CoreConfigurator-Logo CoreConfigurator was the first GUI-based management tool for Windows Server 2008 Server Core. It was still a free tool when I first blogged about it. Later, the publisher, SmartX, removed the tool. Now a new version is available that is only free for non-commercial use. I had a quick look at it today.

CoreConfiguratorInstallation of the tool is easy. Just copy coreconfigurator.msi to a local drive and launch it from the command line. The setup will copy CoreConfigurator by default to C:\Program Files\SmartX\Smart-X CoreConfigurator . To start the tool you have to navigate to this folder and launch “CoreConfigurator.”

For those who are not used to working on the command line, you don’t have to type the full path. Just enter cd \pr and then press the Tab key. This will complete the command to cd \”Program Files.” You can also permanently add the location of CoreConfigurator to the PATH environment variable with this command: setx PATH “%PATH%;C:\Program Files\SmartX\Smart-X CoreConfigurator.” You have to log out (with the logoff command) and log back in to update the environment variable. Now you can launch CoreConfigurator without having to navigate to its installation folder.

CoreConfigurator-Account-Management CoreConfigurator-Automatic-Updates CoreConfigurator-Computer-Name-Settings CoreConfigurator-Deployment-Conifuguration

The features of the new version are similar to the original free tool:

  • Product Activation
  • Management of local user accounts (creation, deletion, group membership, passwords)
  • IP configuration
  • Clock and time zone configuration
  • Configuration of display resolution
  • Firewall configuration
  • Computer name and domain/workgroup membership
  • WinRM configuration
  • Installation of Server Core features/roles
  • Remote Desktop configuration
  • Launch DCPROMO (promote the server to a domain controller)
  • Backup performance configuration
  • Update settings

CoreConfigurator-Display-SettingsCoreConfigurator-Firewall-Settings CoreConfigurator-Licensing CoreConfigurator-Network-Settings

The last two features are new. The backup performance tool works only if you installed the Windows Backup feature. You can do this with CoreConfigurator’s Features tool. Unfortunately, one can’t operate Windows Backup with CoreConfigurator. If you want to know how this can be done on Server Core, you should check out Julie’s post.