Convert Windows Server 2008 to Windows Workstation 2008?

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Michael Pietroforte

Michael Pietroforte is the founder and editor in chief of 4sysops. He has more than 35 years of experience in IT management and system administration.

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Let’s first discuss the alleged advantages.

Performance

This reason is the most often cited. You know, there are some rumors going around that Vista is slow. Some bloggers ran benchmark tests comparing Vista to Windows Server 2008 [1] [2] [3], and they all claim that Server 2008 is faster than Vista. It seems like the performance gains range from 10% to 20%. However, I am not 100% sure if one can trust these tests because performance depends heavily on Windows configuration. For example, if you have Windows Search enabled on Vista, but not on Server 2008, you certainly will get useless test results.

Less bloat

I seriously doubt that the Server 2008 code is better than Vista’s code. As far as I know, Vista and Server 2008 share about 70% of their code. Vista has been bashed before because its code contains server functions, but Microsoft wanted to keep the core of Vista and Server 2008 as similar as possible. Even though there is no service pack yet for Server 2008, its official name is Server 2008 SP1, which is supposed to signify that it comes with the same core as Vista SP1.

Therefore, if Windows Workstation 2008 is really faster, there can be only one reason for this: Vista is slowed down by some functions that Server 2008 lacks. Some people perceive additional features as bloat. So be it; I think that if you add all Vista-specific features, such as Aero and Windows Search, to Server 2008, you will end up with a Vista machine. Another option is to just remove the “bloat” from Vista by disabling all the features you don’t need.

Server 2008 experience

Are you curious about Server 2008 and do you want to learn more about its functions? I remember that I did just this with Windows NT 3.51. One way to get started with a Server OS is to run it on a desktop. However, if you really want to learn Server 2008 administration, you have to work with its roles and server-specific features – and for this you need a complete network with clients.

Server features

Server 2008 has some features that might also be interesting to have on a workstation. For example, if you want to be able to connect via RDP to your workstation while someone is already logged on, you can make use of the Server 2008 Terminal Services. Hyper-V and the full version of Internet Information Server 7 (IIS7) are more good examples.

Actually, I have been considering running Server 2008 on my laptop because of Hyper-V. I often test software in a virtual environment and Hyper-V certainly has its charms. However, it lacks important features for software testing. For example, it has no virtual switches and does not support NAT and linked clones. So, I will stay with Vista and VMware Workstation. I think that this example shows that typical server software does have its downsides if you use it in a desktop environment. “Linked clones” is not really a feature you need for server virtualization.

I suppose you realized that I do not really believe that there are compelling reasons to prefer Windows Workstation 2008 to Windows Vista. However, there are considerations that speak against Windows Workstation 2008.

Compatibility

I suppose most apps that work on Vista will also run on Server 2008, although I am quite sure that there are a few desktop programs that will have problems. However, the main point here is that any time you run into problems, you will wonder whether the source is a program flaw or the fact that you are running the app in an environment for which it was not programmed. We have some experience with this because we offer typical desktop apps (dictionaries, full text collections, biographies, etc.) on a Terminal Server. Thus, I can tell you that there are many desktop apps that show strange behavior in a server environment. Don’t tell the vendor’s support that you run their application on a Server – they might just laugh at you. What is the number 1 rule if you want to avoid computer trouble? Follow the crowd, always.

Price

I will assume that you belong to the good guys and always pay for commercial software. If so, then the additional costs might be a knockdown argument against Windows Workstation 2008. Amazon wants $859.49 for Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista Home Premium costs $94.99, and Windows Vista Professional costs $299. The price difference corresponds more or less with the cost of a high-end desktop.

Do you still think that a “10% performance boost” is worth a few hundred bucks? In this case, I recommend Windows Server 2008 Workstation Converter. The tool allows you to disable typical server features and to add typical Vista functions. The only thing that didn’t work when I tried the tool was adding gameux.dll. Here is the complete list of features from the readme:

• Set owner name/organization
• Enable windows audio
• Optimize CPU performance for programs
• Disable IE Enhanced Security Configuration
• Install .NET Framework 3.0
• Enable SuperFetch
• Install desktop experience
• Enable themes
• Disable CTRL+ALT+DEL at Startup
• Disable shutdown event tracker
• Change computer name
• Enable wireless networking
• Enable offline files
• Enable windows search service
• Enable auto logon
• Delay activation
• UxTheme patch for x86 and x64 systems
• Disable verbose messages at startup/shutdown
• Install the vista aero cursors
• Install the vista sidebar (x86 and x64)
• Install the control panel item for game controllers(x86 and x64)
• Enable Speech Recognition (require files from vista)