[KNARZ]

But this can be easily disabled with a registry entry. I thought this Desktop Experience Pack thing is not installed by default?!

[MagicAndre1981]

correct. DE is not installed by default and in this case it boots directly to the Desktop.

[Servelius]

KNARZ, on 22 October 2012 - 05:00 PM, said:

But this can be easily disabled with a registry entry. I thought this Desktop Experience Pack thing is not installed by default?!

Indeed, Desktop Experience feature is not there by default, neither are a few other features that are installed in Windows 8 by default (such as backup, bit-locker, etc). There's no new Aero theme, no WMP, no sound, no snipping tool, no widndows defender, no disk cleanup, no .net framework, nothing that makes your desktop comfortable and fully functional. So if you really interact with your server, be it 2003/2008/2012, Desktop Experience is a must, not an option. Without various features, windows server is not ready to use.

With Desktop Experience on, Server does not boot straight to desktop. You can enable it, but then you loose "Change PC Settings" in your metro-style control panel, and currently there is no fix,

http://www.win2008wo...php?f=54&t=2215

Instead, I use Classic Shell with StartIsBack to bypass Metro. But it's pretty weird still that Metro is available in Server OS, it would have been way more rational to keep the start menu in Server 2012.
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http://technet.micro...y/cc772567.aspx

[tomasz86]

Servelius, on 23 October 2012 - 02:13 AM, said:

Indeed, Desktop Experience feature is not there by default, neither are a few other features that are installed in Windows 8 by default (such as backup, bit-locker, etc). There's no new Aero theme, no WMP, no sound, no snipping tool, no widndows defender, no disk cleanup, no .net framework, nothing that makes your desktop comfortable and fully functional. So if you really interact with your server, be it 2003/2008/2012, Desktop Experience is a must, not an option. Without various features, windows server is not ready to use.

I think that it's all about personal preferences. For you these features may be a "must" but I'm sure that there are others who consider most of them bloatware

Among those I myself would only only need two (sound & .NET Framework) to have a "fully functional" desktop experience.

[KNARZ]

Sure. Most of us (power-users) prefer the classis startmenu. But when I change the system from W7 to W8 I guess I will use my methode in combination with classic shell.

This post has been edited by KNARZ: 23 October 2012 - 05:22 AM

[Servelius]

tomasz86, on 23 October 2012 - 05:09 AM, said:

Among those I myself would only only need two (sound & .NET Framework) to have a "fully functional" desktop experience.

Right, desktop feauture is a must for me, and .net framework is a must for you, and other features is a must for others. Without those certain features installed, windows server installation is actually incomplete.

Of course a big "advantage" of Windows Server without DE is the ability to boot straight to desktop, but the drawback of such approach is the lack of many essential components that are present in Windows 8 (by default).

As a matter of personal preference, I'm not ready to boot straight to desktop by loosing desktop essentials. The way out of metro for me is via 3rd party tools I mentioned. = Classic Shell+StartIsBack.

KNARZ, on 23 October 2012 - 05:21 AM, said:

Sure. Most of us (power-users) prefer the classis startmenu. But when I change the system from W7 to W8 I guess I will use my methode in combination with classic shell.

I'm with you on that. I've never understood why would MS deprive their power users of the handy classic start, forcing them to use the client 7-like menu instead. Now they've taken step further and gave us no menu at all.