This article is for those looking for a detailed and clear guide on how to basic setup Windows Server 2012 R2.

We will consider the case when you already have a server with the Windows Server 2012 R2 operating system installed on it.

You can read more about how to install Windows Server 2012 R2 in my guide “Install Windows Server 2012 R2”.

To learn how to install Active Directory Domain Services on Windows Server 2012 R2, you can read “Install Active Directory Domain Services on Windows Server 2012 R2”.

I recommend that you always use the English-language editions of Windows Server. As practice shows, original (English) versions of Windows work more stable, besides, it will be easier for you to communicate in the same language with professionals in case of problems or if you want to exchange experience.

Let’s give the server the correct name according to your organization’s standards.

We go into the system under an account with administrator rights.

On the keyboard, press the key combination “Win” and “x”, then select “System” in the menu that opens.

Basic Setup of Windows Server 2012 R2

Next, in the “System” window in the “Computer name, domain, and workgroup settings” section, click on the “Change settings” button.

Basic Setup of Windows Server 2012 R2

In the “System Properties” window on the “Computer Name” tab, click on the “Change” button.

Basic Setup of Windows Server 2012 R2

I highly recommend that you think ahead about the name of the servers in your organization.

Next, specify the new server name in the “Computer Name” field and click on the “OK” button.

Basic Setup of Windows Server 2012 R2

The system will warn you that you need to restart the server to apply the new settings.

Click on the “OK” button.

Basic Setup of Windows Server 2012 R2

Now let’s allow access to the server desktop via the RDP protocol.

Go to the “Remote” tab and select “Allow remote connections to this computer”.

Basic Setup of Windows Server 2012 R2

Click on the “OK” button.

Basic Setup of Windows Server 2012 R2

Click on the “Apply” button.

Basic Setup of Windows Server 2012 R2

Now the system will offer to restart the server for the new settings to take effect.

Click on the “Restart Now” button.

Basic Setup of Windows Server 2012 R2

We will indicate the correct time zone.

We go into the system under an account with administrator rights.

On the keyboard, press the key combination “Win” and “x”, then select “Control Panel” in the menu that opens.

Basic Setup of Windows Server 2012 R2

We select “Set the time and date”.

Basic Setup of Windows Server 2012 R2

Next, click on the “Change time zone” button.

Basic Setup of Windows Server 2012 R2

Select the time zone in which the server is located and click on the “OK” button.

Basic Setup of Windows Server 2012 R2

In the “Date and Time” window, click on the “OK” button.

Basic Setup of Windows Server 2012 R2

Now we will indicate the regional standards.

Go back to the “Control Panel” and choose “Change date, time, or number formats”.

Basic Setup of Windows Server 2012 R2

In the “Format” menu, select the country where the server is located, and go to the “Location” tab.

Basic Setup of Windows Server 2012 R2

In the “Home location” field, select the country where the server is located, and go to the “Administrative” tab.

Basic Setup of Windows Server 2012 R2

Next, click on the “Copy settings” button.

Basic Setup of Windows Server 2012 R2

We put a tick on the item “Welcome screen and system accounts” and on the item “New user accounts”.

Click on the “OK” button.

Basic Setup of Windows Server 2012 R2

Next, click on the “Change system locale” button.

Basic Setup of Windows Server 2012 R2

In the “Current system locale” field, select the country where the server is located and click on the “OK” button.

Basic Setup of Windows Server 2012 R2

The system will offer to restart the server for the new settings to take effect.

Click on the “Restart Now” button.

Basic Setup of Windows Server 2012 R2

Next, the server will start to reboot.

Basic Setup of Windows Server 2012 R2

Now you need to register a static IP address in the network connection settings.

After rebooting the server, go to the system under an account with administrator rights.

On the keyboard, press the key combination “Win” and “x”, then select “Network Connections” in the menu that opens.

Basic Setup of Windows Server 2012 R2

Now right-click on the “Ethernet” network connection and select “Properties”.

Basic Setup of Windows Server 2012 R2

Select “Internet Protocol Version 4” and click on the “Properties” button.

Basic Setup of Windows Server 2012 R2

Next, select the “Use the following IP address” item and specify a free IP address, subnet mask, and gateway. Please note that you must understand in advance how your network works and know which IP addresses are available.

In the “Preferred DNS server” field, enter the IP address of your DNS server.

This guide specifies the DNS server that is located on the domain controller.

To learn how to install Active Directory Domain Services on Windows Server 2012 R2, you can read “Install Active Directory Domain Services on Windows Server 2012 R2”.

Click the “OK” button.

Basic Setup of Windows Server 2012 R2

In the “Ethernet Properties” window, click on the “Close” button.

Basic Setup of Windows Server 2012 R2

Now let’s add the server to the domain.

On the keyboard, press the key combination “Win” and “x”, then select “System” in the menu that opens.

Basic Setup of Windows Server 2012 R2

Next, in the “System” window in the “Computer name, domain, and workgroup settings” section, click on the “Change settings” button.

Basic Setup of Windows Server 2012 R2

In the “System Properties” window on the “Computer Name” tab, click on the “Change” button.

Basic Setup of Windows Server 2012 R2

Next, in the “Domain” field, indicate the domain to which you want to add the server, and click on the “OK” button.

Basic Setup of Windows Server 2012 R2

We specify the login and password for an account that has the right to add computers to the domain.

For example, a domain administrator has such rights.

Click on the “OK” button.

Basic Setup of Windows Server 2012 R2

The server was successfully added to the domain.

Click on the “OK” button.

Basic Setup of Windows Server 2012 R2

The system will warn you that you need to restart the server to apply the new settings.

Click on the “OK” button.

Basic Setup of Windows Server 2012 R2

In the “System Properties” window, click on the “Close” button.

Basic Setup of Windows Server 2012 R2

Now the system will offer to restart the server for the new settings to take effect.

Click on the “Restart Now” button.

Basic Setup of Windows Server 2012 R2

On the domain controller in the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in, you can see the server that you added to the domain. It will appear in the “Computers” container.

Basic Setup of Windows Server 2012 R2

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