Installing Windows Server 2008 R2
This document provides information about installing the Windows Server® 2008 R2 operating system. It also provides information that you can use to troubleshoot problems that may occur during the installation.
For the latest continuously updated information you should be aware of before you install or upgrade to this product, including supported upgrade paths and any known issues that you may need to work around, see the online version of this document (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=139360). For additional documents that provide further important information, such as any known issues you may need to work around after installation is complete, see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=146314. 
Setup works in several stages. You will be prompted for some basic information, then Setup will copy files and restart the computer. Setup concludes by presenting a menu for Initial Configuration Tasks, which you can use to adjust the server configuration for your specific needs.
Preinstallation information
System requirements
The following are the system requirements for Windows Server 2008 R2. If your computer has less than the "Minimum" requirements, you will not be able to install this product correctly. Actual requirements will vary based on your system configuration and the applications and features you install. 
Processor
Processor performance depends not only on the clock frequency of the processor, but also on the number of processor cores and the size of the processor cache. The following are the processor requirements for this product: 
·	Minimum: 1.4 GHz, 64-bit processor
Note 
An Intel Itanium 2 processor is required for Windows Server 2008 R2 for Itanium-Based Systems.
RAM
The following are the estimated RAM requirements for this product: 
·	Minimum: 512 MB
·	Maximum: 32 GB (for Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard) or 2 TB (for Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise, Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter, or Windows Server 2008 R2 for Itanium-Based Systems)
Disk space and other requirements
The following are the estimated disk space requirements for the system partition, as well as other requirements. The disk space requirements for Windows Server 2008 R2 for Itanium-Based Systems will vary from these estimates. Additional disk space may be required if you install the system over a network.
·	Minimum: 32 GB 
Note 
Computers with more than 16 GB of RAM will require more disk space for paging, hibernation, and dump files.
·	Super VGA (800 x 600) or higher-resolution monitor
·	Keyboard and Microsoft® mouse (or other compatible pointing device)
·	Internet access (fees may apply)
Important information about kernel-mode drivers
Ensure that you have updated and digitally signed kernel-mode drivers for x64-based editions of Windows Server 2008 R2. (These include all versions of Windows Server 2008 R2 except for Windows Server 2008 R2 for Itanium-Based Systems.) 
If you install a Plug and Play device, you may receive a warning if the driver is not digitally signed. If you install an application that contains a driver that is not digitally signed, you will not receive an error during Setup. In both cases, Windows Server 2008 R2 will not load the unsigned driver.
If you are not sure whether the driver is digitally signed, or if you are unable to boot into your computer after the installation, use the following procedure to disable the driver signature requirement. This procedure enables your computer to start correctly, and the unsigned driver will load successfully. 
To disable the signature requirement for the current boot process:
1.	Restart the computer and during startup, press F8.
2.	Select Advanced Boot Options.
3.	Select Disable Driver Signature Enforcement.
4.	Boot into Windows® and uninstall the unsigned driver.
For more information, see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=66577. 
Before you start Setup
Before you install Windows Server 2008 R2, follow the steps in this section to prepare for the installation. 
·	Disconnect UPS devices. If you have an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) connected to your destination computer, disconnect the serial cable before running Setup. Setup automatically attempts to detect devices that are connected to serial ports, and UPS equipment can cause issues with the detection process.
·	Back up your servers. Your backup should include all data and configuration information that is necessary for the computer to function. It is important to perform a backup of configuration information for servers, especially those that provide network infrastructure, such as Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) servers. When you perform the backup, be sure to include the boot and system partitions and the system state data. Another way to back up configuration information is to create a backup set for Automated System Recovery.
·	Disable your virus protection software. Virus protection software can interfere with installation. For example, it can make installation much slower by scanning every file that is copied locally to your computer.
·	Run the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool. You should run this tool to test the random access memory (RAM) on your computer. To use the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool, follow the instructions in the Windows Memory Diagnostic Users Guide (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=50362).
·	Provide mass storage drivers. If your manufacturer has supplied a separate driver file, save the file to a floppy disk, CD, DVD, or universal serial bus (USB) flash drive in either the root directory of the media or in one of the following folders: amd64 for x64-based computers, i386 for 32-bit computers, or ia64 for Itanium-based computers. To provide the driver during Setup, on the disk selection page, click Load Driver (or press F6). You can browse to locate the driver or have Setup search the media.
·	Be aware that Windows Firewall is on by default. Server applications that must receive unsolicited inbound connections will fail until you create inbound firewall rules to allow them. Check with your application vendor to determine which ports and protocols are necessary for the application to run correctly. 
For more information about Windows Firewall, see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=84639.
·	Prepare your Active Directory® environment with Windows Server 2008 R2 updates. Before you add a domain controller that is running Windows Server 2008 R2 to an Active Directory forest or upgrade an existing domain controller to Windows Server 2008 R2, run Adprep.exe from the Windows Server 2008 R2 media on your existing domain controllers to prepare your domain and forest. 
To do this, use the following procedures. If you are performing an unattended installation, perform this step before you install the operating system. Otherwise, you will need to do this after you run Setup and before you install Active Directory Domain Services. 
To prepare a forest
a.	Log on to the schema master as a member of the Enterprise Admins, Schema Admins, or Domain Admins group.
b.	Copy the contents of the \support\adprep  folder (note the new location) from the Windows Server 2008 R2 installation DVD to the schema master role holder. 
c.	Open a Command Prompt window, navigate to the Adprep folder, and run adprep /forestprep. 
d.	If you plan to install a read-only domain controller (RODC), run adprep /rodcprep.
e.	Allow the operation to complete and the changes to replicate before performing the next procedure.
To prepare a domain
Perform this procedure for each domain where you want to install a domain controller that runs Windows Server 2008 R2.
a.	Log on to the infrastructure master as a member of the Domain Admins group. 
b.	Copy the contents of the \support\adprep folder (note the new location) from the installation DVD to the infrastructure master role holder. 
c.	Open a Command Prompt window, navigate to the Adprep folder, and run adprep /domainprep /gpprep. 
d.	Allow the operation to complete and the changes to replicate.
After completing these steps, you can add domain controllers that are running Windows Server 2008 R2 to the domains you have prepared. 
The adprep command extends the schema, updates default security descriptors of selected objects, and adds new directory objects as required by some applications. For more information about adprep, see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=50439.
Known issues
For current information about any issues that you may need to work around before you install this product, refer to the online version of this document (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=139360).
Copyright
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