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Windows Server 2008 RTM as a Desktop OS

Postby Cornflake » Fri Feb 15, 2008 6:40 pm

Ok I've got some more tweaks :)

Disable Ctrl+Alt+Delete logon requirement
Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog box. Type secpol.msc and hit Enter. The "Local Security Policy" window should open. In the left pane, expand the Local Policies folder, and then select the Security Options folder. Scroll down and find the "Interactive Logon: Do not require CTRL+ALT+DEL" entry and double-click it. In the dialog box that appears change it to Enabled. Done!

Automatically logon with desired account
First, create your desired user account you would like to use. Regular user or Administrator it doesn't matter.

Next, press the Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog box. Type netplwiz and hit Enter. In the "User Accounts" window that appears, uncheck the "Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer." Click Apply. A dialog box will then appear asking you to specify a user to automatically be logged on. Type in your account name you created earlier (Or just use the Administrator's account) and enter the user's password if it has one. Click OK. Done!

Disable Shutdown Event Tracker
Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog box. Type gpedit.msc and hit Enter. The "Local Group Policy Editor" should open. In the left pane, click the arrow next to "Administrative Templates" to expand it, and then click the "System" folder. In the right pane, scroll down and seach for "Display Shutdown Event Tracker" and double-click it. In the window that appears, set it to Disabled. Done!
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Postby Cornflake » Fri Feb 15, 2008 7:19 pm

Uhhh, I have a couple quick questions regarding Server 2008:

After checking Windows Update, there were no updates other than one for Windows Defender. Does Server 2008 come with all previous updates, or does it only show updates specifically for the Server? Also, will SP1 install on Server 2008?

Because if all the updates and SP1 aren't available for Server 2008, I may have to go back to using regular Vista... :(
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Postby Grav!ty » Sat Feb 16, 2008 12:49 am

Hey thanks for posting those fixes above. I use the same except for Auto Logon for which I use a registry fix that I'll still post :yesnod:

SP1 is already included in Server 2008. Type winver in the run box to verify. That was one of the advantages of running the Beta version, in that it was already intergrated. Other than defender definition updates no others have been available to me too, but I guess they'll start flowing once it's publicly available.
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Postby Cornflake » Sat Feb 16, 2008 5:39 am

Grav!ty wrote:Hey thanks for posting those fixes above. I use the same except for Auto Logon for which I use a registry fix that I'll still post :yesnod:

SP1 is already included in Server 2008. Type winver in the run box to verify. That was one of the advantages of running the Beta version, in that it was already intergrated. Other than defender definition updates no others have been available to me too, but I guess they'll start flowing once it's publicly available.


No prob :)

Ah, I thought Server 2008 would have SP1 already, forgot about checking the Windows version screen. I read in the SP1 upgrade window (Running on a regular version of Vista) that it includes "all previous updates", so it may just be that there haven't been any significant updates released since SP1 that aren't already included.

P.S. There's just one more tweak we need - enabling the logon background. Right now it just shows a teal color, and i'm guessing that the background that you normally see during logon is somehow disabled because if you use a program like LogonStudio, and change it, it still shows up as just a teal color.
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Postby The Phoenix » Tue Feb 19, 2008 9:14 pm

OK, I give up, can't get the sidebar to work in Server 2008 64Bit. I have copied over the Windows Sidebar folders from Program Files and Program Files (x86) from my Vista SP1 64Bit Install and put them in the same place in server 2008. I have then registered the 2 dll files in the sidebar folder using regsvr32, both succeded. Start sidebar up, icon appears in tray, no sidebar on dekstop and as soon as I hover over the sidebar icon in the tray, it vanishes. I love server 2008 but I really miss my sidebar, I have come to rely on my gadgets :-)
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Postby jbullard » Wed Feb 20, 2008 11:52 pm

I just installed this on my laptop, x64 with Hyper-V, and man does it fly. The only problem is that I have yet to find a driver for my gfx card. nVidia only redirects to dell because of the model and dell only supports 32-bit but seems like there is a group of individuals out there that mod the inf file for nVidia and release it for different platforms.

Just got to find out which one will work. LOL

@Jamie. There is an option in gpedit.msc that has to be enabled for you to be able to run the sidebar and other Windows enhancement components. I just noticed that while I was in there today. :yesnod:
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Postby Grav!ty » Thu Feb 21, 2008 3:36 am

Updated with the last of my "tweaks".

I gave up on Server 2008 Enterprise X64 because I found the driver signing requirement extremely restrictive.

As far as the sidebar goes, even in X86 I cannot get it to work completely as it should. Some of the gadgets don't display properly. No problem getting it to run on startup though. Double click the sidebar icon in Program Files>Windows Sidebar and when it appears in your system tray, right click it and check the checkbox for it to "Start Sidebar when Windows starts"


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Postby jbullard » Thu Feb 21, 2008 3:42 am

Graham have you checked the group policies? I noticed when I was messing around in there today that there were entries in the GP that stated things about the Sidebar, Claendar, Mail, and all those other Vista enhancements.
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Postby Grav!ty » Thu Feb 21, 2008 3:56 am

Yeah I found that thanks Jason, but somehow it hasn't made a difference to some of the gadgets. The clock doesn't display properly (it's just got a black background with only one hand visible) and the CPU and RAM usuage one just has a bit of white on the sidebar with nothing at all visible.

What process did you guys use to register the two dll files? Maybe that's what I got wrong?

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Postby shreader » Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:27 am

Here is something i wanted to add, I got the SuperFetch Started on Server 2008, took 2 registry tweaks.


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*My sidebar is working fine & all my gadgets work that I like, except the Weather gadget, it never finds the signal. The clock shows up & changes faces fine & the CPU/RAM Tachometer works ok too.
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