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Tweak w2k3 server to make it Look like XP, Part 1 by Candyman

7/9/2003

Windows Server 2003 Workstation
Author: Neowin

DATE : 16.03.2003

So Windows 2003 Professional turned out to be a pipe dream, faster than we could get used to the idea being a reality it was played down/denied by Microsoft and all the knowledge base articles were removed to be corrected. It turned out to be an oversight. Well, we aren''t ones to give up so easily at Neowin, so we have put together a guide that turns Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition into what we would rather call Windows 2003 Professional.

Why, I hear you scream? Well, there’s only one simple answer for that, because its newer than XP!

What you need to get started
Before we start grab the following

Microsoft DirectX 9 Web Setup
The Microsoft Java VM (build 3809)
The latest version of Windows Messenger or MSN Messenger (your choice)
The latest version of Xteq XSetup (optional)
The Neowin uxtheme.dll Patcher for build 3765. Here is a BACK-UP uxtheme.dll
Pre Setup Notes
I won''t go into creating a guide to setup Windows 2003 because its basically the same as Windows XP with a few small changes which I will run through here quickly. During setup you are asked to specify the Client Access License (CAL). If you are installing Windows Server 2003 to use as a workstation leave this setting at its default. Like Windows XP Professional you are prompted for the same things like joining a Domain or Workgroup, if you are familiar with Windows XP Professional setup then Server is no different with the exception of CAL configuration and the setup UI is grey instead of blue.

When setup completes (costing the same amount of time as a typical XP install) you will be prompted on first boot to activate Windows in the same manner as XP. So as you can see, many aspects of the setup are the same. The changes begin here...

Post Setup
The first thing you can do is disable Manage Your Server (pic). There is no persistent nag screen in Windows Server 2003 like there was in Windows 2000 Server to setup a "Server Role" which is also a direct result of the new Server "Lockdown" initiative where a Security Lockdown Wizard determines what the Server may or may not do. Default is as it should be, Locked down.

Then you should create a user account immediately. Leave the Administrator account in its default state and create your user name using these steps: (as shown in this pic) Click Start > Run > Type lusrmgr.msc Select and Right Click on the "User" folder and select New User. Create your user account, Click OK. Double click on your new user account > Select Member of tab > Click Add > Advanced > Find Now > Double click the first entry, it should say Administrators > OK > OK and close User Management.

Log out, Login to your new account.

Disable the Shutdown Tracker
Before we start installing Drivers and Applications that more often than not require a reboot, lets disable the Server Enabled "Shutdown Event Tracker" this will enable you to reboot or shut down without being asked to submit a reason. Which is what we want for a Workstation configuration.

Click Start > Run > Type MMC File > Add/Remove Snap-in... Add > Group Policy Object Editor > Add > Click Finish and Close then OK

Navigate through > Local Computer Policy > Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > and select the System folder

Double Click Display Shutdown Event Tracker and select Disabled.
OK > File > Exit

Now you won''t be asked why you need to reboot or shut down the system, just like in Windows 2000 Professional.

At present there is no Fast User Switching and Welcome Screen that can be enabled or used as it was simply not included with Windows Server 2003. (Power users usually turn it off anyway) Maybe someone will make a program that emulates or adds it later. If such a program becomes available we''ll update to reflect this.

Disable Internet Explorer Hardening

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When you open Internet Explorer in Windows Server 2003 you will see it in a new locked down state called Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration, (pic) set at this level means you can''t do much at all on the Internet as everything from untrusted domains is blocked regardless. We can disable this so we can download the programs we need to continue.

In Internet Explorer > Click Tools > Internet Options > Security Tab and move the slider from High to Medium. If you are an advanced user you can set this to whatever level best suits your needs, Medium is the default setting for IE on a workstation and sufficient for most users.

You will be prompted about lowering the level of security as a precaution select Yes if you wish to be able to access the Internet via IE.

With Internet Explorer configured for the Internet you can now download Windows Messenger that integrates into Windows Server 2003 in the same way as Windows Messenger does in Windows XP. Using Windows Messenger enables your .NET passport to be saved in your user account which in turn logs you onto all passport sites automatically (pic) or you can also choose to use MSN Messenger 5 if you prefer a more stand-alone client. Both work and see Windows Server 2003 as Windows XP (at present).

(Click on a thumbnail for a larger image)

Enable Hardware Acceleration

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By default Windows Server 2003 is hardware acceleration disabled for graphics cards, meaning only 2D and limited 3D capability is there. We can enable all this painlessly and without much effort. You will still be required to install 3D enabled drivers (like ATi Catalyst or nVIDIA Detonator drivers) for Windows 2000/XP. These can be installed on Windows Server 2003 but only after hardware acceleration is enabled will they work (and display the 3D related tabs in display properties) .

In this image you can see the default setting for the hardware acceleration, to change it to this follow these steps:

Right Click on desktop > Select "Properties" > Select "Settings" tab > Click "Advanced" > Select "Troubleshoot" tab and move the Hardware Acceleration slider all the way to "Full" > Click OK > OK

That’s not all, DirectX (8.1) DirectDraw, Direct3D and AGP Texture Acceleration is also disabled by default on Windows Server 2003. (pic) to enable:

Click Start > Run > Type dxdiag & enter > Select Display tab > Click Enable on all Acceleration options > Click Exit

(Click on a thumbnail for a larger image)

The result is Hardware Acceleration and DirectX enabled for Windows Server 2003. as you can see in the above pic I still have the default Microsoft drivers installed for my GeForce 4 Ti4400, so unless you had been previously prompted to reboot now is a good time to install those Detonator drivers (version of your choice) for Windows 2000/XP. If you use another type of card your 3D enabled drivers

Part: 1 2 | Read Part 2

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