 4 times per installation? In that case actual time of Windows server 2008 usage without activation increases to ~240 days. This post will show you how to reset it. To do it open command line and type:

slmgr -rearm

This post will show you how to disable NetBIOS over TCP/IP on your Windows server 2003. NetBIOS over TCP/IP is a must for legacy windows os (pre windows 2000) and applications based on NetBIOS resolving. If you dont have any of these you can get rid of NetBIOS in a few clicks.

To disable NETBIOS over TCP/IP click Start>Settings>Network Connections. Right click desired network adapter and select properties.  Select “Internet protocol (TCP/IP)” in “General” tab and press “Properties”. Now press “Advanced” in “General” tab. Select “WINS” tab in “Advanced TCP/IP Settings” window. Under “NetBIOS setting” select “Disable NetBIOS over TCP/IP” and press OK two times.

This post will show you how to delay services start by editing registry. This is usefull when you need to delay some services start in order your server initialize various protocols in right way. This can be done by creating service dependency. To perform it open registry editor on your Windows server 2003 (Start>Run, regedit) and navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services

Select service you want to create dependency for and create new Multi-String value named “DependOnService”. Open newly created value and type the name of the service or services you wish to start before this service. The name of the services is exactly as it is under “services” registry key.

This post will show you how to disable initial configuration task list to start every time you reboot your Windows server 2008. To do it open registry editor (Start>Run, regedit) and navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\ServerManager\Oobe

There you will find value named DoNotOpenInitialConfigurationTasksAtLogon. To disable task list to start edit its value and change 1 to 0.

This post will show you how to view network configuration on remote server using command line. Lets say we want to check network configuration on remote server named “Testserver1″. To do it open command line on your Windows server 2008 and type:

netsh -r Testserver1 interface ip show config

If you need to supply different credentials to run this command type:

netsh -r Testserver1  -u testdomain.com\Admin -p Pa$$w0rd interface ip show config

At last tool that is really working! I have tested many tools to clone Windows servers to new hardware but all my attempts were unsuccessfull. BSOD was my constant escort. Few weeks ago i found “Acronis Excho server” with Universal restore function. It worked! I have already cloned 4 servers from old harware to new one with no problems. Latest cloning was old Intel SWV25 model to Sun Fire x2100 M2. All raid configurations are being configured during cloning process in easy understandable GUI. No more BSOD. Try it!

You can read more about this great tool here .

This post will show how to end running process by using command line on your Windows server 2003. First of all you need to run tasklist command to view PID number of the process you want to end. To do it type:

tasklist

To end process type:

taskkill /PID <PID number>

To end process on remote server named “Testserver” type:

taskkill /s Testserver /PID <PID number>

Note that you can always type taskkill /? for more command usage examples

This post will show how to view running processes using command line on your Windows server 2003. To do it open command line and type:

tasklist /v /fi “status eq running”

To view running processes on remote server named “Testserver” type:

tasklist /s Testserver /v /fi “status eq running”

Note that you can always type tasklist /? for more command usage examples

If you have network connectivity problems on your Windows server 2003 this how to is for you. Lets say we have problem with connecting to network resource and want to troubleshoot this. Open command line on your server and type:

netdiag

These tests are performed by running netdiag:

# Netcard queries test
# IpConfig test
# Autoconfiguration test (APIPA)
# NetBT name test
# WINS Service test
# Default gateway test
# NetBT name test
# WINS Service test
# Domain membership test
# NetBT transports test
# Autonet address test (APIPA)
# IP loopback ping test
# Default gateway test
# NetBT name test
# Winsock test
# DNS test
# Trust relationship test
# Kerberos test
# LDAP test
# Bindings test
# WAN configuration test
# Modem configuration test
# IP Security test
# Redir and Browser test
# DC discovery test
# DC list test
# Trust relationship test
# Kerberos test
# LDAP test
# Bindings test
# WAN configuration test
# Modem configuration test
# IP Security test

Note that netdiag is part of Windows server 2003 support tools. They can be found on your OS CD (Support\Tools) .

This post will show you how to check if your domain controller is healthy and is functioning in right way. Lets say we want to run check against server named “TestDC”. For this we will use domain admin account “testadmin” with password “Pa$$w0rd”. To start check open command line on your Windows server 2003 and type:

dcdiag /s:TestDC /u:testdomain.com\testadmin /p:*

After you will hit Enter password prompt will appear.

Note that dcdiag is part of Windows server 2003 support tools. They can be found on your OS CD (Support\Tools) .

This post will show you how to view system information using command line. To do it open command line on your Windows server 2003 and type:

systeminfo

To view system configuration on remote server named “Testserver” type:

systeminfo /s Testserver

This post will show how to list processes used by specific session on your Windows server 2003 using command line.

First you need to view current sessions on server named “Testserver”. For that open command line and type:

query session /server:Testserver

Note the ID number of the session you want to use for process list. To list processes for specific session type:

query process /ID:<ID number>