Comments

# Blake Niemyjski said:

Windows Server 2008 is the fastest OS I have ever used. It’s truly amazing at how fast it performs every

11 February 08 at 6:09 PM

# Maarten said:

Nice guide :)

Does anyone know whether it is possible to move Windows Media Center to Server 2008? I have a valid Ultimate license, and I expect to get my Server 2008 at the launch party later this month.

11 February 08 at 9:01 PM

# PatriotB said:

Aside from hardware virtualization, what does using Server 2008 on the desktop give you that a Vista SP1 system (properly tuned with unnecessary services off, etc.) doesn't?  There really isn't a difference between the two.

(This is in contrast to Server 2003 vs XP, because Server 2003 was a completely newer fork of the OS.)

12 February 08 at 4:41 AM

# Borsalino Moreno said:

Usare Server 2008 come una workstation

12 February 08 at 6:13 AM

# G.T. said:

How to enable the handwriting panel for tablet PC’s and the pen flicks?

12 February 08 at 8:09 AM

# TDMPRO2K said:

I ran svr2003 for a while and I have just gone thorught vista and back to XP. My main problem I am having todate is 7.1 sound.

Svr2003 doesn't support 7.1. Nor do creative support svr os. I have a audigy 2zs and vista I had to buy a program to make it work with vista, but I find vista too.... rubbish to stick with it.

I would like to use svr 2008, but does it support 7.1 sound?, do I have to use vista drivers?....

anyone know?

(I dont want to waste time and money to find out).

Cheers

TDM

12 February 08 at 8:25 AM

# Gis Bun said:

Some answers. It's on the MS web site. You can only upgrade to Server 2008 from Server 2003 (i.e. std to std, std to ent, ent to ent, etc.). I doubt if audio card manufacturers will (officially) support Server 2008 as it wasn't made to be a desktop.

12 February 08 at 10:05 AM

# Nathan said:

Windows Server 2008 is pretty good with accepting drivers that were developed for Vista. I have even been able to install the nVidia Quadro FX graphics software on Server 2008. Try installing the latest audio drivers developed for Vista, and you'll be surprised what functionality it really has.

Also, Server 2008 is designed differently than Vista, and you will see performance differences even if you set all the same settings as Vista has. Windows Server 2008 is much more modular as well.

12 February 08 at 11:38 AM

# Paul's SuperSite blog said:

Vijayshinva Karnure of Microsoft India offers up some advice about using Windows Server 2008 as a desktop

12 February 08 at 2:37 PM

# stuart said:

Note that if you enable the Hyper-V role, you will lose some power management features that are essential on a notebook. You won't be able to put the notebook to sleep, so your only option is to power it down. This is due to the architecture of the hypervisor and there is unfortunately no workaround for this.

12 February 08 at 3:21 PM

# 2003 user said:

Has any one upgraded windows 2003 server std alone server?

12 February 08 at 5:24 PM

# Nicholas said:

I made mine into a desktop os but something I noticed is that the mouse will have some sort of graphic lagging. Anyone notice that as well?

12 February 08 at 5:53 PM

# wavemaster said:

Guys did anyone manage to install vista sidebar??? anyway to actually get the .exe files from vista. I am on SRV2008 as main os atm, so no luck here,

12 February 08 at 6:20 PM

# gman said:

if anyone can get windows vista media center running on it

i will run it for sure

hell yes

any ideas ?

13 February 08 at 2:55 AM

# m1c4d0 said:

gman: can you provide at least one reason? :)

13 February 08 at 4:41 AM

# Robert McLaws: Windows Vista Edition said:

My recent server issues notwithstanding, I am totally in love with Windows Server 2008. I think it is

14 February 08 at 2:53 AM

# gman said:

well why might u ask

i use windows media center

and i would like it on server 2008

enough said

14 February 08 at 8:15 AM

# Charly said:

I was ready to start working (fighting) with Vista. But this looks promising. I'm waiting to get my new hardware to give it a shot.

14 February 08 at 2:54 PM

# HAROLDS HOMEPAGE said:

Using Windows Server 2008 as a SUPER workstation OS

14 February 08 at 4:31 PM

# Mark said:

Geez guys, why run Server 2008 if you're just going to install all the Vista crap back on it like the sidebar? Just run Vista :P

14 February 08 at 7:34 PM

# ChadMoran.com said:

With the release of Windows Server 2008 (RTM) we have seen there is a new kernel inside of this OS that

14 February 08 at 8:04 PM

# Martog said:

ChadMoran.com : If you have been living under a rock for awhile I suppose you would not know that Vista SP1 brings over the new kernel from Server 2008. They are both fairly identical with the exception of the software included and max concurrent connections allowed. Really Vista SP1 is just going tobe as good if you reduce the services and such down to what Server 2008 starts out with. 2003 was a new kernel compared to XP 32bit yes, but it will no longer be that way between client and server OS, the SP's will make sure the kernel is updated in both to the same from now on.

14 February 08 at 11:45 PM

# jon cegedis said:

yes i agree with some comments here:

XP --> Server 2003 - there is a difference in kernel (Server 2003 had a newer kernel)

Vista SP1 --> Server 2008 - MINIMAL difference... SP1 for Vista brings the kernel to the same as Server 2008

So in my opinion there may be a SMALL difference between Vista SP1 and Server 2008, but nothing noticeable for day to day use.

THIS is the question we need to be discussing... nothing else.

15 February 08 at 2:33 AM

# Lost101 said:

I am also interested in using this on a tablet. Can the handwriting panel be enabled?

15 February 08 at 2:51 AM

# sanderg said:

When using Server 2003, I had trouble with some peripherals (scanner, USB external disk). How may this affect server OSes versus desktop OSes?

15 February 08 at 3:49 AM

# bob said:

XP & Vmware workstation - simple & fast.

15 February 08 at 7:08 AM

# Dafin Aziz said:

:sanderg :  The server family of windows are generally much more fussy about obtaining Microsoft verified drivers for your peripherals, this is to ensure system stability and security

15 February 08 at 7:13 AM

# ChadMoran.com said:

Martog, you are correct, I had only heard rumors about it, I didn't know it was true.  Thanks!

15 February 08 at 2:19 PM

# BS0D said:

So far the only 2 things I like about 08 over Vista is Vista reports 2.75 Gigs of memory out of my 4 gigs and Server shows and uses all 4 in x32. And it uses about 1/3 the memory of Vista out of the box. Driver issues are worse than with Vista and it hates my X-Fi with a passion :( But Crossfire works like a charm and it is way faster than Vista [which isn't saying a whole lot].

One thing Vijayshinva misses is right clicking on [YourName] and going to properties, then selecting Advanced tab, clicking on Performance button, Advanced Tab and ticking "Programs" instead of Background Services. This will give many more cycles to the apps you are using. Basically it tunes it like Vista/XP are tuned, instead of like 2003/2008 are tuned.

15 February 08 at 11:30 PM

# AskVG.com said:

Excellent article. Thanks for it. It'll really come handy. :-)

Regards

Vishal Gupta

Microsoft Windows MVP

http://www.AskVG.com/

16 February 08 at 2:11 PM

# who cares said:

managed to transfer sidebar from vista to server 2008

but not all the gadgets work, probably missing activeX stuff

managed to install DreamScene thing from ultimate under 2008

works fine

so its probably no problem to run media center, you just have to know all the files that belong to media center and copy them over

16 February 08 at 7:26 PM

# gman said:

and u need to add some reg entries

17 February 08 at 2:24 AM

# Alex said:

Thanks for this post, I've been running Win2008 for a week now and it's simply much faster and lighter than Vista SP1 !

Just curious though, which anti-virus do you use with Win2008 ?

18 February 08 at 7:20 AM

# skud said:

like win2k8 as desktop :). I am using clamwin anti-virus. Happy to use something else if its free.

How did you guys get DreamScene & sidebar gadgets to work? Not critical pieces... but would like to know how.

18 February 08 at 11:23 PM

# rolypoly said:

Is there DX (10, 10.1) support in this config? I'm guessing it's something that just needs to be enabled, but it seems like Server 2003 needed DX installed separately...

19 February 08 at 2:25 AM

# MikeBacayo said:

Seems to be that DirectX 9 or an equivalent is missing... TV Tuner applications/driver are missing components that make them functional...

19 February 08 at 10:01 AM

# keke said:

copy this from vista...

regsvr32 /s Mpeg2Data.ax

regsvr32 /s mpg2splt.ax

regsvr32 /s kstvtune.ax

regsvr32 /s MSDvbNP.ax

regsvr32 /s MSNP.ax

regsvr32 /s VBICodec.ax

regsvr32 /s vbisurf.ax

19 February 08 at 12:09 PM

# Regve said:

I would also like to know how you made the Sidebar work :)

Also is it possible to integrate the Games Explorer from Vista?

Thanks

19 February 08 at 6:01 PM

# MikeBacayo said:

Yup! Various files were missing... scoured through various inf's from the TV tuner driver and WIn2008, then, copied them over from Vista. Error in the driver's installation only showed up when using the 'Add Legacy Hardware' option in the Device manager.

19 February 08 at 10:01 PM

# The Way I See It said:

This is a continuation of my previous post Using Windows Server 2008 as a SUPER workstation OS Here are

20 February 08 at 11:27 AM

# Noticias externas said:

This is a continuation of my previous post Using Windows Server 2008 as a SUPER workstation OS Here are

20 February 08 at 11:34 AM

# DaveLev said:

I've been using Windows Server 2008 Enterprise Edition as a workstation for about a week running Hyper-V on my Lenovo ThinkPad T61p, and it is FANTASTIC.  I haven't needed or wanted to hack the registry - it works great making the changes above.  64 bit rocks- haven't had any app incompat issues yet.  Running 4 VMs on 4 GB RAM at the same time - very very easy to setup new VMs on Hyper-V.  

21 February 08 at 8:20 PM

# Dreyfus said:

Dear BS0D, you know nothing :)

There is no difference using Windows Server 2008 as a workstation. It's just you wanna think that. Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008 shares the same kernel and Server 2008 identifies itself ans Service Pack 1. The build no. between Vista SP1 and Server 2008 it's absoltely the same.

You're vista machine reports the coorect no. of GB available to Windows if if's the RTM version ad not the SP1 because it's a 32 bit OS. Vista SP1 32 bit reports the total no. of installed ram just for  customers to see that they have what they paid for. A 32 bit OS can't handle more that 4 GB of ram (including viodeo card memory and other mapped memory, so 4 GB address space in total). So all is in your head. belive me.

24 February 08 at 12:05 AM

# Dreyfus said:

..and BSOD I forgot... Server 2008 doen't have SuperFetch enabled... so if you desable it on Vista you'll get the same... with the ram... Or the same if you'll enable it on Server 2008 as in Vista ;) but my recommandation is to keep it enabled.

24 February 08 at 12:07 AM

# Aaron Robertson-Hodders SharePoint Blog said:

Actually I've been 2008'ed for quite a while now, but only recently fully 2008'rtm'd

26 February 08 at 4:12 AM

# SHAREPOINTBlogs.com Mirror said:

Actually I've been 2008'ed for quite a while now, but only recently fully 2008'rtm'd

26 February 08 at 4:15 AM

# Aaron Robertson-Hodders SharePoint Blog said:

Actually I've been 2008'ed for quite a while now, but only recently fully 2008'rtm'd

26 February 08 at 5:16 AM

# Marko said:

Can I play games with Server 2008.

I'm software developer who likes to play games. Especially when my work-laptop kicks my home computers ass...

26 February 08 at 8:06 AM

# Petyas said:

It's possible to run Media Center on Windows Server 2008. Exist way how get media center into WS 2008?

27 February 08 at 6:43 AM

# Chris Haaker said:

Is there a way to turn off the Enhanced IE Security features? In Windows Server 2003 this was under Add\Remove System Components. I dont see anything under Server Manager. The rest of the tips rock and this is WAY faster than Vista SP1 RTM even with all this stuff turned on.

28 February 08 at 9:19 AM

# Madhu Desikan said:

Yes, you can turn off IE enhanced security. Open Server Manager and click on the root node. Now on the right hand side just scroll to the Security Information pane in Server Summary. To ther right there are links to some tasks, and Configure IE ESC is one of them.

28 February 08 at 5:51 PM

# Chris Haaker said:

Any ideas on why I cannot burn a DVD with my DVDRW drive? Works like a champ in Vista. OS sees it, etc. but will not let you burn a disc or drag files to it with the OS. I havent tried third party software yet.

29 February 08 at 1:22 PM

# Geeking Microsoft said:

Mary Jo Foley has an article on bringing back creating Windows Workstation 2008 (Part I) and proposing

29 February 08 at 2:41 PM

# Jew Baca said:

2008 is just an enhanced version of Vista of course it uses the same drivers, Windows Server is a server and Windows Vista is a client. Technology wise they use the same kernel,  inside the OS however 2008 is an enhanced security and deployment center. Which can respectably used as client or in this case a sexy workstation :P

29 February 08 at 3:40 PM

# Freevare Lover said:

Nice Guide. but i m more of a freevare lover

01 March 08 at 10:34 PM

# Ramesh said:

NAP Server is only available on 2008

03 March 08 at 1:33 AM

# Smoke said:

Someone that managed to get Vista sidebar working on w2k8 please share the experience, i cannot get it working by just coping the files...

03 March 08 at 2:16 AM

# Marko said:

Alternative for using codec pack: use VideoLAN VLC Player.

It's free and it can play almost any format. For example HD-movies in mkv format can be played nicely...

04 March 08 at 12:35 AM

# John Quigley said:

I have been running Windows 2008 as a workstation for a few weeks, and both love it and hate it.  Faster and less ram then Vista, more hardware works with Win2k8 then Vista on my laptop.  Bad - MP3 blue screen the system, many audio functions can cause blue screen the system.

Power management is much better then Vista with my laptop, (HP nw9440).

04 March 08 at 6:53 PM

# wavemaster said:

to # ServerOS Lover

That is a great tips site i must say. Its always good to bookmark things like this.

BTW, the only thing i cant get to work, that deffinitely worked with Vista, is my Logitech Bluetooth Hub. It doesnt see drivers for it for some unknown reason.

I am using dINOVO midea desktop, and i tried software versions 3.3 - 4.40 and none worked.

Did anyone get it to work???

05 March 08 at 6:48 PM

# TristanK said:

Just a quick note for kids that fiddle with local rights and GP settings all the time:

Start, Run,

GPEDIT.MSC will pop the local GPO editor

SECPOL.MSC will open the security policy editor specifically

Great tips.

05 March 08 at 10:17 PM

# Dr.C said:

I 've been using Win2K3 as a workstation too from day 1. Never looked back :)

06 March 08 at 1:25 AM

# xpman said:

Knew it was 2003 all along - I saw it boot!

06 March 08 at 7:06 PM

# linuxman said:

For those who ask why install 2008 and not just keep vista: There is a million reasons. For one, 2008 is a server, duhhh! It's services such as IIS are designed to accept many more concurrent connections. I believe vista's maximum is 10 concurrent connections. I can go into many reasons why Server is better, but i won't waist my breath.

07 March 08 at 9:59 AM

# Nicholas said:

I wonder whether anyone notice this. If you try to change the Paging File to another Drive.. the OS will not allow you to do it and it will always revert back to the C:\ . Though we know that admins normally dump heaps of ram into the server box but then again windows still uses that paging file no matter what. If anyone got an idea how to get the page file to another drive. Putting it on post will be great. Thanks

08 March 08 at 7:12 AM

# wavemaster said:

I have split and placed my pagefile to two separate drives, away from C:, so there is something you are not doing right.

09 March 08 at 12:48 PM

# Ali said:

Thank you for the very useful guide, however on my laptop Server 2K8 seems like having audio issues when disk access is too high, reminds me of the Vista Beta stuttering when there were incomplete drivers and when severe disk access happened, the audio started to chop. This however happens as with the stock drivers, so with 1.88 Realtek HD Drivers. Also any other SATA drivers don't help this one. Seems like I have to bear with it and wait :(

But so far love it - it's insanely fast, however the tearing audio can be sometimes a real nuisance.

09 March 08 at 8:09 PM

# FixXx said:

@keke and everyone else.

Can you pls discribe how to make the TV-TUner work under Server2008?

thanks in advance!

10 March 08 at 3:15 PM

# Sup'Astuces said:

Bien que ça puisse paraître étrange, et à première vue incompréhensible

10 March 08 at 5:57 PM

# Lucas Baker said:

I've managed to get Sidebar working (for the most part - I can't seem to add Gadgets unless I do it first under a Vista installation and copy the Gadget files from my user profile on the Vista machine to my user profile on the WS2008 machine).  It seems all the directions about setting up Sidebar ommited the fact that you must port over a registry key from Vista (HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Sidebar).  You'll need to export the whole tree from a Vista installation that corresponds to the Server version you are running (i.e. x86 or x64) and then import it into the registry on WS 2008.  To install Sidebar, follow the steps which have been outlined on other sites and then import the registry key.

I struggled with this for days, until I finally found this step.  Now, sidebar is running.

10 March 08 at 9:21 PM

# r4dius said:

Hi people,

I'm trying to get my tv tuner working too but didn't find how yet ,

when registering the stuff keke said, some won't register (like kstvtune.ax, you have to remove the /s or it will not alert), anyone else has an idea how to achieve this ?

Thans

11 March 08 at 8:22 PM

# fly said:

i managed to install my old tuner pinnacle pctv sat  with XP drivers..

works fine :)

12 March 08 at 5:54 AM

# Brandon Wirtz said:

I did just fine with 2008 Server 64 bit edition on my Laptop.  Audio drivers were not a problem. I have yet to check blue-ray support.

Power Support was the one that was going to worry me, but hybernate seems to work fine as do power profiles.  A few pieces of MSFT software won't install becuase they know it is a server OS, not a Client OS.

12 March 08 at 1:34 PM

# Craig said:

@brandon

Is there a compatability mode option available?

Also for anyone....I'm a WoW addict, will it run?

12 March 08 at 3:49 PM

# RhOLAS said:

Wow is work fine, I thing faster than vista.

Say dll error on startup, but no problem.

13 March 08 at 11:21 AM

# Curley said:

i am using a cutdown version of Vista (speedy Vista v4) and it runs fast on my quadcore (well it would) what i want to know is does this still run faster than any vlite edition Vista, also how much ram does it use on start up

your answers will be greatly appreciated

13 March 08 at 2:17 PM

# Eric Denekamp said:

I use it on my laptop and desktop and It rocks,

I got the sidebar running (Thanks to my colleague WIM) this way, and I have a normal way of adding gadgets this way:

copy the gadget directory from a Vista machine to: C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Sidebar, and then from that dir:

sidebar.exe /RegServer

regsvr32 sbdrop.dll

regsvr32 wlsrvc.dll

Good luck

14 March 08 at 4:21 AM

# Ducter said:

You can download gadgets and use them without issue. There is a small step you have to take but its only once per gadget.

Download 7zip if you do not have it already.

When you download a gadget, right click on it and select extract with 7zip. Then delete the original gadget, going back to your extracted gadget, add the .gadget extension to it, then toss it in your gadget folder.

example, say you downloaded applauncher.gadget

use 7zip to extract it, it will be called applauncher

delete the downloaded one, rename the extracted one from applauncher to applauncher.Gadget

toss it in your C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Sidebar\Gadgets folder if your on 64bit or in your C:\Program Files \Windows Sidebar\Gadgets folder if your on 32bit.

then right click on the sidebar, click add gadgets and they are there ready to be added.

17 March 08 at 9:09 PM

# Mark's Windows Server Blog said:

It took me months to convince my manager that I need a new laptop. Then it took me a few more to convince

18 March 08 at 7:50 PM

# Rob said:

Had huge issues installing a compatible video driver, which had an amazing effect on system performance.  Finally got past it and have been enjoying the performance and responsiveness that Vista should have had!

19 March 08 at 11:47 PM

# Marlon said:

How enabling the wallpaper on the logon screen (would like to change blue background if possible).  Has anyone been able to do this?

20 March 08 at 9:06 AM

# MauroS said:

I wonder if Server 2k8 has the same DRM (Digital Rights Management) goo as Vista.

If not, then maybe that's a good reason for Vista’s apparent worse performance lower stability.

20 March 08 at 9:17 AM

# Juxley said:

So did I miss reading whether or not it has DirectX compatability at all? Vista is a memory hog and I only installed it to familiarize myself with it but I am so tired of how slow it runs. I run XP and it benchmarks at almost twice the speed and performance. I would love to use Server 2008's sleek and slim core to operate the software and games that we all know and love from the good old XP environment.

26 March 08 at 5:40 PM

# m.oreilly said:

@ MauroS: no drm. this is faster than my recent installs of xp,32 and x64, and much more stable. for those xp hold outs: get a clue ;)

26 March 08 at 11:34 PM

# 囚人のジレンマな日々 said:

漢なら Windows Server 2008 をワークステーション OS にしなよ！

27 March 08 at 7:21 AM

# 囚人のジレンマな日々 said:

漢なら Windows Server 2008 をワークステーション OS にしなよ！

27 March 08 at 7:23 AM

# Don said:

I am on the bandwagon now, I just got a Vista x64 PC and nuked it with Windows Server 2008. It runs well, definitely the developer OS of choice now! A few notes I found that I didn't see mentioned anywhere:

1. Setting "Virtualization" and "Virtualization for Direct I/O" in the BIOS, per the recommendation here (and my intent is to move to Hyper-V), does entail a CPU performance hit even if you are not using Hyper-V.  It's not a big one, but it's noticeable in benchmarks. That said I left it on because I intend to use Hyper-V.

2. You may need to install tje Java SE runtime.

3. I used the K-lite Mega Codek Pac (free) and I can watch movies fine. I tried another player that came with the PC, and it kept complaining about wrong region.  I trashed that and now I used Media PLayer or Media Player Classic (came with K-lite)  to watch movies.

4. I needed to update printer drivers from the mfr. web site.  Just to reinforce always check for latest drivers on a project like this.

5. I use LogonStudio Vista to change the screen background on my PC when logged off, I hate that green look. Well it doesn't look. Not sure if it's because of being Windows Server 2008, x64, or dual monitor system.  I have a post in on their forum, so ugly green it is for now...

6. Windows Defende cannot be uninstalled, it can just be stopped from running in the Startup tab.  ipV6 also cannot be uninstalled. Both are part of the OS now.

7. I am disappointed that Avast! Antivirus does not run on Windows Server - darn!  So I am in the market for an AV package. What is everyone running?

8. I also need a Hash checker (to check the checksums on MSDN downloads),  2BirhgtSparks HashOnClick does not support x64 context menus.

04 April 08 at 8:04 PM

# Don said:

One other point - Java.

I was not able to get Java to actually work. ver. 6 update 5 and 4 both crashed Firefox, and caused IE7 to do weird things. On a lark I went to the Early access page on java.sun.com and got the Bet version6 update 10, and that works like a charm in Firefox.  IE7 it does nothing, it's like the Java is not there, although it reports it installed and enabled.  This problem in x64 has been reported on their web site, so I am tracking it. Has anyone else found a good Java approach besides this?

05 April 08 at 8:45 AM

# Josh Heyse said:

Over the last couple of weeks my Vista SP1 installation started to degrade.  One of the wonders

06 April 08 at 2:14 PM

# robert plant said:

been trying server 2k8 x64 for a couple weeks now

and all I have to say is : WOW

(maybe the wow starts now should be for server 2k8 not vista)

and all this while I am on a 3year PC  

(athlon64 singlecore , 2GB DDR)

blazing fast compared to vista RTM x64, vista SP1 x64 and XP SP3 RC

unfortunately my cpu can't handle hyper-v so I am with vmware

workstation now but works OK

j2se sdk 1.6.0.5 seems to be working fine on opera , IE7 and IE 8 beta 1

@Don

absolutely great hash checker :

http://beeblebrox.org/hashtab/

for security software : been using eset smart security business

it's great antivirus and the firewall seems OK

but I had to ditch my kaspersky antivirus (needs server edition)

07 April 08 at 10:11 AM

# mvoloch said:

I currently run Win2K3 as my workstation. besides the virtualization and all the fancy desktop/themes, what are the advantages of updating 2k3 to 2008 server (as workstation)? any performance gain? my machine is quite old, still an Athlon XP 2100 with 1GB so i might have some problems updating. any hint? thanks much

08 April 08 at 11:10 AM

# Don said:

robert plkant - thanks for the hash recommendation! I like it a lot.

mvoloch - lots of stuff under the covers - performance, reliability, security, etc.  Here is a very comprehensive document on the differences:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=173e6e9b-4d3e-4fd4-a2cf-73684fa46b60&DisplayLang=en

Plus, Google on Windows Server 2008 and check out some of the architecture discussions.  It is way more robust and performs better.

08 April 08 at 1:04 PM

# Don said:

robert plant - thanks for the hash recommendation! I like it a lot.

mvoloch - lots of stuff under the covers - performance, reliability, security, etc.  Here is a very comprehensive document on the differences:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=173e6e9b-4d3e-4fd4-a2cf-73684fa46b60&DisplayLang=en

Plus, Google on Windows Server 2008 and check out some of the architecture discussions.  It is way more robust and performs better.

08 April 08 at 1:06 PM

# Guerilla Tactics said:

Switching development OS to Server 2008

08 April 08 at 1:50 PM

# Beej said:

I can't believe the know-it-alls that say Vista is the same as Win2K8 still ... man remember, you never know everything and you just have to do your homework and not assume what the vendor tells you is gospel... they are different, Google for Randall Kennedy and Infoworld... i don't think they've figured out why yet but yeah missing DRM is the best guess

08 April 08 at 2:52 PM

# hbeardave said:

Any other suggestions for good antivirus/antispyware for W2K8?

09 April 08 at 12:22 AM

# Don said:

Spyware: I am using a combination of Windows Defender (installed by default and I turned it back on) and Spybot Search & Destroy.  SB works fine under WS 2008 x64.

AV: I do not have a final yet.  I am loading Microsoft Forefront as we speak, as it has done pretty well in the tests at Virus Bulletin (http://www.virusbtn.com/index).  You can try ClamWin, the open source AV, it works on x64 WS 2008 from what I have read. Have note tried it though.

09 April 08 at 7:06 AM

# krom12 said:

for AV ClamWin works fine (32 and 64bit) for firewall zonealarm free edition works only on 32bit,

check this link for a full rundown of other av products for 2008

http://www.win2008workstation.com/wordpress/2008/03/08/security-software/

09 April 08 at 7:52 AM

# hbeardave said:

Ah, yes...Microsoft Forefront.  I had completely forgotton that it was included in MSDN. It appears to have improved significantly in recent months, so I'll give it a try.

As I understand it, ClamWin doesn't provide real-time scanning....Anyone worried about waiting to get infected before you scan and find an infection?

hbeardave

09 April 08 at 1:20 PM

# Don said:

I  tried Forefont on x64, the first thing I saw was a warning on incompatibility issues, despite it saying it ran on x64.  So I stopped.

Next I ran ClamWin, which worked fine, but it's VERY slow. So I uninstalled. I got to thinking I am not sure how robust ClamWin really is, when even the big boys let a *few* things through in the AV tests. ClamWin doesn't submit to testing that I saw.

I am running the 60 day version of Avast Server Edition, and it runs well. I have always liked Avast, and for the small amount of money I think it's worth it for peace of mind.

For firewall I am running Vista Firewall Control (Google it) on top of the installed Firewall. Free and it is AWESOME!  Works very well, passed the GRC test with flying colors, and makes the OS firewall very nice with a good GUI on top of it (that runs in your tray).

09 April 08 at 9:19 PM

# Arthur M said:

@mvoloch

Driver model.... 2003 = XP in terms of how drivers are handled.

In 2008, I have had video drivers crash a few times, the screen went blank, driver got reloaded, problem solved...

XP and 2003 in that case = BSOD

13 April 08 at 11:52 AM

# Don said:

One other new feature, the Windows Server backup (you have to turn it on in Features if I recall, if not Roles), is way better than ntbackup.  From what I can tell it wants to grab a disk drive completely and manage it for backup, so you don't even see it in Explorer.  But because it owns the drive, it manages the backups, deletes oldest when necessary, etc.  The status reporting is awesome!

I just bought one of the cheap USB external drives and used that. It is FAST. I backed up about 30 GB (full computer backup), and it took about 25 minutes on my machine (a new fast one, but still...to a USB disk? that's amazing IMHO).  So now I do a full backup every night, and it keeps and manages them all!  

This is way better than the backup in Vista, although that one is pretty good and much better than NTBACKUP also.

13 April 08 at 7:58 PM

# Paul Andrew said:

Now that I'm working full time on SharePoint I wanted to move my environment to be more in line with

15 April 08 at 3:16 PM

# Eric said:

If anyone wants to see MCE on Windows 2008, you could vote here for it:

https://connect.microsoft.com/WindowsServerFeedback/feedback/ViewFeedback.aspx?FeedbackID=332389

15 April 08 at 11:45 PM

# boe said:

If anyone happens to have an FTP site to download the sidbar gadgets directory for Vista 64 I would appreciate it.

Thanks

20 April 08 at 6:38 PM

# Don said:

I have only seen it via web site --

http://www.win2008workstation.com/wordpress/2008/03/08/installing-the-vista-sidebar/

20 April 08 at 7:22 PM

# boe said:

Thanks!! for the sidebar link!!!

By any chance does anyone here have a logitech keyboard and mouse?   I installed the latest x64 vista setpoint 4.40.88 but  it doesn't give me any control over my mouse or keyboard (they worked before I installed the setpoint)   I'm wondering if I need some special drivers for setpoint to recognize them.

20 April 08 at 10:10 PM

# boe said:

I tried 3.3 - version of logitech which does make the keyboard and mouse work but then you get dll issues.

I used universal extractor on 4.4 and put the drivers in the C:\Program Files\Common Files\Logishrd\CDDRV2 - it now works fine on mouse - doesn't seem to do anything with the keyboard which is fine since I just make the special function keys do what they do on any other keyboard.

21 April 08 at 12:01 PM

# svyatko said:

I do have Logitech Dinovo 2.0 set, but unfortunately i did not manage to get it to work with Server 2008. Keyboard works, but   mouse doesnt. There seem to be a problem with BT hub logitech is using. Windows gets stuck on adding new devices, and nothing happens.  

I tried various versions of software, 10 different ways of installation, and nothing. There isnt much i could google on this one either. I got rid of it eventually unfortunately.

21 April 08 at 7:19 PM

# boe said:

# who cares said: you got dreamscenes working.   I have the installable for Vista Ultimate - can you tell me how you got it working on your machine?   Also if you have any luck getting the full media center working please let us know.

Thanks

22 April 08 at 1:55 AM

# boe said:

Hello,

The ONLY game I can't run in 2008 server is HALO 2 - how is that for ironic, MS's app is the only one I can't get working.  COD4, MOHA, Bioshock, Crysis, UT3, Q4, D3 etc etc all work great.   Anyone have a guess why HALO2 won't work.   I changed DEP for just MS essentials.   The game crashes during initial startup - as the light beam hits the H in HALO2.   I've tried turning off all services and apps except MS ones during startup.

would really like it if there was a newsgroup for Halo2 PC as well.

As soon as I start Halo2  I get the following

Problem signature:

 Problem Event Name: APPCRASH

 Application Name: halo2.exe

 Application Version: 1.0.0.11081

 Application Timestamp: 46368037

 Fault Module Name: halo2.exe

 Fault Module Version: 1.0.0.11081

 Fault Module Timestamp: 46368037

 Exception Code: c0000005

 Exception Offset: 0006230e

 OS Version: 6.0.6001.2.1.0.272.7

 Locale ID: 1033

 Additional Information 1: 1acd

 Additional Information 2: a9c80722b816b7308cbea4599bc30825

 Additional Information 3: 153f

 Additional Information 4: ad6ec9a9bfa34da5215dd4b5bb1fcd09

Read our privacy statement:

 http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=50163&clcid=0x0409

I'm using the latest drivers for my 8800GT, I have two Gigs of memory and every other game I play UT3, MOHA, Q4, COD4, Bioshock, Crysis etc all play fine.   Just this game gives me trouble.

I wanted to see how the graphics were for some of my games that run great in

XP so I tried Vista tried Vista w/SP1, tried Vista with SP1 and just about

every feature turned off.   WOW - VISTA IS SLOW and I'm not talking about

gaming, I'm talking about booting up, shutting down, copying files on the

hard drive, copying files to the network, ANYTHING.   My goodness it is bad.

So I read a lot of web pages about Windows 2008 running well  which

surprised me since 2008 has a lot of the same code ad Vista SP1.   Since I

like learning things and since I might have to support some 2008 servers I

decided to give it a try.   WOW- 2008 is PEPPY - seems to do everything as

fast as XP.   I went ahead and installed sidebar gadgets, the aero

interface - everything I threw at it didn't phase it.   It uses up a lot of

memory like Vista but I'm not seeing my processor going crazy like Vista and

my hard drive isn't being thrashed.

I really really wish MS had made Vista perform as Windows 2008 workstation -

I think I would have installed it on a few thousand workstations by now.

25 April 08 at 11:13 AM

# Don said:

I am having trouble getting Java to run on WS 2008 with IE 7. Runs fine with Firefox.  Anyone having trouble or does it run ok?  I have tried everything - full uninstall/reinstall, turn off IE Enhanced Security and DEP, ensure Active X etc. able to run....I get the JRE in the system tray, but a blank window pops up and I get no applet support. JavaScript runs fine, and everything runs fine with Firefox 2.

26 April 08 at 8:05 AM

# boe said:

I just test that by going to dslreports and running the java based speed test under tools - yep - I got a little popup thing for java that was blank and it failed to run.

I brought up the java console

ERROR: unexpectedly couldn't get the ClassLoaderInfo for the codebase/cache key

26 April 08 at 11:05 AM

# jr said:

NONE of windows live services work on windows server 2008 ... so if u do this kiss Windows Live goodbye!!!

27 April 08 at 1:43 AM

# Don said:

Windows Live can work. Here's how:

After several months of not using IM (oh it was SO freeing!) I finally decided to find a version of live messenger that works on server. I do like Live Messenger because it works well with the webcam for video calls. I finally found an old version that installs quite nicely-- and then learned that you can easily upgrade to the latest release and by copying the installed version from a Vista box. Forget about installing the new versions directly-- but you can install version 8.1, and then copy the current 8.5 binaries you installed on your Vista box. Here's the steps:

1. Install Windows Live apps (messenger, writer, whatever) on Vista.

2. Get Windows Live messenger v 8.1 here, compatible with Server 08 x64 (from downloads.microsoft.com).

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=D78F2FF1-79EA-4066-8BA0-DDBED94864FC&displaylang=en

3. After installing messenger 8.1 on Server, exit Messenger, copy over the files from C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Live from a Vista box, and run on Server the exe at C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Live\Messenger\msnmsgr.exe.

You can also run Live Writer (doesn't need an install as it's a .NET app-- run the exe from the directory).

A final word of caution: NEVER download Microsoft files from third part sites to try to workaround, as you're opening yourself up for viruses. But this hack gets you up and running using official Microsoft software. Who knows, you might even get product updates.

27 April 08 at 6:25 AM

# Volpoid said:

The issue with weather gadget not working in the sidebar, once you've installed it can be resolved by going to the gadgets gallery & searching for "MSN Weather". Download & install this & it's works fine!

27 April 08 at 6:09 PM

# Volpoid said:

Hmmm, Windows Live Messenger installed & works fine here...

27 April 08 at 6:10 PM

# Volpoid said:

Sidebar Gadgets: How to install.

Download the gadget you want to your desktop.

Create a folder on your desktop called ******. Gadget

(******* being a sensible name of gadget)

Use 7zip (or similar) to extract all the files from the downloaded gadget into the newly created folder.

Cut/Paste this folder into "C\Program Files\Windows Sidebar\Gadgets" folder.

Open up gadgets from within sidebar & click on the newly installed gadget to start it as you would with any other one.

Hope this helps someone out there...

27 April 08 at 6:18 PM

# Venkatarangan TNC said:

I was running Vista Business in my Sony Vaio Laptop for almost a year and I wanted a change for change

28 April 08 at 4:22 AM

# MaxTheITpro said:

Thanks for this article dude! I'm really liking the buzz around Win2K8. Finally, after nearly 15 years or so after Windows 95 was launched, Microsoft delivers the goods. Well, better late than never...right guys? LOL!!

Anyhow, it appears the 64bit version of 2008 Server runs like a charm based on all the feedback I'm reading. Will this run okay on an AMD x64-based laptop or should I go for a Core 2 Duo Core Intel-based laptop?? Which architecture "should" provide better performance?

Again, excellent info on this blog!!

28 April 08 at 4:31 AM

# MaxTheITpro said:

Thanks for this article dude! I'm really liking the buzz around Win2K8. Finally, after nearly 15 years or so after Windows 95 was launched, Microsoft delivers the goods. Well, better late than never...right guys? LOL!!

Anyhow, it appears the 64bit version of 2008 Server runs like a charm based on all the feedback I'm reading. Will this run okay on an AMD x64-based laptop or should I go for a Core 2 Duo Intel-based laptop?? Which architecture "should" provide better performance? I'm aiming for a nice, reliable Toshiba lappie...just have to decide on the architecture.

Again, excellent info on this blog!!

28 April 08 at 4:33 AM

# Skeptic said:

"So far the only 2 things I like about 08 over Vista is Vista reports 2.75 Gigs of memory out of my 4 gigs and Server shows and uses all 4 in x32. And it uses about 1/3 the memory of Vista out of the box. "

You are forgetting about aggressive caching: using more memory is good, it's why you purchased memory in the first place.  Unused memory does not improve your performance, it is simply a waste of money.

29 April 08 at 5:53 PM

# Don said:

Has anyone gotten x64 WMP to play DVD movies?  I have tried the K-Lite and Vista Codec Package x64, but it keeps saying it cannot play the DVD maybe try reducing the screen resolution (which doesn't help).

This error message is indicative of no codecs I believe.

WMP x32 with K-Lite works great.

Thanks!

01 May 08 at 7:24 AM

# Dusty said:

well.. I have a brand new Asus laptop that has no driver support for Win XP .. and after trying Vista it really does blow.. I tried to install XP on it and failed badly.. so much of the hardware just couldn't be installed.. (including the Nvidia Graphics card) Asus will not support users wanting to upgrade to XP and will not give us drivers for anything other than Vista! :(

Yet another reason to go the server 2k8 way... now.. The fun begins trying to get hardware support for fingerprint readers Graphics... sound etc under Server 2k8 (trust me I would rather be running XP if at all possible) I hate Vista!

06 May 08 at 5:32 AM

# Robert said:

I have installed Server 2008 EE on my new Toshiba A305-S6839 and everything is working perfectly except the Intel 4965AGN wireless card.  I have installed the driver and Intel Proset 2 and all is recognized in Device Manager just fine.  However, in the Proset 2 software the driver/card is not found.  I have tried drivers/software from Toshiba, Intel, HP, and Lenovo but Toshiba has the latest driver version and software version. Any thoughts?  I hate to go back to Vista as Server 2008 is running with 300mb less than Vista and is quite noticeable difference in speed.

06 May 08 at 10:03 AM

# Robert said:

NM, the tutorial above doesn't mention wireless networking is now moved to a "Feature".  I enabled Wireless Networking Services and it worked just fine.

Also, no one has mentioned the Vista application TweakVI for use on Server 2008.  It is great for several speed hacks.

07 May 08 at 8:12 AM

# Kyle Baley - The Coding Hillbilly said:

The hillbilly recently upgraded his trailer to Windows Server 2008 but it wasn't interesting enough

08 May 08 at 8:00 AM

# Community Blogs said:

The hillbilly recently upgraded his trailer to Windows Server 2008 but it wasn't interesting enough

08 May 08 at 8:38 AM

# Don said:

wow after all the trouble we have gone to, to get a stable, secure, fast OS in WinSrv 2008 "Workstation", the last thinbg I am going to do is install TweakVI when it says I have to disable DEP for it to run properly.  

A simple explanation for those unfamiliar with DEP:

Data Execution Prevention (DEP) is a security feature included in more modern Microsoft Windows operating systems that is intended to prevent an application or service from executing code from a non-executable memory region. This helps prevent certain exploits that store code via a buffer overflow, for example.

Any software that executes code from a non-executable memory region is unsafe.

08 May 08 at 7:56 PM

# Robert said:

Any idea on how to do the Vista Performance Rating feature on Server 2008?  I am interested in wondering the difference on this laptop.  FYI, a basic Vista Ultimate install used 1gb on complete boot of this laptop, Server 2008 EE uses 700mb.  This is a 30% decrease in system resources being used.  This is the reason why I would like to run the Performance Rating test on this.

11 May 08 at 12:45 AM

# Skutah said:

http://winbeta.org/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=34&t=9186

Here is different windows speed test.

12 May 08 at 9:07 AM

# Joe said:

I was wandering how the licencing would work for 2008?

I want to run it as a 64x workstation on my notebook (all specs above board) with the ability to run games as well as servers.

What version would you recommend and what is the average price?

13 May 08 at 5:06 AM

# Paulo Morgado said:

When I installed my new machine I considered installing Windows Server 2008 with Hyper-V . But this my

13 May 08 at 9:15 PM

# Paulo Morgado said:

When I installed my new machine I considered installing Windows Server 2008 with Hyper-V . But this my

13 May 08 at 9:16 PM

# Paulo Morgado said:

Quando instalei a minha nova máquina considerei a hipótese de instalar o Windows Server 2008 com Hyper-V

13 May 08 at 9:34 PM

# Aces said:

Started the Themes services, it's running and set to Automatic, but when i go to enable Aero  I get an error telling me that the Themes service is not running when it is, any ideas?

22 May 08 at 11:11 PM

# Noyport said:

Hello. I cannot open some websites.

Any ideas?

regards

26 May 08 at 3:08 AM

# Noyport said:

to # Chris Haaker:

burn DVD

you can use "CD-Burner-XP" to burn CDs, DVDs, *RWs, ... It works quite well, no matter how many bits or which os.

26 May 08 at 3:14 AM

# Farm said:

I've installed Server 2008 on my HP 6510b, and I have to say, it's much more responsive than the preinstalled Vista (I've not tried SP1 though), or the XP SP 3 I used.

RAM usage is moderate, boot times are a bit longer than usual (not that I shut it down that much - standby rules), and getting WiFi to work was a bit tricky, as I could not read any help on the internet, understandably:)

As expectable from a server OS, after more than a week uptime, no performace loss is visible, unlike many previous OSes.

It's been a long time since I liked a Microsoft OS this much, they really did a great job on this one. Congratulations guys! ;)

27 May 08 at 5:51 PM

# James said:

@Joe: It runs roughly 900 bucks for Open Business versions plus 40 bucks per client license.  Probably costs about the same for retail versions.

For sure, Vista Ultimate would be way cheaper if you want server 2008 to act as vista anyway.

27 May 08 at 6:13 PM

# James said:

Price is for standard edition.. which would be all you need anyway..

27 May 08 at 6:14 PM

# US ISV Developer Evangelism Team said:

When I'm not messing with WPF and SL, I write software that needs to run on servers (behing WCF endpoints,

27 May 08 at 7:29 PM

# Gil's Blog said:

Running Windows Server 2008 on a Laptop

29 May 08 at 6:46 PM

# JackPeter said:

Dedicated Servers. Dedicated Server Search provides a wide range of Dedicated Servers and Dedicated Servers hosting packages, Dedicated Servers are Windows based Server and Linux Based Server for small and medium-size companies.

30 May 08 at 5:28 AM

# Bismarch said:

Change Optimiced for Applications intead of background process in advanced system settings, I think this will change the "slice" of the processor used for a better interaction with IO.

30 May 08 at 8:37 AM

# hans E said:

I actually dont have a features option in the server manager even if I have server 2008 installed. anyone know why this is ?

11 June 08 at 2:00 PM

# sawo said:

hans E because you use cracked version :)

Server 2008 is simply faster than vista no matter the kernel.

Even if you install the same services, and features its still faster.

Dreyfus try to read before post - 2008 CAN handle up to 64GB of ram even if single application cant use more than 4GB of ram.

13 June 08 at 4:35 PM

# Dan said:

HyperV doesn't work for me. it won't run, apparently it's because I british? Does anyone know when or if this is fixed yet? It's quite embarassing that this wasn't a simple thing to have working out the box. Activation didn't work either strangely.

16 June 08 at 8:19 AM

# Don said:

Hyper-V was simple to install through adding its role. There is an update you should get from the fresh Win 2008 Server install, that updates Hyper-V to RC0 As I recall. Sounds like something is awry on your box if you had trouble with activation too?

17 June 08 at 7:34 AM

# confidence said:

damn I don't know but I am not able to install sound driver and VGA driver in my laptop it's model name is sony vgn fj 170. I've just got installed server 2008. now how can I talk to my gf? on net?:(....plz help...my email id is sluvst@yahoo.com  plz Pm me for support

17 June 08 at 10:07 AM

# Don said:

Do you have all the latest drivers etc. from Sony eSupport?

http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/model-home.pl?mdl=VGNFJ170B

18 June 08 at 6:57 AM

# DirectX 2k8 said:

server 08 has full directx 10, or 10.1 as it may be. You need to enable video acceleration. Right click on the desktop -> personalize -> display settings -> advanced settings -> troubleshoot tab -> change settings (UAC warning) -> move the slider all the way to the right.

if you want to check it, run dxdiag from start search.

21 June 08 at 7:45 AM

# freddyzdead said:

maxtheitpro (gag!) you are exactly the sort of arrogant twonk that makes me want to puke.  Where were you when Server 2003 came out?  I've been using it for 5 years now and if 2008 is just vista with a coat of paint, then I don't think I'll be rushing to flush 2k3 down the toilet.

22 June 08 at 1:21 AM

# Tony said:

You can install Windows Live Writer technical preview (from microsoft / officially supported not a hack) on windows server 2008 x64 now

see <a href="http://www.devprise.com/2008/06/18/howto-install-windows-live-writer-on-windows-server-2008/">How To Install Windows Live Writer on Windows Server 2008</a>

22 June 08 at 9:55 PM

# Smöråkning said:

Well, this is going to be interesting. I&#39;ve spent the day installing Windows Server 2008 on my brand

23 June 08 at 11:40 AM

# Scott Millar said:

Have just installed 2008 but driver support seems to be limited due to it being built around x64 core. I can't get wifi at the moment. If anyone has a wifi card that work could you please let me know. www.aberdeencomputerrepair.co.uk

29 June 08 at 7:51 AM

# NickereN20 said:

is it possible that I can play games on it? like Crysis and the new Crysis Warhead when is gonna be realeased?  

(sorry for my bad english)

05 July 08 at 8:03 PM

# Niketan said:

If u r trying to install Windows Server 2008 on laptop, you will need to install Wireless LAN feature, and also manually start the service.

08 July 08 at 2:16 AM

# Jay-D said:

Does anyone think that it's a good idea to make a user account for my main account, or is it better to stick with Admin? I know in Linux it is safer not to run in root all the time. Do you think the same applies to Windows Server 2008, or is it going to be more of a hindrance than anything? I'm always having to type the admin password every time I want to do something.

10 July 08 at 4:33 AM

# The things that are better left unspoken said:

Looking at websites with appealing names like www.win2008workstation.com there seem to be (home) users

19 July 08 at 6:15 AM

# Dhananjaya Acharya said:

i like so much windows server 2008, i found many more fascilities than win server 2003 .

29 July 08 at 7:51 AM

# Christophe Fiessinger's Blog said:

I have recently converted several desktops and laptops to Windows Server 2008 x64 to essentially leverage

05 August 08 at 5:03 PM

# Don said:

I am now 6 months into running Windows Server 2008 as my desktop. I use Hyper-V, VS 2008, Firefox, IE, IIS, burn CDs/DVDs, and SQLServer most of the time as my work on the PC.

I love this OS. It's better than anything I have ever used. Fast, Reliable. No blue screens. I can't even remember any applicaiton shut down messages. Drivers are rock solid.  Did I mention fast?

While my personality is always one to look ahead, IE to Windows 7, I really don't right now until I know it's better than THIS - I hope MS makes a workstation equivalent of Windows 7 out of the server version...

05 August 08 at 7:46 PM

# Josh said:

FYI GoGrid is offering virtual Servers. They have a free $100 trial when you use the promo code 'GGED'. They are one of the first to offer 2008. EC2 doesn't even offer windows.  www.gogrid.com

19 August 08 at 1:28 PM

# Muhammad Afruzur Rahman said: