Administering Windows Server 2008 Server Core -- Acknowledgments -- About the Author -- Contents at a Glance -- Contents -- Introduction -- Server Core Really Is Worth the Effort! -- Goals for Writing This Book -- Who Should Read This Book? -- What You Need to Use this Book -- Conventions Used in This Book -- Part 1: Discovering Windows in a Command Prompt -- Chapter 1: Understanding Windows Server 2008 Server Core -- Considering the Command Prompt -- Life without the Control Panel -- Configuring the Server for Initial Use -- Working with the Logon Screen -- Using the Windows Task Manager to Your Advantage -- A List of Helpful GUI Utilities -- Accessing DLLs Using the RunDLL32 Utility -- Managing Windows in a New Way -- Chapter 2: Using the Command Line Effectively -- The Command Line Made Easy -- Configuring the Command Window -- Understanding Internal and External Commands -- Working with the Remote Desktop Connection Application -- Managing Windows in a New Way -- Chapter 3: Performing Essential Maintenance Tasks -- Performing Application Installations -- Deciding How to Perform Maintenance -- Performing Server Updates -- Creating LNK Files -- Setting Security -- Configuring Server Core Using the WMIC Command -- Using Maintenance Commands and Utilities -- Managing Activation with SLMGR -- Managing Windows in a New Way -- Chapter 4: Essential Registry Hacks -- Starting and Configuring the Registry Editor -- Performing Console Configuration -- Setting the Environment -- Modifying the Hardware Setup -- Modifying the Software Setup -- Managing Windows in a New Way -- Part 2: Automation Essentials -- Chapter 5: Creating CMD and BAT Files -- Starting the Command Interpreter -- Working at the Command Prompt -- Creating Batch Files -- Testing Batch Files -- Managing Windows in a New Way -- Chapter 6: Working with Scripts.

Understanding Scripting Languages -- Executing Scripts -- Scripting Networking Solutions with the NetSH Utility -- Creating a Basic Script -- Using the Scripting Objects -- Impersonating a User with the RunAs Utility -- Changing the Environment -- Testing Scripts -- Managing Windows in a New Way -- Chapter 7: Editing and Compiling Batch Files and Scripts -- Editing All File Types with WinVi -- Obtaining a Better Notepad with Notepad+ -- Creating Executable Batch Files with Batch File Compiler 5.2 -- Develop and Compile Batch Files with Quick Batch File Compiler -- Understanding JavaScript and VBScript Compilers -- Editing Script Files with Script Editor 2.1 -- Managing Windows in a New Way -- Chapter 8: Performing Task Automation -- Scheduling and Managing Tasks -- Providing Fault Tolerance for an After Hours Batch or Script -- Managing Windows in a New Way -- Part 3: Working with the Hardware -- Chapter 9: Managing the Hard Drive -- Opening Remote Directories with the Append Utility -- Determining the Current Directory and Changing Directories with the CD and ChDir Commands -- Converting FAT Partitions to NTFS with the Convert Utility -- Improving Disk Access Performance with the Defrag Utility -- Managing Partitions with the DiskPart Command -- Managing Disk Performance with the DiskPerf Utility -- Managing RAID Setups Using the DiskRAID Utility -- Managing the File System with the FltMC Utility -- Monitoring the File System with the FSUtil Command -- Working with iSCSI Using the iSCSICli Utility -- Managing Volume Labels with the Label Utility -- Creating Directories with the MD and MkDir Commands -- Creating Symbolic Links and Hard Links with the MKLink -- Mounting a Volume with the MountVol Utility -- Setting and Viewing Application Paths with the Path Command -- Storing and Retrieving Directories with the PushD and PopD Commands.

Removing a Directory with the RD and RmDir Commands -- Managing Removable Storage with the RSM Utility -- Associating a Folder to a Drive with the Subst Utility -- Displaying a Directory Structure with the Tree Utility -- Managing the Volume Shadow Service with the VSSAdmin Utility -- Managing Windows in a New Way -- Chapter 10: Managing the Network -- Getting the Media Access Control Information with the GetMAC Utility -- Managing the Network with the Net Utility -- Managing Windows in a New Way -- Chapter 11: Working with TCP/IP -- Managing the Address Resolution Protocol with the ARP Utility -- Discovering User Information with the Finger Utility -- Getting the Local Hostname with the Hostname Utility -- Managing the Internet Protocol with the IPConfig Utility -- Obtaining Multicast Router Information with the MRInfo Utility -- Getting NetBIOS over TCP/IP Status with the NBTStat Utility -- Performing Network Diagnostics with the NetDiag Utility -- Getting Network Statistics with the NetStat Utility -- Tracking Servers with the NSLookup Utility -- Tracing Transmission Paths with the PathPing Utility -- Checking Connections with the PING Utility -- Manipulating the Network Routing Tables with the Route Utility -- Checking Connections using RPC with the RPCPing Utility -- Managing Files with the TFTP Utility -- Tracking the Network Path with the TraceRt Utility -- Managing Windows in a New Way -- Chapter 12: Managing Other Hardware -- Working with Line Printers -- Determining Memory Status with the Mem Utility -- Obtaining General System Information with the MSInfo32 Utility -- Performing a Formatted Printout with Notepad -- Managing Power Settings with the PowerCfg Utility -- Performing Unattended Driver Installation with the PnPUnattend Utility -- Managing PnP Setups Using the PnPUtil Utility -- Printing Data Files with the Print Utility.

Managing the System Time with the W32Tm Utility -- Managing Windows in a New Way -- Part 4: Working with the Software -- Chapter 13: Managing Applications -- Obtaining Driver Information with the DriverQuery Command -- Installing Applications with the MSIExec Utility -- Accessing the Windows Package Manager with the PkgMgr Utility -- Adding and Removing Applications with the OCSetup Utility -- Verifying Application and Role Status Using the OCList Utility -- Adding and Removing Servers with the RegSvr32 Utility -- Managing Compatibility Databases with SDBInst -- Configuring Windows Error Reporting with ServerWEROptin -- Managing Windows in a New Way -- Chapter 14: Working with Data -- Comparing Two Files with the Comp Utility -- Copying Files with the Copy Command -- Removing Files with the Dela dn Erase Commands -- Compressing Files with the Diantz and MakeCab Utilities -- Modifying Files with the Edlin Utility -- Repairing System Databases with the ESEnTUtl Utility -- Decompressing Files with the Expand Utility -- Performing Advanced File Comparison with the FC Utility -- Moving Files and Renaming Files and Directories with the Move Command -- Recovering Lost Files with the Recover Utility -- Renaming a File with the Ren and Rename Commands -- Performing Robust File Transfers with the RoboCopy Command -- Replacing Existing Files with the Replace Utility -- Sorting File Content with the Sort Utility -- Taking Ownership of Files with the TakeOwn Utility -- Outputting Data Files with the Type Command -- Validating File Operations with the Verify Command -- Performing Backups with the WBAdmin Utility -- Performing Bulk File Transfers with the XCopy Utility -- Working with File Associations and Types -- Working with ODBC Data Sources -- Managing Windows in a New Way -- Chapter 15: Managing Files and Directories.

Changing File and Directory Attributes with the Attrib Utility -- Determining File and Directory Status with the ChkDsk Utility -- Performing Boot Time Disk Checks with the ChkNTFS Utility -- Encrypting Data with the Cipher Utility -- Compressing Data with the Compact Utility -- Finding Files and Directories with the Dir Command -- Locating Information in Files with the Find and FindStr Utilities -- Changing File and Directory Access with the ICACLS Command -- Detecting Shared Open Files with the OpenFiles Command -- Finding Files and Directories with the Where Utility -- Managing Windows in a New Way -- Chapter 16: Configuring the System Setup -- Managing the Boot Configuration with the BCDEdit Command -- Accessing the WinPE Network Installer with the NetCfg Utility -- Getting System Configuration Information with the SystemInfo Utility -- Managing Windows in a New Way -- Chapter 17: Creating System Connections -- Remote System Management -- Managing FTP Servers with the FTP Utility -- Working with Terminal Server -- Working with Remote Access Server -- Communicating with Telnet -- Managing Windows in a New Way -- Chapter 18: Monitoring System Events and Performance -- Recording System Status Information -- Working with Performance Information -- Managing Windows in a New Way -- Chapter 19: Configuring Directory Services -- Managing Directory Services Using the WMIC NTDomain Alias -- Creating New Objects Using the DSAdd Utility -- Listing Objects Using the DSGet Utility -- Editing Existing Objects Using the DSMod Utility -- Moving Existing Objects Using the DSMove Utility -- Managing Active Directory with the DSQuery Utility -- Deleting Objects Using the DSRm Utility -- Managing the Active Directory Database with the NTDSUtil Utility -- Working with Users, Groups, and Computers -- Managing Windows in a New Way -- Part 5: Working with the User.

Chapter 20: Managing System Users.