geekEleet

One of the questions I hear a lot is “How do I make Windows Server 2008 look more like Vista?”. One of the answers that I love to give is “Why would you want to do that?”. Seriously, it’s a server - it’s not supposed to be pretty. In fact, if your server is properly secured, you should never see the interface. That was easy. Well, not that easy. Since part of having a successful blog means answering reader questions, I have decided to provide the information to you.

After some brief searching, I found the answer over at thevistaforums.com and decided not to re-invent the wheel.

First, add the Desktop Experience and .NET 3.0 features. 

1. Right-click Computer, an click Manage. 
2. Click Features, then Add Features. 
3. Expand .NET Framework 3.0 Features, and select .NET Framework 3.0 and XPS Viewer. 
4. Select Desktop Experience. 
5. Click Next and install the features; reboot.

Next, configure the Themes service to run automatically.

1. Right-click Computer, select Manage. 
2. Expand Configuration, click Services. 
3. Scroll down to Themes, and double-click it. 
4. Under Startup type, select Automatic. 
5. Apply the change, then Start the service.

The Windows Vista Basic and Windows Aero themes should now be visible if you right-click your desktop, select Personalize, and Window Color and Experience. To enable the full effects of the Aero theme, we have to take it a step further.

1. Right-click Computer, select Properties. 
2. Click Advanced System Settings. 
3. Under the Performance section, click Settings. 
4. Select Adjust for Best Appearance.

And there lies the answer to your question. Now you can pretty up and slow down your server like a champ! Again, I will remind you that I don’t recommend doing this, but it’s your server and not mine.