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Resources Windows Server Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials Installation on VMWare

How to Install Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials on VMWare

By Sophia | Last Updated

Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials is a flexible, affordable, and easy-to-use server solution designed and priced for small businesses. It enables small businesses to protect, centralize, organize, and access their applications and information from almost anywhere using virtually any device.

Now let's install it on Virtual Machine Workstation to experience whether it is.

Download Windows server 2012 r2 essentials here first:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/evaluate-windows-server-2012-r2-essentials

Part 1: Install Windows Server 2012 R2 Virtual Machine

Followings are detailed introduction to install Windows server 2012 virtual machine.

Step 1: Run VMware Workstation 9.0 and click File – New Virtual Machine.

create new virtual machine

Step 2: Follows "New Virtual Machine Wizard", click "Next".

new virtual machine wizard

Step 3: Choose the Virtual Machine Hardware Compatibility and click "Next".

Step 4: Browse installer disc image file you have just downloaded, click Next.

choose installer disc image file

Step 5: Choose Windows operational system version.

choose operational system

Step 6: Name the Virtual Machine and choose one location for it. Click "Next" to let it go.
Generally choose the default settings are OK. Until you create disk for Windows server 2012 R2, confirm all the settings you have set and click Finish to complete New Virtual Machine creation.

finish server 2012 r2 virtual machine creation

Part 2: Install Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials

Windows server 2012 R2 Essentials ISO file runs in virtual machine; now prepare to install operational system – Windows server 2012 r2.

Step 1: Choose Windows operational system Language.

windows server 2012 r2 setup

Step 2: Type in Windows server 2012 R2 product key and click Next.

type product key to active server 2012 r2

Step 3: Accept license terms and click Next.

accept server 2012 r2 license terms

Step 4: Choose one type of installation you want:
Upgrade: Install Windows and keep files, settings, and applications.
Custom: Install Windows only (advanced)

Step 5: Choose the disk where you want to install Windows operational system.

choose installation disk

Step 6: Windows system program installs. Just wait for minutes to finish all operational system settings.

windows server 2012 r2 installation

Step 7: After it completes installation, a window pops up and asks you to set password for built-in administrator. Type in password twice, and the password has to meet password complexity requirement set by administrator for network or group.

set server 2012 r2 default admin password

Step 8: Click “Finish” to restart Windows server 2012 R2. You are required to login into Windows with default administrator and password.

login server 2012 r2 with default administrator

Now, you can set a new user name for this Administrator. If you want to keep Windows server running in safer environment, you could disable default administrator account and create a local administrator user account on Windows server 2012 R2.

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