[acen2006]

I have been converting Server 2008 to Workstation over the last day or two but i have afew issues that i would like some help with if possible.

Firstly is how do i go about setting a theme as default?. Iv copied the vista theme into the resources folder but its applying at default thats the problem, it will just keep using the classic look. im not to bothered about aero.

Is it at all possible to use the SETUPCOMPLETE.CMD like in Vista?

Audio in Server 2008 seems tobe a problem when playing any mp3 or video, i did find a reg key for this but has not helped can anyone offer another solution?.

Thanks in advance for anyhelp given

[tum0r]

dont quote me on this, but i think a themes service has to be enabled first...

[acen2006]

Theme service is enabled aswell as the desktop experience!.

[shahed26]

I have recently finished converting my server 2008 as workstation. I also applied the settings for theme to server registry, so its loaded on first logon.
Configure your server first with your theme, then launch regedit.exe and export these following keys.

Example of my one:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ThemeManager]
"ThemeActive"="1"
"LoadedBefore"="1"
"LastUserLangID"="1033"
"LastLoadedDPI"="96"
"DllName"=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,\
  74,00,25,00,5c,00,72,00,65,00,73,00,6f,00,75,00,72,00,63,00,65,00,73,00,5c,\
  00,54,00,68,00,65,00,6d,00,65,00,73,00,5c,00,57,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,6f,00,\
  77,00,73,00,20,00,37,00,5c,00,57,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,6f,00,77,00,73,00,20,\
  00,37,00,2e,00,6d,00,73,00,73,00,74,00,79,00,6c,00,65,00,73,00,00,00
"ColorName"="NormalColor"
"SizeName"="NormalSize"


Note (for this key, you must edit and add your themes xxxx.msstyles name before exporting, (Defualt is aero, i editied this to windows 7.msstyles and then saved it)

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Themes\LastTheme]
"ThemeFile"=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,\
  74,00,25,00,5c,00,72,00,65,00,73,00,6f,00,75,00,72,00,63,00,65,00,73,00,5c,\
  00,74,00,68,00,65,00,6d,00,65,00,73,00,5c,00,57,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,6f,00,\
  77,00,73,00,20,00,37,00,2e,00,74,00,68,00,65,00,6d,00,65,00,00,00
"Wallpaper"=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,\
  74,00,25,00,5c,00,57,00,65,00,62,00,5c,00,57,00,61,00,6c,00,6c,00,70,00,61,\
  00,70,00,65,00,72,00,5c,00,57,00,61,00,6c,00,6c,00,70,00,61,00,70,00,65,00,\
  72,00,2e,00,6a,00,70,00,67,00,00,00
"DisplayName of Modified"=""

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop]
"Wallpaper"="C:\\Windows\\Web\\Wallpaper\\Wallpaper.jpg"

Note: for custom themes to work properly (if you use it), make sure your uxtheme is also patched
uxtheme patch can be found here
Uxtheme Patch

After that, i added a cmd file to global startup menu, "ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup", so it applies these registry settings on first logon.

My cmd:

@echo off

start /wait %systemroot%\Regedit.exe /s %systemroot%\Setup\Workstation\Theme\theme.reg

Shutdown /r /t 06

DEL /Q /F %0

This cmd file will delete itself and restart, so your settings takes place.
But as you mentioned above, make sure you have your theme service enabled as well.

Optionally you can try this as well, only if you have an Autounattend.xml created then add this(i have not tried it with server, but with vista it works)

<Themes>
<CustomDefaultThemeFile>%WINDIR%\resources\themes\VistaGlass.theme</CustomDefaultThemeFile>
</Themes>

Audio solution
Add this to a reg file then import.

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Multimedia\SystemProfile]
"SystemResponsiveness"=dword:00000014

And finally , yes you can use "SETUPCOMPLETE.CMD" on server as well, i personally use that to apply few stuffs.

If this still does not work then go to services and set "Multimedia class schedular to Automatic" Server 2008, Defualt is manual, on vista defualt is Automatic.

Good luck

Btw how did you enable desktop experience, am trying to enable or to get it installed unattendedly, so my server is fully set up as workstation out of box. I hate installing desktop experience via server manager.

This post has been edited by shahed26: 13 February 2009 - 03:03 PM

[acen2006]

shahed26, on Feb 13 2009, 02:50 PM, said:

I have recently finished converting my server 2008 as workstation. I also applied the settings for theme to server registry, so its loaded on first logon.
Configure your server first with your theme, then launch regedit.exe and export these following keys.

Example of my one:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ThemeManager]
"ThemeActive"="1"
"LoadedBefore"="1"
"LastUserLangID"="1033"
"LastLoadedDPI"="96"
"DllName"=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,\
  74,00,25,00,5c,00,72,00,65,00,73,00,6f,00,75,00,72,00,63,00,65,00,73,00,5c,\
  00,54,00,68,00,65,00,6d,00,65,00,73,00,5c,00,57,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,6f,00,\
  77,00,73,00,20,00,37,00,5c,00,57,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,6f,00,77,00,73,00,20,\
  00,37,00,2e,00,6d,00,73,00,73,00,74,00,79,00,6c,00,65,00,73,00,00,00
"ColorName"="NormalColor"
"SizeName"="NormalSize"


Note (for this key, you must edit and add your themes xxxx.msstyles name before exporting, (Defualt is aero, i editied this to windows 7.msstyles and then saved it)

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Themes\LastTheme]
"ThemeFile"=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,\
  74,00,25,00,5c,00,72,00,65,00,73,00,6f,00,75,00,72,00,63,00,65,00,73,00,5c,\
  00,74,00,68,00,65,00,6d,00,65,00,73,00,5c,00,57,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,6f,00,\
  77,00,73,00,20,00,37,00,2e,00,74,00,68,00,65,00,6d,00,65,00,00,00
"Wallpaper"=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,\
  74,00,25,00,5c,00,57,00,65,00,62,00,5c,00,57,00,61,00,6c,00,6c,00,70,00,61,\
  00,70,00,65,00,72,00,5c,00,57,00,61,00,6c,00,6c,00,70,00,61,00,70,00,65,00,\
  72,00,2e,00,6a,00,70,00,67,00,00,00
"DisplayName of Modified"=""

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop]
"Wallpaper"="C:\\Windows\\Web\\Wallpaper\\Wallpaper.jpg"

Note: for custom themes to work properly (if you use it), make sure your uxtheme is also patched
uxtheme patch can be found here
Uxtheme Patch

After that, i added a cmd file to global startup menu, "ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup", so it applies these registry settings on first logon.

My cmd:

@echo off

start /wait %systemroot%\Regedit.exe /s %systemroot%\Setup\Workstation\Theme\theme.reg

Shutdown /r /t 06

DEL /Q /F %0

This cmd file will delete itself and restart, so your settings takes place.
But as you mentioned above, make sure you have your theme service enabled as well.

Optionally you can try this as well, only if you have an Autounattend.xml created then add this(i have not tried it with server, but with vista it works)

<Themes>
<CustomDefaultThemeFile>%WINDIR%\resources\themes\VistaGlass.theme</CustomDefaultThemeFile>
</Themes>

Audio solution
Add this to a reg file then import.

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Multimedia\SystemProfile]
"SystemResponsiveness"=dword:00000014

And finally , yes you can use "SETUPCOMPLETE.CMD" on server as well, i personally use that to apply few stuffs.

If this still does not work then go to services and set "Multimedia class schedular to Automatic" Server 2008, Defualt is manual, on vista defualt is Automatic.

Good luck

Btw how did you enable desktop experience, am trying to enable or to get it installed unattendedly, so my server is fully set up as workstation out of box. I hate installing desktop experience via server manager.

WOW thanks thats really helpfull.

In answer to your question about desktop experience you can add this line to a *.cmd or *.bat

Servermanagercmd -i Desktop-Experience

or you could for example add something like this to your xml installation file

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<ServerManagerConfiguration Action="Install"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sdm/Windows/ServerManager/Configuration/2007/1">
   <Feature Id="BitLocker"/>
   <Feature Id="Desktop-Experience"/>
   <Feature Id="PowerShell"/>
   <Feature Id="Backup-Features"/>
   <Feature Id="Backup"/>
   <Feature Id="Backup-Tools"/>
   <Feature Id="Wireless-Networking"/>
</ServerManagerConfiguration>

This post has been edited by acen2006: 13 February 2009 - 03:19 PM

[shahed26]

Your welcome m8, and thanks as well on how to install desktop experience unattendenly.

This post has been edited by shahed26: 13 February 2009 - 03:25 PM

[acen2006]

'Note (for this key, you must edit and add your themes xxxx.msstyles name before exporting, (Defualt is aero, i editied this to windows 7.msstyles and then saved it)'

Could you possible tell me were my theme name has togo please as i dont see a place for it?

[shahed26]

acen2006, on Feb 13 2009, 09:25 PM, said:

'Note (for this key, you must edit and add your themes xxxx.msstyles name before exporting, (Defualt is aero, i editied this to windows 7.msstyles and then saved it)'

Could you possible tell me were my theme name has togo please as i dont see a place for it?

When you launch regedit.exe, go to that key [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Themes\LastTheme]
and check if the theme name shows aero, or your theme name. If it shows aero, then you must edit this WITHIN regedit and change it to your theme name. If its already showing your theme name, then its fine, just export and your done

This post has been edited by shahed26: 13 February 2009 - 03:29 PM

[shahed26]

acen2006, on Feb 13 2009, 09:17 PM, said:

In answer to your question about desktop experience you can add this line to a *.cmd or *.bat

Servermanagercmd -i Desktop-Experience

or you could for example add something like this to your xml installation file

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<ServerManagerConfiguration Action="Install"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sdm/Windows/ServerManager/Configuration/2007/1">
   <Feature Id="BitLocker"/>
   <Feature Id="Desktop-Experience"/>
   <Feature Id="PowerShell"/>
   <Feature Id="Backup-Features"/>
   <Feature Id="Backup"/>
   <Feature Id="Backup-Tools"/>
   <Feature Id="Wireless-Networking"/>
</ServerManagerConfiguration>

i added this to my Autounattend.xml, but for some reason half through installation, it fails and gives some sort of error "(null" blah blah...) and install end.
Am i missing anything else from Autounattend.xml?
Thanks and did your theme work?

[acen2006]

shahed26, on Feb 13 2009, 08:18 PM, said:

acen2006, on Feb 13 2009, 09:17 PM, said:

In answer to your question about desktop experience you can add this line to a *.cmd or *.bat

Servermanagercmd -i Desktop-Experience

or you could for example add something like this to your xml installation file

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<ServerManagerConfiguration Action="Install"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sdm/Windows/ServerManager/Configuration/2007/1">
   <Feature Id="BitLocker"/>
   <Feature Id="Desktop-Experience"/>
   <Feature Id="PowerShell"/>
   <Feature Id="Backup-Features"/>
   <Feature Id="Backup"/>
   <Feature Id="Backup-Tools"/>
   <Feature Id="Wireless-Networking"/>
</ServerManagerConfiguration>

i added this to my Autounattend.xml, but for some reason half through installation, it fails and gives some sort of error "(null" blah blah...) and install end.
Am i missing anything else from Autounattend.xml?
Thanks and did your theme work?

You only need todo one or the other!. Have you removed any components with vlite as this could stop any components being added?

Yes my theme is now working thanks .

[shahed26]

Glad to hear your theme is working now.
I only use 1 method, and that is xml, as the cmd method does not allow me to install couple of features in one go (maybe it does, but dont know how). so instead i tried xml, but failed. I do not use vlite at all, used it in the past, but stopped using it long time ago.
Its a clean xml file, just with basic unattend scripts.
Can you please show an xml on how you added yours?
Thank you

[shahed26]

btw is there any way i can install multiple features using ServerManagerCmd.exe, eg desktop experience, bitlocker, etc. without restarting for each features to be installed?

EDIT: I got it. Thanks to aviv00 for his help

This post has been edited by shahed26: 04 March 2009 - 08:01 AM