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Windows Server 2012 – Add and Remove GUI

Windows Server 8

Microsoft worked hard on the management of the new Windows Server 2012. In Windows Server 2008 R2 you had to choose during the Installation if the Server is a Windows Server Full Installation (with GUI) or a Windows Server Core Installation (without GUI). In Windows Server 2012 you can add and remove the GUI from the server.

Add GUI on a Core Server

On a Core Server you can add the with the following PowerShell command

Add-WindowsFeature Server-GUI-Shell

add-windowsfeature server-gui-shell

After the Installation you have to restart the server

 Restart-Computer

AddGUIPowershell

Remove GUI on a Server

There are two ways you could do that, first via Server Manager remote the GUI feature:

RemoveGUI

Or via Windows PowerShell

 Remove-WindowsFeature Server-GUI-Shell

Remove GUI with Powershell

It is also important that you understand that Windows Server 2012 has three different GUI options.

  • Core
  • GUI
  • GUI with Management Tools

So if you activate the GUI you do not get all of the Management tools automatically. You have also to activate the “Management tools GUI”.

2 responses

  1. Mark Avatar

    Removing the GUI after installing SharePoint 2013 left the SharePoint system inoperable. Fortunately, restoring the GUI brought SharePoint back to life.

  2. Frank Marasco Avatar
    Frank Marasco

    SharePoint 2013 is unsupported on core.

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