In this article, we will learn how to upgrade Windows Server 2019 to 2022. What is the greatest way to upgrade Windows Server 2019 to 2022? Here, are the details and a step by step guide to help you with the upgrade. Meanwhile, a few optional and practical tools will be introduced to secure a successful upgrade.
A lot of users would love to Install Windows Server 2022 for its useful features and excellent functionalities and useful features that Server 2019 and other Server versions do not have.
Since the new version of Windows Server 2022 is much more secure, Windows Server 2019 vs 2022 many users favor experiencing the latest version and its features, this guide will provide you Windows Server 2022 upgrade path. We recommend that you should take Windows Server 2019 backup in advance. Then, you can follow this guide to start upgrading your system to Windows Server 2022.
Upgrade Windows Server 2019 to 2022
Here is my Windows server 2019 version and it is a workgroup, please keep in mind that it’s not an active directory server.
First, make sure Server 2019 is up to date
You need to make sure whether your current operating system is up to date. Go to Settings, Update & Security, and then check for Update. If the system is outdated, you should update to the latest version.
Log in to your Windows Server 2019 and insert the media into the CD/DVD drive, then double-click it to update and install 2022.
Upgrade the Windows Server window, select the checkbox I want to help make the installation better, and then click Next.
Insert the Server 2022 product key and then click Next.
Choose the Windows Server 2022 edition which is the same as Server 2019 to install, and then click Next.
Accept the license to move on.
If you don’t select the right version, the first option will be grayed out Select the radio button to keep personal files and apps, and then select next.
Windows Server 2022 Setup analyzes your device, it will prompt you to proceed with your upgrade by selecting Install.
Server 2019 upgrade starts.
The server will restart after completing the process.
After successfully upgrading to Windows Server2022, login and then you can your Windows editions.
In this article, I am going to Upgrade DC Server 2008 R2 to Windows 2012 R2. You will notice that most of you likely can’t. It’s depending on the setup you will most likely get this error.
As we can see the link only talks about upgrading from really old operating system’s to 2008/2008 R2 domain controllers and not 2012 R2. At step number 4 it says to run adprep/forestprep from the 2008 OS disk to prepare the computer. D:\sources\adprep\adprep /forestprep ADPrep is no longer found in this directory! Now you can be found in: Go to your OS drive path D or E and type the below command and then hit enter.
It will run the command and you will be presented with some info. The main parts are: All Domain Controller’s Must be Windows 2003 or later It can’t be reversed Then press C to continue This command output is a few screens in length. Here is the output of the command in DC (first screen).
Second Screen
Now see what you need to upgrade: 1- Domain: Type this command and hit enter. adprep /domainprep Here is the output from those commands.
2- Group Policy Type this command and then hit enter. adprep /domainprep /gpprep The group policy must already be updated but I would like to still run the command to ensure.
3- RoDC Type this command and then press enter adprep /rodcprep Again you don’t need to run this command but I run it anyways to make sure.
Now you can rerun the setup again and you will see you can now press NEXT after the compatibility report.
In this article, I will guide you on how to join Server 2022 Core to an Active Directory. Joining Windows Server Core to an Active Directory domain controller lets you manage the security of your server. Rather than creating local user accounts and managing them on a Server Core device, you can use active directory services to manage user access and security on your network.
There are different ways you can use to perfect joining Windows Server Core to an active directory.
Log in server and use Sconfig Using Windows Admin Center In the previous post, How to Install Windows Server 2022 Core. It is straightforward to join to active directory and join to workgroup on Windows Server from an AD domain. Let’s start with SConfig.
Join Server Core to Active Directory using SConfig
SConfig is automatically installed when you install any Windows Server operating system using the Core option. After login in with Windows Server core, select option 1 Domain/workgroup.
Type D to join Domain and then hit enter. Enter your fully qualified domain name (FQDN) (xpertstec.local) and press enter.
Type your domain controller password and then press enter.
If you would like to change your computer name, then type Y, or press N To restart enter y and then press enter.
After restarting the system, press Esc twice to log into the server as a domain user and then choose other user.
Join Server 2022 Core to an active directory using Windows Admin Center
So, here we will do things a little differently. I will use Windows Admin Center to join the server to the domain controller. Then, I will explain to you how to rejoin the domain. Click on the Windows Server Core, the one you need to join to the domain. Download Windows Admin Center
Under overview, click on the … button and then select edit Computer ID.
Select domain, type the local domain name and then select Next.
Let’s have a look at the Network Load Balancing configuration in Windows Server 2022. We can use NLB (Network Load Balancing) to manage 2 or more servers as a single virtual cluster.
Applications and Services that are pretentious by high load need technologies to address this issue. NLB is a technology that permits system administrators to configure clusters that divide the traffic between a number of servers.
Assume we have a website that gains a large number of requests and can’t be presumed by one server. In this case, we need to configure a Network Load Balancing cluster to distribute traffic across various web servers and thus ensuring that the website can serve all requests.
What is NLB in Windows Server?
The Network Load Balancing divides traffic across various servers by using the TCP/IP networking protocol. Combining two or more systems that are running applications into a single virtual cluster, Network Load Balance provides performance and reliability for web servers and other all-important servers.
Configuring Network Load Balance in Windows Server 2022. After installing the Network Load Balancing feature on all the involving NLB nodes, the next step is to configure Network Load Balancing.
Create a New Cluster
On the Server Manager window of the WS2022-01 NLB node Select the Tools menu and then choose Network Load Balancing Manager.
Right-click on Network Load Balancing Clusters and then select New Cluster
On the New Cluster window, in the host field, type WS2022-01.xpertstec.local (or IP Address) and then click Connect. Now you can verify that the Interface name is listed and then click next.
New Cluster host parameters, set the “Priority” (unique host identifier) value 1. This node will reply to the client’s queries, first, make sure that the default status has been set as “Started” and then click Next.
To add a new Cluster IP address, click the Add button.
Note: The Cluster IP address is the new virtual IP address on which the host service, through this case, IIS will run.
On the Add Host to Cluster window, “Host Parameters” set the “Priority” value as 2 and then proceed to next.
Click Finish
Now, verify that the 2nd NLB node WS2022-02 is added successfully.
Verify Network Load Balancing Configuration
To verify that the NLB Cluster is successfully configured and functioning properly, perform the subsequent steps. Open Edge brewer type 192.168.241.110 and then verify that you simply are ready to access the Default Webs.
Close the Microsoft Edge browser on the node. Open the Network Load Balancing Manager, select 1st node and right-click WS2022-01(Ethernet), select Control Host, and then click on the stop option to stop this node temporarily.
Now switch back to WS2022-DC and try again to open your Default Website. The Default Website must still be displayed. However, this time, the WS2022-02 NLB node will serve the Website.
Let’s have a look at how to upgrade Windows Server 2012 R2 to Server 2022. Generally upgrading a Windows operating system allows the Administrator to upgrade the current version of Windows Server to a new version without changing the existing system features and settings.
I am using VMware Workstation on my Windows 11 desktop computer to test these installations and upgrades. I have installed a fresh ISO of Windows Server 2012 R2 (Desktop Experience) and then update the Windows Server to the latest patches.
Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard.
I have copied some folders to the desktop before upgrading the Server.
How to Upgrade to Windows Server 2022
Using the in-place upgrade to move to Windows Server 2022, use the CD/DVD, ISO, USB media Server 2022 to start the installation.
The installation won’t take longer than 10 minutes, but it all depends on the speed of the system and running roles, and features.
The below steps show an in-place upgrade from Windows Server 2012 R2 to 2022 using an ISO file.
Mount the server ISO file and then run the upgrade setup
Upgrade Windows server, click on the change new setup download updates.
Get the updates window, click the next button to start (Download and install updates as recommended).
Now enter the Windows server product key and then click Next.
Let’s have a look at Windows Server 2022 Failover Clustering iSCSI Target setup and configuration. The two-node failover cluster configuration operating Windows Server 2022 with shared disks mapped from the ISCSI san.
In this guide, I will cover the steps of the creation of a two-node Active/Passive Windows Server Failover Cluster. For the purpose of creating such a cluster it is necessary to have a few things in place, so I thought I should start from the beginning. This guide will brief connection to shared NAS storage using the iSCSI initiator.
I have experience involving in creating High Availability solutions for Enterprise products and based on that work have a short time ago worked with Windows Failover Clustering and network load balancing clustering in Windows Server 2022. I have built multi-node failover clusters for Hyper-V, SQL Server, different applications, and Network Load Balancing clusters.
Summary of Windows Server 2022 Failover Cluster Deployment
The below steps are the high-level steps required for your Windows Cluster deployment. Deploy two Windows Server 2022 Finish all Windows Updates Join Servers to domain Each Node will have two network interfaces Production Network Cluster Network Add DNS records Primary Server Secondary Server Cluster Server Name (My-Cluster) Attach the same ISCSI disk (LUN) to the primary node and secondary node. Install Failover clustering role on both nodes Bring the disk online via disk management on the primary node. Join nodes to the cluster
Virtual Machines Settings
Domain Controller – DC (WS2022-DC) IP Address – 192.168.241.100 iSCSI Server – iSCSI-Shared IP Address – 192.168.241.102 Node 1 – WS2022-01 Primary Network – Production – 192.168.241.104 Secondary Network – Cluster – 10.0.0.2 Node 2 – WS2022-02 Primary Network – Production – 192.168.241.108 Secondary Network – Cluster – 10.0.0.3 Cluster Name – My-Cluster IP Address – 192.168.241.112 Two nodes Network Connections
Add DNS records for the Virtual Machines.
Windows Failover Clustering in Windows Server 2022
You can install failover clustering via GUI, In the server manager dashboard, click on Add roles and features.
Click Next to Continue
Choose Role Based Installation and then click Next.
Choose the server and click next.
Server Roles, click next
Tick failover cluster checkbox.
Click on add features
After selecting Failover Clustering, click next.
Click Install
Click close
After failover clustering successful installation, it appears in the Server Manager, select Tools, and then select Failover Cluster Manager.
How to Install failover clustering feature using the PowerShell
Open Windows PowerShell, type the below command and then press enter.
Now you can see Failover Cluster Manager in Server Manager tools
Creating Windows Server cluster – Using iSCSI to connect to shared storage
Follow the below steps to configure iSCSI.
Run the iSCSI Initiator from the first Node Server 2022 (WS2022-01).
Click on tools and then iSCSI initiator
Select the Yes button to start the iSCSI initiator service and enable it to start automatically every time when a server reboots. You want this service to start automatically so that your cluster nodes will be automatically connected to the shared storage when rebooting.
The iSCSI Initiator will popup, click on the Discovery tab. Click the Discover Portal button.
Type the IP Address of the iSCSI shared storage and then click on the Advanced button.
In the Advanced settings from the Local Adapter, the dropdown box chooses Microsoft iSCSI Initiator, and in the Initiator IP box choose the IP Address of the NIC that is dedicated to your iSCSI connection. Click ok twice
Choose the LUNs you need to connect to and then click the Connect button.
Click ok
Now you are connected to your iSCSI target.
Follow the same steps for the secondary node
How to create Windows cluster configuring shared disk in the cluster node 1 (WS2022-01)
We will have a look at configuring the disks we have attached to our prospective cluster nodes. Type DISKMGMT.MSC in the run box and then hit enter to open disk management.
Now you can see the shared disk (iSCSI) displayed as Offline, Unknown, and Unallocated. Right-click on the disk representation and then choose Online.
Right-click on the disk and then choose Initialize Disk.
Click ok
Right-click on the disk and then choose New Simple Volume.
Click Next
Click Next
Assign the drive letter by selecting it from the dropdown menu. In this shared disk I am using E. Click Next
Provide a volume label and then click next.
Select the Finish button to complete the creation of the volume.
Now you can see the shared disk.
After configuring the disks on the first node, take them offline. Right-click on the disk and select Offline.
On the second cluster node (WS2022-02) open disk management by typing DISKMGMT.MSC in run command.
Right click on the disk and then select Online.
The disk(s) appear and are formatted with the drive letter. If the drive letter doesn’t show then select Rescan Disks from the Action menu.
Let’s have a look at how to reset user password in Domain Controller 2022. Server 2022 is the best that Microsoft has for all kinds of companies. The Server Active Directory provides us with the easiest administration options and one of the daily jobs is to reset the user password either because I forgot it (most of the cases) or because of being locked out.
You might forget or lose this Active Directory user’s password if you have it saved. Regardless of the case, here you will get the steps to reset the active directory user password in Windows Server 2022.
Reset User Password in Active Directory
In the Server Manager, go to the Tools menu and then click on Active Directory Users and Computers.
In the Active Directory, select the user’s option, right-click on the user you want to reset password, and then choose the option Reset password.
The following window will appear where you can type the new password. Select the checkbox, Unblock the user’s account in case a user has been blocked by a number of failed login attempts, and then click ok.
The password for a user has been changed, click ok.
If you want to edit the user account options then double click on the user and select the Account tab it is possible to edit the password options.
In this article, I am going to upgrade Windows Server 2012 R2 standard to Windows Server 2019 standard. Locally upgrading of an operating system permits the Administrator to upgrade the currently installation of Windows Server to a new version without changing the existing settings & features.
The Windows Server 2019 in upgrade feature will permit you to upgrade the existing them (LSTC) long term servicing channel release like the Windows Server 2012 R2 – Windows Server 2016 – Windows Server 2019. The in places upgrade service permits organizations to handle upgrades to newer versions within the brief time possible. The straight upgrade is possible even when the existing Server Installation requires some dependencies before an upgrade.
I have copied some folder before upgrading the Server.
How to Upgrade to Windows Server 2019
Using the in-place upgrade to move to Windows Server 2019, use the DVD, USB Windows Server 2019 media to start the installation. The existing installation will be discovered & you can perform the in place upgrade. The installation will not take more than 5 minutes, but it all depends on the speed of the server and running roles and features. This following process shows an in-place upgrade from Windows Server 2012 R2 to 2019 using an ISO file. Mount the ISO file and then click on setup
Preparing
Get updates, click next to start (Download and install updates as the default option)
Getting Windows updates
Windows Server 2019 Setup
Specify the Windows product key and then click next.
Select the Server edition with the desktop experience option and then click next.
Accept user license terms and then click accept.
Choose the option for keeping personal files and programs because we intend to upgrade the Server. Select Next.
Upgrade making sure, ready to install.
Click on install to initiate the installation process.
Installing Windows Server 2019.
Updating Windows Server.
Windows Server 2019 Successfully upgrade.
Windows Server 2019 Standard Desktop with folders.
In this article, I am going to install Windows Server 2022. Microsoft released the new (preview) version of Windows server 2022. Naturally, Windows Server 2022 will be full of new features & special functions for administrators and users.
Let’s have a look at how to download and install Windows Server 2022. Microsoft has released the Windows Server 2022 new version and you can download it from MSDN and VLSC.
Microsoft Windows Server 2022 is the latest version of the server operating system. While this operation is new, it is built on the determined foundation of Windows Server 2019. The Server 2022 Datacenter Azure Edition version assists you to use the benefits of the cloud to keep your virtual machines up to date while minimizing downtime.
First, we will have a look at the Server 2022 new features, methods to download Server 2022, and install Windows Server 2022.
To know about Windows Server System requirements please visit Microsoft
Install Microsoft Server 2022
You will see multiple setups to install 1- Windows Server 2022 Standard 2- Windows Server 2022 Standard (Desktop Experience) 3- Windows Server 2022 Datacenter 4- Windows Server 2022 Datacenter (Desktop Experience)
Download Server 2022 from Microsoft Evaluation Center.
Please note that we need to register for the Windows Insider program. Don’t worry it is a very simple and free process. Click this link to download
To download Windows Server 2022, you need to visit the Microsoft Evalcenter, and then you must see the following download options.
Sign up for a free Azure account Create a Windows Server VM in Azure Download the ISO Download the VHD
To download the Server 2022 ISO file, choose Download the ISO. Enter basic details required by Microsoft. Then choose the language and download Windows Server 2022.
Installing Windows Server 2022.
Let’s have a look at the steps to install Windows Server 2022. You can install Server 2022 on a virtual machine or a physical server. Before you deploy Windows Server 2022, I highly recommend testing it thoroughly because it’s a new Windows operating system, and it might have some compatibility issues with your existing system.
Press a key to boot from the CD/DVD.
Microsoft Server Operating System Setup, choose language to install, time format, input method and then click next.
Press Install now button to start the process.
Next, we need to type a product key to activate Windows Server. Choose “I don’t have license key”.
Next, select the Server version to install. Highly recommended to select a version with a graphical environment. Click next.
Accept the license terms and then click Next.
Now please select the Windows installation option.
If you don’t want to format the partition then simply click on next.
Microsoft Server Operating System Setup, read the warning, and then click next.
Or if you want to delete the partition then simply select and delete them.
Click ok to delete the partition.
Now you can select the hard disk where you will install the system. Select new.
Select disk size and then click apply.
Windows Setup, click Next.
Select the partition and then click next.
Finally, the installation will start. Therefore, you need to wait while the necessary files are loaded.
Select restart now.
We need to create an administrator password and then click finish.
Now, enter the newly created password.
Server Manager 2022.
Now the Windows Server 2022 is correctly installed.
In this article, I will explain to you how to install Windows Server 2022 Core and some initial configurations. Microsoft Windows Server 2022 is the latest version of the operating system. You must try to install Server 2022 using the Core option whenever feasible. Windows Server 2022 contains a lot of new features and it is the much more secure version of Windows Server available to date.
Install Windows Server 2022 Core
In this article, I am using VMware Workstation in my home lab environment for the Windows Server 2022 Core installation.
Download the Windows Server 2022 ISO
The first step in installing Windows Server 2022 is getting the installer file. This is an ISO file that contains the equal content of an optical disc. Windows Server 2022 ISO file will permit you to create a boot media and then you can install Windows Server 2022 Core.
To download the Windows Server 2022 ISO image, first, you need to sign up at Microsoft’s official Windows Insider page. Select Windows Server 2022, and then tick “Download the ISO” from the available options. Select Continue.
Windows setup, click next.
Select Install now
Enter the Windows server 2022 product key and then click Next.
Choose Windows Server 2022 operating system and then click next.
Tick license terms and click next.
Custom install Windows only.
Click on the available disk and then click next.
Windows Server 2022 Core installation is in progress.
After completing the Windows Server 2022 Core installation. Now you will need to change the password. Press enter
Enter new, confirm the password, and then hit enter.
Click ok
The Sconfig option is the primary configuration utility that you can use for the initial configuration of a Windows Server 2022 core.
Windows Server 2022 Core – Change computer name
Type 2 and hit enter.
Type new computer name hit enter, and then type y to restart the computer.
Configuring remote desktop options
Type 7 and press enter.
Remote desktop settings Windows Server 2022 Core.
Network settings Windows Server 2022 Core
Number 8 options are to change network settings.
Select your available networks
Set network adapter settings, type 1.
D for DHCP and S for static. Enter the IP address details and then press enter.
Set DNS option, type 2
After all the initial configuration, you can install Windows Admin Center and simply connect your Windows Server 2022 Core server to it and have access to all the options (tools) you need to install Windows updates, install roles & features, configure the firewall, configure storage, configure services, and the PowerShell.
In this blog, we will see how to upgrade Windows 2008 R2 Standard to Enterprise Edition. The situation to upgrade operating system occurs very often and many times people end up reinstalling the OS. The reason for upgrade is evident that there are several features that are locked out on the Standard Edition & one main restriction on the Standard Edition is the Memory restriction of 32GB & to make use of the licensing model for virtual machines using Hyper-V.
Note: This works only for the upgrade, meaning you cannot downgrade an Enterprise Edition to Standard. If you are running a virtual environmental, it is highly recommended taking a snapshot of the virtual machine before making any changes and in case of a physical server, having a full backup will not harm you. If you want to upgrade the server is running Windows Server Standard to either the Enterprise or Datacenter editions, it is possible to do so online, without re-installing operating system (Windows). Open control panel system and security – System (Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard).
Upgrade Windows 2008 R2 Standard to Enterprise
Type this command to know the installed version of Windows Server. DISM /online /Get-CurrentEdition This will return the current Windows version.
Upgrade to Enterprise Edition Type the below Command Type “DISM /online /Get-TargetEditions” to see the Windows editions to which this server can be upgraded.
Please visit the Microsoft page that lists the KMS client setup keys. On the Microsoft page, you can find the keys for multiple “Windows Server versions”.
Type the below command to upgrade the version of Windows Server. In my home lab, I am going to be upgrading to Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise Edition. Now type DISM /online /Set-Edition:ServerEnterprise /ProductKey:489J6-VHDMP-X63PK-3K798-CPX3Y
Type Y to restart windows server to complete this operation.
In this article, I will explain how to assign permanent letters to removable drives. Windows will assign drive letters to external HDD, SD cards, flash drives, and other removable devices dynamically as when you plug them in. If we use several different external storage drives through the day, having assigned different letters each time can become annoying & make things feel disorganized. Here is how we assign permanent letters to each device to make things easier.
Assign Permanent Letters to Removable Drives
Windows progresses throughout the alphabet (A, B) to assign drive letters to devices as we plug them in. So if we plug the USB flash drive to get data from it, it might be E: but the next time when we plug it in, it might be different (E: or G depending on the order you plug them in. The cool thing is we can assign a permanent letter to a USB external drive directly with Windows 8.1, Windows 10, and Windows Servers. It is a simple process, and there is no need to install any third-party utility.
Assign a Specific Drive Letter in Windows
To assign a letter, plug in the drive that you want to assign a permanent letter. Then press (Windows key+R) to open the Run dialog and type: compmgmt.msc and then press enter.
Or, you can right-click the Windows start button and then select Computer Management.
Once the computer management, select Disk Management on your left pane under Storage. It will take a while, Windows looks for the drives currently connected to the PC and will display them in the right pane. Right-click on the drive you want to assign a permanent letter to and then select Change Drive Letter and Paths from the menu.
A small window will open up and then click the Change button.
When you assign a drive letter, please make sure to select a letter toward the end of the alphabet list. (For example, X, Y, or Z) otherwise, Windows has the disposition to eventually assign a different letter. Keep in mind that it will only be the assigned drive letter on the computer you changed it on. If you connect the external drive to a different computer, Windows will assign it a different dynamic letter. Please make sure that Assign the following drive letter is selected and select the letter you want to assign it and then click ok.
