Configuring Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials
Now that we have installed Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials, it’s time to start the base configuration for the server. This guide will step you through some of the steps necessary to get your server up and running.
Note: If you already have an Active Directory domain and you are migrating to Essentials, some of the steps in this guide will not apply.
Configure Windows Server Essentials Window
When you sign into the server for the first time, you will be greeted with the Configure Windows Server Essentials window. We will follow through the wizard to get the process started.
1. On the Configure Windows Server Essentials window, click Next to start the configuration
2. Ensure that the date and time are correct. If they are not, Click Change system date and time settings and correct the date and time.
3. In the Company Information window, enter your Company Name, Choose and Internal Domain Name, and Choose a name for the Essentials Server. Click Next.
4. Create an administrator account to manage the server. Fill out the fields and choose Next.
5. Choose your method of updating and click Configure
6. The configuration may take some time, especially if you chose to download updates. The server will reboot a few times to continue the installation.
7. Once the configuration is complete, click Close.
Network Configuration
Now that we have a working server, we will want to configure a few other things to get it ready.
1. Open Network Connections by clicking Start > ncpa.cpl (type ncpa.cpl in the start search and hit enter)
2. Manually set your IPv4 address to something in your subnet (192.168.1.2, for example)
Windows Update
Now that the base configuration is mostly complete, it’s good to check and see if there are any Windows Updates available. If there are updates, be sure to download and install them to make the rest of the configuration process smooth.
Windows Server Essentials Dashboard Setup
It’s time to start configuring your server. The setup tasks will all be divided into separate articles, which are listed below:
| Add User Accounts | CLICK HERE | Managing Users and Groups in Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials |
| Add Server Folders | CLICK HERE | Managing Server Folders in Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials |
| Set up Server Backup | CLICK HERE | Configuring Server Backup in Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials |
| Set up Anywhere Access | Coming Soon | Configuring Anywhere Access in Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials |
| Customize Health Report Settings | Coming Soon | |
| Set up Client Restore Service | Coming Soon | |
| Connect Computers | Coming Soon | Connecting Client Computers to Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials |
