Deployment Guide

NOTE: Minimal Server Interface and Features on Demand is not present as an option during the normal course of

installation of Windows Server 2012.

Converting A Full Operating System To Server Core And Vice Versa

For servers with a full operating system as the base installation:

• Run the following command to convert a full operating system installation to a server core installation:

– With DISM cmdlets:

Dism /online /disable-feature /featurename:ServerCore-FullServer

– With Powershell cmdlets:

Import-Module DISM

Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature -online -Featurename Servercore-

FullServer

NOTE: To access the Powershell interface, type powershell in the command prompt.

• Run the following command to convert a server core installation back to a full operating system installation:

– With DISM cmdlets:

Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:Server-Gui-Mgmt /

featurename:Server-Gui-Shell /featurename:ServerCore-FullServer

– With Powershell cmdlets:

Import-Module DISM

Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -online -Featurename Servercore-

FullServer,Server-Gui-shell,Server-Gui-Mgmt

For servers with server core as the base installation:

• Perform the following steps to convert a server core installation to a full operating system installation:

a. Insert the Windows 2012 media into the optical drive.

b. Copy install.wim from D:\sources\install.wim to C:\test\images.

Create the folder C:\test\images if it does not exist.

NOTE: D: is the drive where the media has been inserted.

c. Create a folder MountDir under C:\test.

d. Run the following command to retrieve the name or index number of the image:

Dism /Get-ImageInfo /ImageFile:C:\test\images\install.wim

e. Run the following command to mount the offline Windows image:

Dism /Mount-Image /ImageFile:C:\test\images\install.wim /index:4 /

MountDir:C:\test\MountDir

NOTE: index:4 represents the Data Center Edition; for the Standard Edition replace index:4 with index:

f. Upgrade the operating system by running the command:

Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:Server-Gui-Mgmt /

featurename:Server-Gui-Shell featurename:ServerCore-FullServer /

source:c:\test\MountDir\windows\winsxs

• Run the following command to convert a full operating system installation back to a server core installation:

Dism /online /disable-feature /featurename:ServerCore-FullServer