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Add GUI’s to Windows Server Core and Hyper-V Core

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This guide covers adding easy to use GUI’s and functionality to Windows Server Core and Windows Server Hyper-V Core 2008-2012.

First start by downloading the installation package, I have already bundled everything you will need into 1 easy to download package but if you would like to download everything separately the items you will need are listed below, note that some items are optional and up to the Admin. Core Quick Launch supports all of these applications so if you would like both Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox for example CQL will open them both, if you only plan to use one browser then only download and install the browser you need.

 

You can download all of these and more at the following URL

http://files.ittechtools.net/IT_Admin/Server-Core/CoreSetupFiles.zip

Once downloaded you will need to unzip them and move them over to your Hyper-V machine. You can do this easily through Kaseya if there is an agent on the server by using the Live Connect File Manager. If this is not possible you can create a shared directory on the Core Server with the following commands then connect to that share from another machine on the network and copy the files and folders into the shared folder for later execution.

cd /
md C:\share
net share share=C:\share /GRANT:Everyone,FULL
CACLS C:\share /E /G Everyone:F

 That will create a simple shared folder called “share” located on the C: drive.

Kaseya File Manager

CoreSetup-K1

Most of the pictures I have show the first installations from the temp directory, you can just change the directory on the command line or move the unzipped CoreSetup folder with the following command

Move “C:\share\CoreSetup” “C:\temp\CoreSetup”

 CoreSetup-01

First run the installer for your browser, I use Chrome
The command is quite simply “ChromeSetup.exe”

CoreSetup-02
After this completed I would install a file explorer, I like to use Cubic Explorer
The command to install Cubic Explorer is “CubicExplorer_Setup.exe”

CoreSetup-03
Next install Core Quick Launch, This will allow you to quickly launch these applications we just installed and more from a GUI interface, The command is “CoreQuickLaunch-Setup.exe”

CoreSetup-04

At the end of the installer check the box to run the program now

CoreSetup-05CoreSetup-06

Once Core Quick Launch opens go ahead and click the button to open Cubic Explorer or if you installed a43 File Explorer you can choose that option. Now we have a GUI file explorer so the rest of the installation process will be quite simple, navigate to the folder where you stored the CoreSetup folder and install the remaining executables.

Note: Core Config, Corefig and PSHVM30 do NOT have installers, you simply drag and drop the folder into the root of the C: drive.

CoreSetup-07

Once this is complete I have one more setup step for you, if you would like to have any of these programs startup when you log in or boot up the server then we will need to make an entry in the registry. I have already created several .REG files that can simply be clicked in your file explorer program which will import the settings into the registry automatically. These files are located in C:\Program Files (x86)\IT3\CoreQuickLaunch\includes.

CoreSetup-08

You will find .REG files for CoreConfig, Corefig and CoreQuickLaunch, if you would like to add a registry entry for a different program I have one quick word of advice to give. When you launch Regedit.exe from a command prompt window make sure you are running the command from within a 64 bit command prompt window and not 32 bit, there are in fact 2 different registries for a 64 bit system and you will see this if you open the registry from either command prompt and make an entry in one and it will not show up in the other. I do however believe this is only for items within HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.

CoreSetup-Reg-x86CoreSetup-Reg-x64

If you have Server 2012 I have found some bugs in Corefig which will cause several errors on launching, it seems no matter the command window I launch from or Powershell window I will receive several errors that will prevent the application from running. My work around is the edit the “Start_Corefig.wsf” file.

CoreSetup-10

At the bottom of the file change the 3 False statements to True on lines 382, 388 & 394. Save and close, you will receive some errors when starting but the application will open anyway and near as I can tell it looks to be about 95% functional.

 

 

 

 

 

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13 thoughts on “Add GUI’s to Windows Server Core and Hyper-V Core”

  1. Thanks for Core Quick Launch!

    BTW Latest Firefox works on Hyper-V-Server 2012 R2, but Chrome refuses to install.

  3. I made Chrome finally work on Hyper-V 2012 R2 server: There were missing some dll’s. I had to install manually:
    – rasapi32.dll
    – rasman.dll

    Both taken from Server 2012 R2 (each one from System32 and SysWOW64 directory and language directory).

  4. Hi, I have another small issue with the custom button in CQL.

    I configured the custom buttom in CQL.ini. Launching CQL via command line shows the button correctly.

    However, when I launch the server I autostart CQL via registry: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

    It seems to me that when launching CQL this way it misses my custom CQL.ini. It’s obviously a path problem because the standard values are chosen. The error can be reproduced when launching CQL with a shortkey (.lnk) without the path argument (‘execute in…’:).

  7. OK, I will have to dig into this. I started changing some of my code to use the registry instead of an .ini file so this may be the case here. I will check it out.

  9. David –

    Thanks a bunch for this tool. I just found it yesterday. I had the same issue with the custom button mentioned above but made these simple tweaks .

    Added CoreQuickLaunch to Path
    SETX Path “%Path%;C:\Program Files (x86)\IT3\CoreQuickLaunch”

    Then created a bat file C:\CQL.bat
    cd “C:\Program Files (x86)\IT3\CoreQuickLaunch”
    CQL.exe

    Changed Registry to:
    HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\CoreQuickLaunch > C:\CQL.bat

    Working perfectly now on launch

  10. Hi David,

    did you have time to fix the issue with the custom buttom? It would be really useful for me because I like to use my own filemanager (xyplorer), which is very powerful compared to A43 or Cubic.

    BTW It would be great if you could offer more than one custom buttom. I would prefer 5 to 10 buttons…! 🙂

  11. Hey David it works but 2 or maybe more questions

    1.why didn’t work the Network icoon on both A43 and Cubic when i click on it nothing happend it’s stay’s empty
    2. how can i show like in normal windows Hidden and all files.?
    3. And how comes the sharing function not works hen i click on it ???

    Regards

  13. During changes made through updates the applications and my software was broke so I did not want to pursue in a cat & mouse game with Microsoft. I can release the full source code if it is useful

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