After you log into the Server with a GUI interface, the first window that opens
automatically is the Server Manager dashboard. Although Server Manager is
where you would perform most administrative tasks, what if you want to get
to the desktop and Start button?
Server 2012’s GUI omits the Start button from previous Windows operating systems. By
default, the Recycle Bin is the only icon displayed on the desktop (see
Figure 1).
Only the taskbar remains from the Server 2008 interface in the initial desktop view.
In Server 2012, the taskbar has three pinned shortcuts: Server Manager, PowerShell, and Windows Explorer.
Be forewarned: if you are used to managing Server 2008 R2 and legacy
Windows Servers, you may find the interface changes frustrating. I was
quite disoriented at first when in Server 2012’s desktop screen—I didn’t
even know where to click to shut the system down! After working with
Server 2012 for about a week or so, I discovered that none of the tools or
menus we’re used to working with in Windows Server is missing. They’ve
just been rearranged somewhat. The Start menu, for instance, is now its
own screen independent from the desktop. It’s actually easier in some ways to find programs
and tools in Server 2012 than in past versions.
You’ll see a small square tile directly to the left of the Server
Manager icon on the taskbar. Hovering over this square with the mouse
cursor brings up the Start screen shown in Figure 2.
Navigating the Tiled Interface
The Start screen has the same tile-based interface as the
Windows 8 client, only with fewer tiles and a more uniform color. Tiles
in Server 2012 are so named because that’s what they look like: the
aligned squares used to adorn floors and bathroom or kitchen walls.
Tiles are to Server 2012 what icons are in Server 2008; click a tile,
and the associated program opens.
In the Start screen, administrators will find all of the
additional Server applications that appear to be missing in the desktop
view. Seven tiles are displayed by default in a streamlined Start menu:
Server Manager, Windows PowerShell, Computer, Task
Manager, Control Panel, Internet Explorer, and Desktop. At the
upper-right corner of the screen is the name of the user account logged into the server.
On the far righthand side of the taskbar is a small square containing an icon of a magnifying glass and
four tiles. Hovering over this square, shown in Figure 3, pulls up the Charms menu.
Note
Clicking the small square’s magnifying glass reduces the size of
the Start menu.
The Charms menu floats on the right side of the screen when
activated. As shown in Figure 4, the icons or
“charms” it displays are Search, Start, and Settings. A window displaying date and
time—as well as network connectivity—also appears on screen with the
Charms menu. Having the date and time prominently displayed on a server screen may
seem odd, but it is handy since the Start screen does not have the
System Tray as in Server 2008, which displayed the date and time in the
bottom-right corner.
A right-click on the Start menu screen pulls up another menu featuring the
option to open “All apps,” as shown in Figure 5.
Note
In a technology world that has moved from PC-centric to
mobile-centric, programs and applications are increasingly referred to
as apps even those programs installed on servers
and desktops.
When clicked, the “All apps” screen displays all applications installed
on Server 2012, including Performance Monitor, Notepad, Paint, Windows Server
Backup, and more.
Because the new interface was initially designed to accommodate
touchscreen mobile devices, the layout of tiles sweeps
across the screen to facilitate touch gestures. You can use the scroll
buttons on the bottom of the screen to move through the tiles, but it’s
easiest to just use the arrow keys.
Microsoft’s decision to include the tile-based interface of the
Windows 8 client in Server 2012 has generated a lot of controversy and
outright bewilderment among many beta testers in the tech community.
Remember, though, you don’t have to work within the GUI interface. You
can opt to install Server 2012 in the lightweight, command-line-based
Server Core mode, or you can use the Minimal Server Interface and select
only the shell components you want to install.
Note
Don’t confuse the desktop and Start menu. In Server 2012, the
two are in separate screens whereas in Server 2008 R2 the Start menu
is within the desktop. In Server 2012, you can switch from the desktop
to the Start menu and vice versa. The quickest way to switch back and
forth between the two is to use the Windows logo key on the
keyboard.
