Chapter 2. System Configuration
Introduction
There are many useful customizations you can make after installing the operating system. Some of the configuration options I cover in this chapter include setting the time and date, joining a server to a domain, configuring page files, and configuring startup and failure options. I then cover some settings that disable annoying Windows features. These aren’t terribly important from a performance point of view, but are down-right necessary to reduce your frustration level when dealing with a server. Good examples of this include disabling the Manage/Configure Your Server Wizard and the Windows Server 2003 Shutdown Tracker.
Using a Command-Line Interface
Commands to help configure Windows Server are not in short supply. In Table 2-1, I list all the command-line utilities I use in this chapter along with where each can be found.
Table 2-1. Command-line tools used in this chapter
Tool | Windows Server 2003 | Windows 2000 Server | Recipes |
---|---|---|---|
bootcfg | %SystemRoot%\system32 | N/A | 2.14 |
compname | 2.8 | ||
date | CMD shell | CMD shell | 2.7 |
dsmod | %SystemRoot%\system32 | N/A | 2.10 |
hostname | %SystemRoot%\system32 | %SystemRoot%\system32 | 2.8 |
msoobe | %SystemRoot%\system32\oobe | N/A | 2.1 |
net | %SystemRoot%\system32 | %SystemRoot%\system32 | 2.2, 2.7 |
netdom | Windows 2003 Support Tools | Windows 2000 Support Tools | 2.8-2.10 |
nltest | Windows 2003 Support Tools | Windows 2000 Support Tools | 2.10 |
psinfo |
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