Installing Windows 2012 R2

Step 1
Insert Windows 2012 R2 DVD and start the machine

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Step 2
Once the disk has loaded and presented the country screen select your keyboard, language and time zone.

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Then click on Next and Install now

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Setup starts

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You may have to provide a licence key dependent on what type of installation media you have. Then choose the operating system you wish to install

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Accept the licence Terms and click next

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For a clean install choose Custom

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Choose where you want to install Windows. Available drive space can be manipulated on this screen.Then click next.

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Setup now copies files and does a basic installation

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The system reboots

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Step 11
Enter the administrator password - Upper and lower case, numbers and punctuation. On installation this is the built in administrator password. It is the one used when not on a domain. i.e. when the machine is a stand alone workgroup server. This is the local administrator and not necessarily the same as the domain administrators password.

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Basic installation complete

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Login

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The system starts up as a member server and requests an IP address via DHCP so accept access to the network neighbourhood

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The next task is to change the Computer Name. Click on the dashboard.

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Then click on Local Server which will show the System Properties

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Click on computer name, choose change and enter an appropriate name, click on OK and OK

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Click on Restart Now

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and the computer will restart

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Next we are going to set up a Fixed IP address on the local network. Once you've logged back in right click on the network symbol in the systray and choose Open Network and Sharing Center.

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Choose change adapter settings, Right click on ethernet, choose properties, double click on IPv4.

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IPConfig /All in a command prompt shows the current info, choose an appropriate fixed IP for the server, subnet mask and default gateway. DNS (Domain Name Server) should point to itself as we are going to make this a domain controller, which also installs the DNS server role.

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To restart the machine move the pointer to the bottom right of the screen and then move it up and click on settings. Choose power and restart.

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It's a always good idea to pick an appropriate reason for restarting, should you need to review the logs in the future they'll make sense.

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Once restarted and logged back in, the machine can be set up as a Domain Controller and DNS server. In Server Manager choose (2)Add roles and features.

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Choose Role-Based installation.

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Select this server.

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Choose Active Directory Domain Services, then add features.

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click next.

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An next again, nothing else to install, other features (dependencies) are added automatically.

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Click next.

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Tick the restart box, choose install and acknowledge the notice by choosing yes..

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Installation of Active Directory then starts.

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When installation has finished click close.

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Notice the yellow triangle with the exclamation mark at the top row of the Server Manager Dashboard which signifies an important message is available. Click on the flag and it shows the message. To complete installation and promote the system to a Domain Controller click on the link in the message. (In the old days you would have typed DCPROMO at a command prompt.)

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Choose Add a new forest. The rules have changed on SSL certificates - local domains will no longer be accepted. Use an appropriate top level domain (TLD) and once installation has completed set up a split DNS.

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Select the functional level based on the oldest systems on your network. Then enter a directory services restore mode password and click next.

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Ignore the DNS error as DNS has not yet been setup for this domain and click next.

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Verify the NETBIOS domain name, then click next

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Check you're happy with the locations for the Active Directory database files etc and click next.

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Check you're happy with the information you've entered, if you're curious or may want to use it subsequently click on View Script.

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This is what you'll see if you click on View Script. Copy and/or Close the script and click next.

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Check that all the prerequisite checks have passed and click install.

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The installation goes ahead

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Once the computer has been configured as a domain controller it will automatically restart. The Domain Controller will now hold all the Flexible Single Master Operation Roles (FSMO).

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Miscellaneous
At this point the DNS and DHCP server roles should be set up and if the there is another DHCP server on the network it should be disabled.

DNS
The DNS server should be setup with Split DNS so that all requests for those systems such as Exchange or SQL servers on the local domain point to the appropriate local destination.

DHCP
DHCP or Dynamic Host Control Protocol is what allocates IP addresses to other PC's on the network. Anti-Virus can now be installed but bear in mind the recommendations of https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/822158. The next task is to add users and groups. Then setup Printers and File Shares with access controls using those groups. If the server has sufficient processing power and memory the Hyper-V role can be added and an exchange server virtual machine can be created with the databases on the file server. Other virtual servers can be implemented e.g. a SQL server. Finally a backup regime should be implemented