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Windows Server Core Command Cheat Sheet

Published: 06/14/2010

I love the idea of Server Core. It's one of the best things from Microsoft in recent memory, in my opinion. While I still don't like the fact that it runs a pseudo-GUI, it's a long-overdue installation option that I think most people overlook. Too many Windows admins want that point-and-click factor.

I'll admit, however, that I haven't spent a lot of time on it either. I don't get to work on Active Directory infrastructure as much as I'd like to these days, and my Server Core install base is limited to just a few machines. And whenever I do get to manage a machine directly at the CLI (rather than through remote GUI management tools), I find myself lost because I can never remember all the various commands.

Therefore, here's my cheat sheet. All values in red should be customized for your environment. I got these mostly from Microsoft TechNet, but for my own reference I just like having them in one place with the red highlights for convenience.

General commands

Show general command list

Windows Server 2008

Show Roles command list

View installed roles: Oclist

Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services	`start /w ocsetup DirectoryServices-ADAM-ServerCore` Uninstall: `start /w ocsetup DirectoryServices-ADAM-ServerCore /uninstall`
Active Directory Domain Services	`dcpromo /unattend:myunattend.txt` (file example) Additional DC: `dcpromo /unattend /InstallDns:yes /confirmGC:yes /replicaOrNewDomain:replica /safeModeAdminPassword:My@Pass912$1! /rebootOnCompletion:yes /UserName=myadmin01 /UserDomain=CORP /Password=* /SiteName=Default-First-Site-Name /ReplicaDomainDNSName:corp.mycompany.com` Demote: `dcpromo`
DNS Server	`start /w ocsetup DNS-Server-Core-Role` Manage: `dnscmd` Uninstall: `start /w ocsetup DNS-Server-Core-Role /uninstall`
DHCP Server	`start /w ocsetup DHCPServerCore` Manage: `netsh` `sc config dhcpserver start= auto` `net start dhcpserver` Uninstall: `start /w ocsetup DHCPServerCore /uninstall`
File Services	`start /w ocsetup FRS-Infrastructure` `start /w ocsetup DFSN-Server` `start /w ocsetup DFSR-Infrastructure-ServerEdition` `start /w ocsetup ServerForNFS-Base` `start /w ocsetup ClientForNFS-Base` Uninstall: `start /w ocsetup (specify role name) /uninstall`
Hyper-V	`start /w ocsetup Microsoft-Hyper-V`
Print Services	`start /w ocsetup Printing-ServerCore-Role` `start /w ocsetup Printing-LPDPrintService` (manage by using Print Management console from another machine)
Streaming Media Services	`start /w ocsetup MediaServerv`
Web Server (IIS)	Default: `start /w pkgmgr /iu:IIS-WebServerRole;WAS-WindowsActivationService;WAS-ProcessModel` All options: start /w pkgmgr /iu:IIS-WebServerRole;IIS-WebServer;IIS-CommonHttpFeatures;IIS-StaticContent;IIS-DefaultDocument;IIS-DirectoryBrowsing;IIS-HttpErrors;IIS-HttpRedirect;IIS-ApplicationDevelopment;IIS-ASP;IIS-CGI;IIS-ISAPIExtensions;IIS-ISAPIFilter;IIS-ServerSideIncludes;IIS-HealthAndDiagnostics;IIS-HttpLogging;IIS-LoggingLibraries;IIS-RequestMonitor;IIS-HttpTracing;IIS-CustomLogging;IIS-ODBCLogging;IIS-Security;IIS-BasicAuthentication;IIS-WindowsAuthentication;IIS-DigestAuthentication;IIS-ClientCertificateMappingAuthentication;IIS-IISCertificateMappingAuthentication;IIS-URLAuthorization;IIS-RequestFiltering;IIS-IPSecurity;IIS-Performance;IIS-HttpCompressionStatic;IIS-HttpCompressionDynamic;IIS-WebServerManagementTools;IIS-ManagementScriptingTools;IIS-IIS6ManagementCompatibility;IIS-Metabase;IIS-WMICompatibility;IIS-LegacyScripts;IIS-FTPPublishingService;IIS-FTPServer;WAS-WindowsActivationService;WAS-ProcessModel Uninstall: `start /w pkgmgr /uu:IIS-WebServerRole;WAS-WindowsActivationService;WAS-ProcessModel`

Show Features command list

Windows Server 2008 R2

Show Roles command list

Show Features command list

View installed features: Dism /online /get-features /format:table

BranchCache	`Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:PeerDist` `Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:PeerDistHashP` `Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:SMBHashGeneration`
IIS Management Service	`Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:IIS-ManagementService` Enable remote management: `HKLM\Software\Microsoft\WebManagement\Server` - change `EnableRemoteManagement` to 1; `net start wmsvc`
Input Method Editor 32-bit support	`Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:ServerCore-EA-IME-WOW64`
.NET Framework 2.0	`Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:NetFx2-ServerCore` 32-bit support: `Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:NetFx2-ServerCore-WOW64`
.NET Framework 3.0 and 3.5	`Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:NetFx3-ServerCore` 32-bit support: `Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:NetFx2-ServerCore-WOW64` 32-bit support: `Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:NetFx3-ServerCore-WOW64`
QWAVE	`Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:QWAVE`
Removable Storage	`Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-Windows-RemovableStorageManagementCore`
Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)	`Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:SNMP-SC`
Subsystem for UNIX-based applications	`Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:SUACore` 32-bit support: `Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:SUACore-WOW64`
Telnet client	`Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:TelnetClient`
Windows Internet Name Service (WINS)	`Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:WINS-SC`
Windows PowerShell	`Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:MicrosoftWindowsPowerShell` 32-bit support: `Dism /online/enable-feature /featurename:MicrosoftWindowsPowerShell-WOW64`
Windows PowerShell Best Practices Analyzer cmdlets	`Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:BestPractices-PSH-Cmdlets`
Windows PowerShell Server Manager cmdlets	`Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:ServerManager-PSH-Cmdlets`
Windows Server Backup	`Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:WindowsServerBackup`
Windows Server Backup Windows PowerShell cmdlets	`Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:WindowsServerBackupCommandlet`
Windows Server Migration Tools	`Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:ServerMigration`
WoW64	`Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:ServerCore-WOW64` (installed by default)

The following may require additional hardware:

BitLocker Drive Encryption	`Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:BitLocker` Remote administration tool: `Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename: BitLocker-RemoteAdminTool`
Failover Clustering	`Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:FailoverCluster-Core` (not supported in Standard Edition)
Multipath IO	`Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:MultipathIo`
Network Load Balancing	`Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:NetworkLoadBalancingHeadlessServer`

Uninstall: Dism /online /disable-feature /featurename:(specify feature name)


      

      


      




      
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Rename computer	`netdom renamecomputer %computername% /newname:MyNewHostname`
Join machine to domain	`netdom join %computername% /domain:corp.mycompany.com /userd:CORP\jsmith /passwordd:*`
Rename computer while joined to domain	`netdom renamecomputer %computername% /newname:MyNewHostname /userd:CORP\jsmith /passwordd:*`
Remove machine from domain	`netdom remove %computername%`

View the current interface list	`netsh interface show interface`
Set static IP, mask, gateway	`netsh interface ipv4 set address "Local Area Connection" source=static 10.3.1.11 255.255.255.0 10.3.1.1`
Set primary DNS server	`netsh interface ipv4 add dnsserver "Local Area Connection" address=10.3.1.21 index=1`
Set secondary DNS server	`netsh interface ipv4 add dnsserver "Local Area Connection" address=10.3.1.22 index=2`
Remove DNS server from interface	`netsh interface ipv4 delete dnsservers "Local Area Connection" 10.3.1.21` (or `all`)
Set interface to DHCP	`netsh interface ipv4 set address "Local Area Connection" source=dhcp`
Disable interface	`netsh interface set interface "Local Area Connection" disabled` (or `enabled` to re-enable)

Query active drivers	`sc query type= driver`
Install a driver	`pnputil -i -a oemdriver.inf`
List running services	`sc query`
Start / stop a service	`sc start (service name)` `sc stop (service name)`
Disable a service	`sc config (service name) start= disabled`

Allow server to be managed by Remote Desktop	`cscript C:\Windows\System32\SCregEdit.wsf /ar 0`
Verify registry entry for above	`cscript C:\Windows\System32\SCregEdit.wsf /ar v`
Allow Remote Desktop sessions from older RDP clients (lower security setting)	`cscript C:\Windows\System32\SCregEdit.wsf /cs 0`
Verify registry entry for above	`cscript C:\Windows\System32\Scregedit.wsf /cs v`
Windows Firewall: allow ICMPv4 echo-request inbound	`netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="ICMP Allow incoming V4 echo request" protocol=icmpv4:8,any dir=in action=allow`
Windows Firewall: allow Remote Desktop	`netsh advfirewall firewall set rule group="Remote Desktop" new enable=yes`
Windows Firewall: allow remote management of Windows Firewall	`netsh advfirewall firewall set rule group="Windows Firewall Remote Management" new enable=yes`
Windows Firewall: allow remote management of OS via MMC snap-ins	`netsh advfirewall firewall set rule group="Remote Administration" new enable=yes`
Enable Windows Remote Shell	`WinRM quickconfig`

List existing Power Schemes	`powercfg -l`
Turn hibernation off	`powercfg -hibernate OFF`
Set absentia power scheme (used when no one is logged in)	`powercfg -setabsentia 8c5e7fda-e8bf-4a96-9a85-a6e23a8c635c`
Set Power Configuration for High Performance	`powercfg -setactive 8c5e7fda-e8bf-4a96-9a85-a6e23a8c635c`

Install OS product key	`slmgr.vbs -ipk 1234-5678-90ab-cdef-ghij`
Activate OS installation	`slmgr.vbs -ato`
List processes	`tasklist`
Kill process by process ID	`taskkill /PID 3852`
Invoke Task Manager	`taskmgr`
List log names	`wevtutil el`
Export log to file	`wevtutil epl c:\mylog1.txt`
Query log for events	`wevtutil qe /f:text System`
Clear log	`wevtutil cl System`
Adjust paging file	`wmic pagefileset where name="d:\pagefile.sys" set InitialSize=1024,MaximumSize=2048`
Set proxy setting	`netsh winhttp set proxy myproxy.corp.mycompany.com:8080`
Add domain account to local Administrators group	`net localgroup Administrators /add CORP\jsmith`
Delete domain account from local Administrators group	`net localgroup Administrators /delete CORP\jsmith`
Reboot the machine immediately	`shutdown /r /f /t 0`
Log off current interactive session	`logoff`

Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)	`start /w ocsetup SNMP-SC`
Telnet client	`start /w ocsetup TelnetClient`
QWAVE	`start /w ocsetup QWAVE`
Windows Internet Name Service (WINS)	`start /w ocsetup WINS-SC`
Windows Server Backup	`start /w ocsetup WindowsServerBackup`

BitLocker Drive Encryption	`start /w ocsetup BitLocker` BitLocker Remote Administration Tool: `start /w ocsetup BitLocker-RemoteAdminTool`
Failover Clustering	`start /w ocsetup FailoverCluster-Core` (not supported in Standard Edition)
Multipath IO	`start /w ocsetup MultipathIo`
Network Load Balancing	`start /w ocsetup NetworkLoadBalancingHeadlessServer`
Removable Storage	`start /w ocsetup Microsoft-Windows-RemovableStorageManagementCore`
Subsystem for UNIX-based applications	`start /w ocsetup SUACore`