Enable Windows Deployment Services on Server 2012

by Muhammad Imran Habib · September 10, 2018

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In server 2012 R2 you can use windows deployment services to deployment windows operating systems in your organization. It works best in small to medium companies but for large enterprises, you can use Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM).

Windows deployment services, WDS you can easily deploy Windows operating system on your network computers.

Enable Windows Deployment Services

On Server manager, click on manage and then click on Add Roles and Features

This will open the roles and features installation wizard. Click next to start the wizard.

Select the option, role-based or feature-based installation and click next.

Select the server where you want to install the role or services. You can select the server from the server pool and then click next.

You will the list of the roles you can install on your server, click on Windows Deployment Services.

This will prompt you with the list of the features that will be installed with the selected role, click on Add Features and then click on next.

Now you will get the additional list of features that can be installed on the server if required, in this case, we don’t require any additional features. So, click on next.

You will now see the detailed information about requirements of the role you are going to install on the server.

You need to have an NTFS partition on your server, the DHCP and DNS services should be running on the server or on the network. Click Next.

Make sure Deployment Server and Transport Server options are selected as they are responsible for the deployment of the operating system. Click Next.

Check the option to restart the server automatically if required and then click on Install.

This will now start the installation of Windows Deployment role on your server 2012 R2.

Once completed, click on the close button on the feature installation wizard.

Now windows deployment services have been installed on your server. Your server can be used to deploy Windows on the computers connected on the network.