There are a lot of users who use Windows Server 2003. Compared with workstation system, its stability and security have improved much as there more kernel optimizations are made in server. Many personal users don’t need all the functions of Server, and the Server system has closed some required services for workstation system. Next, we will introduce how to optimize windows server 2003 and convert into a workstation system.
1. Prevent configuration server wizard
As we don’t need the function of server wizard configuration, we should firstly prohibit the guide of “Manage Your Server”. You can operate Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Manage Your Server, and then check “Don’t display this page at logon” at the lower left corner of window.
2. Set up a new user account
Windows server 2003 doesn’t support those which are similar to the welcome logon of Windows XP. You can set up a new user account of your style when you enter the system on the first try.
Open “Start” -> “Run” -> enter “lusrmgr.msc”, and then you will see Local Users and Groups.
Right click “Users” on left side of windows, choose “New User”, enter the account information in the popping up dialog box, and click “Great”, then your account is available. Of course, you can add your account to Administrators Group: Right click your new setting-up account, choose “Properties” -> click “on Member of tab” -> “Add” -> “Advanced” -> “Find Now”
Double click the “Administrators” in the Find Result dialog box, after have clicked “OK” twice, close “Local Users and Groups window”, now you can logout Administrator account, and login the system by your own account.
3. Disable Internet Explorer Enhanced Security
As the new window component, Internet Explorer Enhanced Security defaults and sets the Security Setting of your IE to the maximum level. In this way, it will pop up a dialogue box asking if you are going to browse the web page or download the file when you visit website. In fact, we are not necessary in need of this component.
Firstly, we prevent the emergence of the dialogue box, check “In the future, do not show this message” in the popping up dialogue box.
Then, we can custom set up the IE security level in the IE Tools Options. Drag the scrollbar on the “Security” tab to set the Internet security to “Medium”. This level will be suitable for the majority of users. If you have special requirements, the process will not suit you.
Through the setting of IE security, you now can visit Sun’s Java VM when you need installation.
Of course, you can even uninstall Internet Explorer Enhanced Security in Control Panel -> Add Programs -> Add or Remove Windows Component.
4. Install Java VM
There is no integrated MS Java VM or Sun Java VM. You can download and install it by yourself.
5. Disable Shutdown Event Tracker
Shutdown Event Tracker is also a setting of Windows server 2003 that is different from other workstation system. As to server, it is a necessary option; while to workstation system, it is useless. We can disable it too.
Open “Start” -> “Run”, input “gpedit.msc”; on the left part of the emergent window, choose “Computer Configuration” -> “Administrative Templates” -> “System”; on the right side window, double click “Shutdown Event Tracker”.
Choose “Disabled” at the emergent dialogue box, and then click “OK” to save and exit.
In this way, you will see a shut down window that is similar to windows 2000.
6. Launch the hardware and DirectX acceleration
Hardware acceleration: Right click on the desktop, choose “Properties” -> “Settings” -> “Advanced” -> “Troubleshoot”. Drag the scrollbar of hardware acceleration on this page to “Full”. It is suggested to click “OK” to save and exit. It is normal to see blank screen during the period.
DirectX acceleration: Open “Start” -> “Run”, input “dxdiag” and enter to open “DirectX Tools”. On the “Display” page, click DirectDraw, Direct3D and AGP Texture to launch acceleration.
7. Allow sound acceleration
If you use the standard edition of Windows server 2003, please start from the second step, because, the standard edition has allowed the sound service.
Open “Start” -> “Run”, input “Services.msc”, find and double click the “Windows Audio” in the emergent window, and then choose “Automatic” in the pull-down menu of “startup type”, and click “Apply” -> “Start” -> “OK”.
Open “Start” -> “Run”, input “dxdiag” and enter to open “DirectX Tools”. On the “Display” page, drag the scrollbar “Hardware Sound Acceleration Level” to “Full Acceleration”.
8. Enable desktop themes
If you are tired of the WINDOWS classical desktop, you can consider enabling desktop themes. Windows server 2003 defaults that the service is closed.
Open “Start” -> “Run”, input “Services.msc”, find and double click the “Windows Audio” in the emergent window, and then choose “Automatic” in the pull-down menu of “startup type”, and click “Apply” -> “Start” -> “OK”.
This kind of operation only allow you use three modes of windows Luna theme. If you want to use more theme files, you can the converted Uxtheme.dll file to support it.
9. Allow built-in IMAPI CD-Burning service and support Windows Image Acquisition service
If you want to enable Windows built-in IMAPI CD-Burning service, do in this way:
Open “Start” -> “Run”, input “Services.msc”, find and double click the “IMAPI CD-Burning COM Service” in the emergent window, and then choose “Automatic” in the pull-down menu of “startup type”, and click “Apply” -> “Start” -> “OK”.
If you have image equipment such as digital camera and scanner, you should enable Windows Image Acquisition service.
Open “Start” -> “Run”, input “Services.msc”, find and double click the “Windows Image Acquisition (WIA)” in the emergent window, and then choose “Automatic” in the pull-down menu of “startup type”, and click “Apply” -> “Start” -> “OK”.
10. Advanced setup
We can alter some advanced setups of windows server 2003 to fit the applied environment of workstation.
² Right click “My Computer”, choose “Properties”-> “Advanced” -> “Performance” -> “Setting” -> “Advanced”, configure “Processor scheduling” and “Memory usage” to “Programs”, and then click “OK”.
² Disable error report
Right click “My Computer”, choose “Properties”-> “Advanced”, click the button “Error Reporting”, in the emergent window, click “Disable Error Reporting” and check “But, notify me when critical errors occur.”
² Adjust virtual memory
The required virtual memory for the Windows normal operation is the reserve force of the physical memory. Although the operating speed of hard disk is lower than that of the EMS memory, the capacity of hard disk is much larger than that of the EMS memory. So we have always believed that the larger the virtual memory is, the better it is. That is not necessarily true, especially when we have installed Windows server 2003 as the workstation environment, while it don’t undertake high workload, we can try to disable virtual memory with the premise that you own more than 512M physical memory. Many people worry once disable virtual memory, it will result in that the system is unable to normal standby and hibernation as that happens in Window 9x. It won’t happen because from the windows xp the virtual memory (that is pagefile.sys) is exclusively used in data interchange, the data for standby mode is reserved in physical memory and there is special file (Hiberfil.sys) for hibernation mode. So it never happens that the system is unable to hibernation. Many users often can’t do anything about the slow shutdown and logoff of the windows server 2003. The resolution is to disable the virtual memory. I had a test today, it took me 3 seconds to login and 23 seconds to shutdown when I load virtual memory; and it took me 2 seconds to login and 3 seconds to shutdown when I disable virtual memory.
Right click “My Computer”, choose “Properties”-> “Advanced” -> “Performance” -> “Setting” -> “Advanced”, double click the “Change” on “Virtual memory”, choose the “There is no paging file” in the emergent window, and then reboot the system.
Attention: As to the idea of “adjust virtual memory”, it turns out to be no problem through my test, while I cannot guarantee that it functions on your computer. So I am irresponsible to any results of setting. I just suggest that those who complain about the shutdown speed of windows server 2003 have a try.
11. Automatic logon
Windows Server 2003 defaults that one should logon windows through “CTRL-ATL-DEL to login”, but we can make the automatic logon of server 2003 available by using the Tweak UI of Windows XP.
Directly run tweakui.exe after downloading
On the left panel, choose Logon -> Autologon -> check the Log on automatically at system startup on the right and input your user name and domain name (leave it blank if you don’t have).
Click the Set Password below, input user name and password, and then click OK.
This is can be done by altering registration table, while the password is in clear text in the registration table if you use this method, which would not happen if you use Tweak UI. So it is suggested to use Tweak UI.
12. Install DirectX 9a
The method to install DirectX 9a in Windows Server 2003 is as same as that of install DirectX 9a in other versions of Windows. Enable DirectX and Graphics Acceleration before installation.
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