Post OS installation: Configure the properties of Windows Server

Windows Server 2019 is the operating system that bridges on-premises environments with Azure, adding additional layers of security while helping you modernize your applications and infrastructure. In this article, we will discuss ‘Post OS installation: Configure the properties of Windows Server’ and covering network properties, (TCP/IP), Computer name, IE Enhanced Security Configuration, and Windows update installation For how this is done on Ubuntu Linux. Please see the following guides on how to install Windows Server 2019 Operating System.

TCP/IP stands for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. TCP/IP is a set of standardized rules that allow computers to communicate on a network such as the internet.

As we can see from the screenshot below, these settings are currently not configured due it being recently set up as shown How to install Windows Server 2019 on Virtualbox.

Also, you may be interested in my YouTube video on how to setup Windows Server 2019 on a VMware Workstation, What are Active Directory Forest, Trees, Domain, and Sites, and how to synchronize your on-premises AD with Azure Active Directory using the Azure AD Connect tool.

Configure TCP/IP Parameters

These steps (pre-requisites) are necessary to promote a Server as a domain controller.

• Set the Computer name, because after a server is promoted as a Domain Controller, it does not make sense to have the name changed anymore.
• Set a static IP address on the VM before installing Active Directory Services. Active Directory, DHCP, and DNS require a static IP address.

The Active Directory and DHCP installation wizards will display errors if you don’t set a static IP address on the virtual machine’s internal network card for IPv4.

To proceed with the configuration, when you log on to the server, you will be prompted with a dashboard as shown below.

• Under the Dashboard,
• Click on “Configure this local server”
• This will display the image in “figure 1” above.

To be Configured: Post Configuration

Here are the list of properties that we will be configuring

• Computer Name
• TCP/IP
• Remote Desktop
• Time Zone
• IE Enhanced Security Configuration
• Product ID (How to change a product key).

Computer Name: Here are the steps to change a computer name. There are various ways to have this done as shown here.

Click on the Computer name link.

This will redirect to the “System Properties” Windows. Enter a computer description as shown below.

Click on Change and this will open the “Computer/Domain Changes” window, and enter the Computer Name and take note of the NetBios

Note: You can click on the “More” button for additional settings as shown below if this applies to you.

Click on “ok” as shown below

Click on Apply and this will prompt you to restart your PC as shown below

I will click on restart now (PC will reboot and changes will apply). You can decide to restart at a later time and the settings will also apply correctly.

Here is a screenshot shown below of the Computer Name upon restart and settings applied.

For how to join a device to the domain, see the following The following error occurred attempting to rename the computer Account already exists.

TCP/IP Parameters (Configure TCP/IP Parameters)

This is vital as discussed above before installing Active Directory services and promoting a server as a domain controller. Click on the Ethernet link as shown below

This will open up the “Network Connection Properties Window as shown below. Double Click on the Network card or right-click on it and select properties.

This will open up the “Ethernet Properties Window” as shown below. Double click on the Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4).

If you have an IPv6 Address, enter these parameters too. Click on ok

And Finally, click on “ok” to close the Ethernet Properties Windows

Close the Network Connection Window to complete the (TCP/IP) settings.

Enable RDP

If you wish to remotely administer this machine via Remote Desktop Connection or have the RSAT Tool installed on your workstation to remotely administer the DC. See why to use RSAT and how to install RSAT, and how to install RSAT on servers, see the following Remote Server Administration Tools: To install RSAT on Windows Server.

Here are the steps to enable RDP on this server. Click on the RDP link as shown below.

his will redirect you to the “System Properties” window. Under the Remote Desktop tab, click on “Allow remote connection to this computer”

If you have the UAC set, you may get a prompt as shown below that Remote Desktop Firewall exception will be enabled. Click on ok

Note: You have to select users or groups that you want to allow access to this computer for this service to be enabled. This depends on your security policies(Configure TCP/IP Parameters). See the screenshot on how this is performed

Click on “Add” and select the user and

Click on Ok

Finally click on “ok” to apply the settings

As we can see below, the RDP service is enabled

Time Zone

The time zone is a very important feature of Active Directory and this is required for time syntonization between workstation and Domain Controller and very important factor for device login unto the network (domain). The role responsible for this is the PDC Emulator.

Note: It is vital you sync your DC to an external time source.

For me, I have the correct time set already during the OS installation. To set the right Time Zone, Click on the Time Zone Link as shown below.

This will open the Time and Date Properties window as shown below. Change data and time, and change The time zone as well.

And click on “ok”

Windows Updates

This is a very vital part to ensure the device is up to date and all patches correctly applied to the device. to apply windows updates, follow the following steps below.

Click on “install updates automatically using Windows Updates”

This will open windows Update settings window. Click on “check for updates”

This will immediately start checking for Windows updates and when found, they will be download as shown below.

When the download step completes, this depends on your policies tho, the Windows Updates will be installed and you will be prompted to restart your device as shown below.

Click on restart as shown below

Windows will continue working on the updates and your device might restart multiple times.

After these steps are complete, you can then proceed and install Active Directory services and promote the Server to a Domain Controller. See this Active Directory: How to Setup a Domain Controller for more detail.

I hope you found this blog post on “Post OS installation: Configure the properties of Windows Server” helpful. If you have any questions, please let me know in the comment session.