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HOME > WINDOWS > WINDOWS SERVER > WINDOWS SERVER 2012 > WINDOWS SERVER 2012 R2 > WINDOWS SERVER 2012 R2 KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS FOR THE SERVER ADMINISTRATOR

Windows Server 2012 R2 Keyboard Shortcuts for the

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Windows Server 2012, and now Windows Server 2012 R2,

have added a huge variety of capabilities to the Windows
Server operating system. In my opinion it's a must-have
upgrade. But like the first time I encountered the Windows
2000 Server interface after years of working with Windows
NT, the new UI can be pretty disorienting. We got pretty
efficient at maneuvering through the Windows 2000-style
interface; but where did everything go now? (I've already
given my opinion about the decision to use the touch-centric Modern <cough, Metro>
interface, on a server.) Experience with Windows 8 helps a little, but the tasks you
perform as a server admin are very different from the actions you take as a client. Heard on Social
Here's my "Where'd it go?" list of how to run administrative tasks in Windows Server
2012 and R2, based on where they were in Windows Server 2008 and earlier. I haven't
included every possible command; I figure once you know how to quickly get down the
main roads of the UI, the side streets will be a snap. For each, I've given several methods,
generally with the fastest way first—it's all about the speed, no? Tip: Using keyboard
shortcuts is usually the fastest, and it gives you extra nerd points when your colleagues
are looking over your shoulder. (Speaking of fast, if you want to quickly find something in
this article, just do a Ctl+F on your browser to trigger the "find on page" feature and enter
the term you're looking for.)
Since most of the time you'll be accessing a server console through Remote Desktop, it's
important to set your RDP session to send keyboard commands while windowed (not just
Tweets
full screen) for these commands to work. See "An Essential First Step" in my article
Zengo! Web Services 
"Getting Around in Windows Server 2012, Part 1" for details on how to configure this. @zengowebservice

Reading the Crystal Ball on Tech Under

I'm sure it will be no surprise to seasoned server administrators that many of these UI
Trump goo.gl/fb/8HhqEu #linux
sequences use keyboard shortcuts instead of the modern interface. They do make
extensive use of the Windows key ("winkey" in my shorthand). Surprisingly, the new 1h

search ability from the Start screen makes some commands faster in Windows Server
fu11circ1e
2012 and R2 than its predecessors.
@fu11circ1e

Words or control sequences on the keyboard are highlighted. For example, Winkey, Reading the Crystal Ball on Tech Under
cmd means to hit the Windows key and enter "cmd"; it also implies that you press Enter Trump - The truth is, there's much more that
we don't know about the inc...
at the end of each sequence—if you can't figure out when to press Enter, you probably
ow.ly/MTmL506yyiF
shouldn't be reading this article.
2h
Essential Tasks
demostheneskoptsis
Essential tasks are the ones you always seem to head straight to when you log on to a
@dimoskoptsis
server console, whether it's digging around on the server with Explorer or running a
Reading the Crystal Ball on Tech Under
command-line diagnostic in a command prompt. Trump dlvr.it/Mgc2vN

Start screen

• Winkey
• Winkey+C, select Start

Run
Embed View on Twitter
• Winkey . . . and just start typing! This will trigger Search in the upper right corner, and
real-time results will appear below it.
• Winkey+R may be better for complex run commands, and it will run with admin
privileges. You Contribute
• Winkey+X, r (Run)

To submit an article, please log in and then

Command prompt
click Contribute. If you are not a registered
• Winkey+X, a (i.e., Command Prompt (Admin)). You could use Winkey+X, c to launch user on Windows IT Pro, click Register.
command prompt with normal privileges, but most admins won't want to take the trouble.
• Winkey, cmd
Windows IT Pro Guest
Windows Explorer Blogs
If you don't already have it pasted to the Start screen or to the taskbar, you should.
Veeam
• Winkey+X, e (File Explorer—note the name change)
All Sponsored Blogs
• Winkey, explorer.exe (You might have to type the ".exe" to differentiate between File
Explorer and Internet Explorer.)

Network adapter settings

These include IP addresses and DNS client settings.

• Winkey+X, w (Network Connections)

PowerShell

• Winkey, powershell (This works the same from a command prompt, although you
won't get the pretty blue. Or select it from the Start screen.)
Whole System

Whole System commands do just that: they affect the entire server.

Shut down/restart Join the Conversation

• Alt+F4 with focus on the desktop, select action
• Ctl+Alt+Del, select Power button in the lower right corner
 • Winkey+C, Settings, Power Get answers to questions,
share tips, and engage with the
Lock console IT professional community at
myITforum.
• From an RDP session: Ctl+Alt+End, Enter
Are you a data center professional?
• At the physical console: Ctl+Alt+Del, Enter (same as it's always been)
Join AFCOM for the best data center insights.
• Winkey, click on account name in upper right corner, select Lock
Looking to get things done in web
development? Hot Scripts offers tens of
Date/time/time zone
thousands of scripts you can use.
• Right-click on time in the system tray, select Adjust Date/Time Database administrator? dBforums offers
• Winkey, timedate.cpl WinKey+P, Set the Time and Date community insight on everything from ASP
to Oracle, and get the latest news from Data
Power Options Center Knowledge.

• Winkey+X, o (Power Options)

• Note that you likely won't find the power icon in the system tray on a server. Community Sponsors
Task Manager

• Winkey+X, t (Task Manager)

• Ctl+Alt+Del, select Task Manager
• Winkey, taskmgr
Control Panel Tasks

Control Panel applets control the configuration and reporting on the server, including
what applications are installed on it.

Launching Control Panel itself

• Winkey+X, p (Control Panel)

• Winkey, Control
• From command prompt or Powershell, control.exe

Computer Management

• Winkey+X, g (Computer Management)

Device Manager

• Winkey+X, m (Device Manager)

• Winkey, devmgmt.msc

Disk Management

• Winkey+X, k (Disk Management)

• Winkey, diskmgmt.msc

Event Viewer

• Winkey+X, v (Event Viewer)

• Winkey, eventvwr

System

These commands include domain join, computer name, description, startup/recovery,

environment variables, Remote Desktop configuration, and activation.

• Winkey+X, y (System)

Programs and Features (including Windows features)

• Winkey+X, f (Programs and Features)

• Winkey, appwiz.cpl
• You can also add or remove Windows features from this dialog; it will launch Server
Manager and the Add/Remove Features wizard.
Windows Firewall

• Winkey, firewall.cpl (You must type the ".cpl"; otherwise, you'll get Firewall with
Advanced Security.)

Windows Update

• Winkey+X, y (System), select Windows Update

• From command prompt or Powershell, control/name microsoft.windowsupdate
Administrative Tools

In contrast to Control Panel utilities, practically all of the administrative tools you'll ever
use on a Windows Server 2012/R2 server are in the Tools Menu of Server Manager.
Microsoft has been strongly pushing the use of Server Manager, so it's become very full-
featured. If you don't see an administrative tool you're looking for in this list, look in
Server Manager's Tools menu. Here's how to launch many of the popular ones, not
available from the Power User (Winkey+X) menu, from a command prompt, or through
Powershell. Note: Not all of these tools may be installed on your system.

• Group Policy Management: gpmc.msc

• Server Manager: servermanager
• Services: services.msc
• Windows Firewall with Advanced Security: wf
• Active Directory Users & Computers: dsa.msc
• Active Directory Administrative Center: dsac.exe
• Active Directory Domains and Trusts: domain.msc
• Active Directory Sites and Services: dssite.msc
• Certificate Authority: certsrv.msc
• DNS Management: dnsmgmt.msc
• DHCP Management: dhcpmgmt.msc
• Windows Server Backup: wbadmin
Accessories

Interestingly, most of the programs listed as accessories are essential, and the following
apps are nearly as important.

Internet Explorer

• Winkey, select the internet Explorer Icon (on the Start screen by default)
• Winkey, iexplore

Remote Desktop Connection

• Winkey, mstsc

Windows Powershell ISE

• Winkey, powershell_ise
System Tools

These include miscellaneous system utilities.

Disk Defragmenter

• Winkey, dfrgui
• Right-click on a drive letter in File Explorer, Properties, Tools, Optimize and Defragment.

Resource monitor

• Get to Task Manager, choose the Performance tab, and select Open Resource Monitor at
the bottom.
• Winkey, resmon

Task Scheduler
 • Winkey, tasks
Startup Folder

In Windows Server 2008 R2 and earlier operating systems, you could drop an application
or a shortcut into the Startup folder and it would execute at logon time. That very visible
option is gone in Windows Server 2012 and R2, but you can still get to it here.

• Winkey, shell:startup or shell:common startup (to start up for all users)

• You could also use the Sysinternals tool Autoruns.
Printers

Printers have gotten much harder to find in the Windows Server 2012 and R2 UI. It's a
real difficulty on the client end.

• Winkey+X, p (Control Panel), Hardware/View Devices and Printers

Network

If you aren't going directly to the adapter settings (shown earlier in Essential Tasks),
you'll want to use the Network and Sharing Center.

Network and Sharing Center

• Right-click on network icon in system tray (same as before).

• Adapter settings are identical to legacy UI from here.

As you can see from the list, you can get a lot done quickly by becoming familiar with the
Power Users menu (Winkey+X); if you memorize the two-letter keyboard shortcuts
associated with this menu you'll be able to launch apps so quickly your coworkers will
think it's magic. In addition, memorizing many of the command-line executables for the
tools will get you to most of them quickly; just hit the Windows key and start to type. This
is only fitting; Microsoft wants us all to use PowerShell for everything, so starting the GUI
tools by command line seems like a good first step.

Do you have any other good tips for working with the "modern" UI?

Sean writes about cloud identity, Microsoft hybrid identity, and whatever else he finds interesting at
his blog on Enterprise Identity and on Twitter at @shorinsean.

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Discuss this Article 1

on Mar 10, 2015

AndrePlusPlus

Great summary!
Open (File) Explorer by Win+E like it has been since the Windows key was introduced.

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