Q. How do I access the menu to configure Windows Server 2008 R2 Server Core installations?

A. Server 2008 R2 includes a text-based menu to perform most of the initial configuration steps. This menu was first seen in the Windows Hyper-V Server platform. To access it, just run Sconfig.cmd.

You can use that menu to set items such as computer name, domain/workgroup membership, remote management (including remote server manager and all the PowerShell requirements that relate), automatic updating, network settings, date, and time. All of the actions enabled by sconfig.cmd can be performed without the menu, the menu just makes it much easier. The sconfig.cmd just launches a sconfig.vbs file that's language specific (e.g. C:Windowssystem32en-USsconfig.vbs), which is useful to look through for ideas if you want to automate certain configuration items.

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