Install Windows Server 2019 Server Core

This article is for those looking for a detailed and straightforward guide on installing Windows Server 2019 Server Core.

NOTE

I strongly recommend that you never use any third-party builds of Windows. Use only original installation images. This will help you avoid a lot of problems and get maximum performance and stability.

After successfully booting from a Windows Server 2019 Server Core installation USB stick or DVD, the first step is to select your language options.

Click on the “Next” button.

Click on the “Install now” button.

NOTE

If you need to install Windows Server 2019 with a GUI, then you need to select “Windows Server 2019 Standard Evaluation (Desktop Experience)” or “Windows Server 2019 Datacenter Evaluation (Desktop Experience)”.

This example is for installing Windows Server 2019 Datacenter Evaluation (Server Core).

Select “Windows Server 2019 Datacenter Evaluation” and click “Next”.

Now you need to accept the terms of the license.

This step offers two installation options:

• “Upgrade”. This is not the best option. As practice shows, numerous programs may not be compatible with the new operating system, and after the update, you will not be able to work with them, in addition, there is a possibility of dragging problems from the old operating system to the new one, thus losing all stability.

• “Custom”. This is the best option for installing any version of the Windows operating system. It allows you to start from scratch with the system, so after installation, you will get maximum performance and stability. All that remains is to install the drivers and software familiar to work.

Now you need to select which disk the new operating system will be installed on and allocate space for installation.

If you have more than one disk installed or the disk already has several partitions, all this will be displayed at this stage. You need to be careful and understand in advance which partition you want to install the operating system on.

NOTE

In this example, there is one 50 GB disk installed.

Click on the “New” button.

In this case, all free disk space will be allocated for the system, so we leave the value in the “Size” section by default.

Click on the “Apply” button.

The operating system notifies that it may need to create additional partitions on the disk to store system files.

Click on the “OK” button.

Thus, all free disk space was allocated for the operating system, but at the same time, the system reserved a small partition for itself.

Now you need to select the partition on which you intend to install the operating system and click on the “Next” button.

The process of installing the operating system has begun.

The computer will automatically restart.

Now you need to provide a strong password for the “Administrator” account.

Select “Ok” and press the “Tab” button.

Specify a strong password and click on the “Tab” button.

We indicate the previously entered password again and press the “Enter” button.

The password for the “Administrator” account has been set.

Press the “Enter” button.

Windows Server 2019 Server Core installation is complete.

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Is this content AI-generated?

No. Every article on this blog is written by me personally, drawing on decades of hands-on IT experience and a genuine passion for technology.

I use AI tools exclusively to help polish grammar and ensure my technical guidance is as clear as possible. However, the core ideas, strategic insights, and step-by-step solutions are entirely my own, born from real-world work.

Because of this human-and-AI partnership, some detection tools might flag this content. You can be confident, though, that the expertise is authentic. My goal is to share road-tested knowledge you can trust.