Server 2012 Workgroup ?

[cr85tx]

I have been looking around online without much luck I want to do a simple file server for quick books on a server with server 2012 but I want to have a work group not a domain. I installed the server 2012 but when you run the wizard it sets it up as a domain which I don't want. Can I or how can I set it up as a domain ? Currently we have a domain in place with a desktop server running server 2003 but I want to go to a workgroup with the new server since the office is only 4 people

 

[nlinecomputers]

More work to undo it then just switch domain servers. I'd keep it.

 

[cr85tx]

So you are saying i should just do the domain on the new 2012 server ? I didnt wanna do that because I had read people have issues trying to get the computers to connect to a 2012 domain

 

[Moltuae]

I think I'm probably misunderstanding the question here .... or are you referring to 2012 SBS?

In Standard/Datacenter Eds, you just change it in Server Manager, like this: http://i.imgur.com/JZe95hd.jpg

In fact, I'm pretty sure Server 2012 installs in Workgroup mode by default.

If you're taking about SBS ... then sorry, don't know; never really used it.

 

[Markverhyden]

I think I'm probably misunderstanding the question here .... or are you referring to 2012 SBS?

In Standard/Datacenter Eds, you just change it in Server Manager, like this: http://i.imgur.com/JZe95hd.jpg

In fact, I'm pretty sure Server 2012 installs in Workgroup mode by default.

If you're taking about SBS ... then sorry, don't know; never really used it.

Yep. From what I remember Server Standard, out of the box has no services enabled, including AD. SBS on the other hand forces a Domain setup. Years ago someone had a new SBS08 box but did not want or need AD. I tried to demote it, took two days of the server grinding away and still had problems. So we switched them to Standard.

 

[Mick]

When 2012 was first released, a lot of people - me amongst them! - didn't realise that you can only connect Win 7 and above client machines. So folks trying to reconnect Vista/XP etc machines had a nasty surprise. Outside of that, I've never had real problems connecting to a 2012 domain. As usual with MS servers, they don't think much of some flavours of OS X on Macs, but you can usually get round that.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

So you are saying i should just do the domain on the new 2012 server ? I didnt wanna do that because I had read people have issues trying to get the computers to connect to a 2012 domain

Who had what issues? Professionals or end users?

Windows XP and Vista can join and run on a 2012 domain. Although you don't want to anymore, of course you don't want any XP rigs around anymore, but "doesn't work with server 2012" is not a valid excuse....because they can. People that say they can't get XP to join a '12 domain are probably trying to run the easy peasy Connect wizard, or perhaps something more problematic is there like incorrect DNS settings. And for supporting XP clients there are one or two things you have to load on the '12 server, like SMB1 (not on by default).

When you say server 2012 can't do a workgroup, are you talkin about 2012 Essentials? That DCPromo wizard keeps launching? Yup like its predecessor, SBS, it's licensed to be a DC only....and you wan't a domain anyways...plus all the cool features of 2012 Essentials experience. Just do a new domain from scratch, I'd skip trying a migration for a network of just 4 rigs.

And check to see that they're on a fairly current version of Slowbooks..I mean...Quickbooks.

 

[Mick]

Ok, well, it's true you can kind of manually crow-bar an XP machine into the system, but MS say it's 'not supported' and, even if you ignore that and go ahead, it's hardly worth it. You can't administer that machine through the 2012 dashboard because it won't show up, and you can't make use of the auto-backup 2012 provides. I don't think - although I could be wrong - that you can use the Anywhere Access thingy either. Nor can you utilise the dashboard to work with Group Policies. Which, thinking about it, is all stuff the OP said he didn't really need anyway...

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Ok, well, it's true you can kind of manually crow-bar an XP machine into the system, but MS say it's 'not supported' and, .

"kind of manually crow-bar"? LOL...just because you can't use the Connect weeeezard..and have to dust things off and join a domain the manual way like us vets have done since the NT 3.5 days....system properties, name, change from workgroup to domain..join...provide credentials...reboot....phew...wow, that crow-bar stuff is really difficult!

Have yet to see where Microsoft actually says XP being members of a 2012 domain is not supported. Google it, you'll see lots of people saying it is, including well known IT sites like Petri, Experts-Exchange, TechRepublic, SpicwWorks, even some MS TechNet articles showing how to add SMB1 to server 2012 for legacy OS compat.

While yes we'd all love to have clients with 100% Win7 pro systems....in the real world we have a few that cling on to XP rigs, and sometimes have to still make it work.

 

[cr85tx]

Yes it is essentials and the new domain seems like what I have to do. I tried the forensit profile tool to join the new domain a while back to keep from losing the users files/settings but I got an error. Now that I know essentials will force me to do a domain I can stop trying to make it a workgroup. Thank you everyone

 

[Mick]

Well - I can only speak from my own experience. From which, I can say that adding SMB1 (See - I Googled it didn't make a happ'orth of difference. And if you don't use the wizard, you don't get the connector software on the client, which does kind of reduce its use in the ways already mentioned. But I'm pleased to learn that others have had more luck.

 

[Markverhyden]

The reason M$ says XP is not a supported client OS for Essentials is because XP is not supported by M$. I get a chuckle that they say OS X 10.5 is supported when Apple has not produced an update for that in years.

 

[Mick]

Actually - the first 2012 Essentials install I did was in Dec 2012 - long before XP was dead - and they told us that (that it was unsupported) then.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Yes it is essentials and the new domain seems like what I have to do. I tried the forensit profile tool to join the new domain a while back to keep from losing the users files/settings but I got an error. Now that I know essentials will force me to do a domain I can stop trying to make it a workgroup. Thank you everyone

You can do migrations of existing domains with Essentials...there are guides out there, you basically interrupt that Essentials dcpromo wizard, join the existing domain, manually add DNS and AD roles, shift over the fizzzmos, catalog, whack old GPOs, do some OU changes....and then you migrate data 'n other network stuff over, DHCP, print shares, etc.

But honestly for just a handful of users....doing a fresh and just join the workstations is quickest.

Had to swing over an XP rig just last Friday, ran old bottle labeling software for a beverage plant. Only had to access the Server 2012 Essen R2 server to read a share to open various bar codes they had for production runs. Didn't need any of the essentials dashboard junk....only needed to read a share from the server.

 

[cr85tx]

The thing I was worried about was joining the workstation to the new domain without losing the profile.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Those are easy enough to copy over, once you're joined to the new domain, simply browser to c:\users\username.olddomain\ or c:\documents and settings\username.olddomain\ and copy over the \desktop, \favorites, \documents, \pictures etc to c:\users\username.newdomain\ or c:\documents and settings\username.newdomian\
Very quickly and easily done.

 

[marley1]

I question some of these threads. Have you ever worked on a server before?

Right click my computer. Join domain. Create user on server log in. Copy the user profile items

Set up folder redirection, setup group policy, setup printer sharing.

All trivial things.

 

[cr85tx]

I have worked on servers but never set one up in a environment where a domain already exists

 

[cr85tx]

The profile and moving files I know how to do I was just trying to use the tool to add a existing profile to a new domain but it didn't go so well

 

[redagent001]

Who had what issues? Professionals or end users?

Windows XP and Vista can join and run on a 2012 domain. Although you don't want to anymore, of course you don't want any XP rigs around anymore, but "doesn't work with server 2012" is not a valid excuse....because they can. People that say they can't get XP to join a '12 domain are probably trying to run the easy peasy Connect wizard, or perhaps something more problematic is there like incorrect DNS settings. And for supporting XP clients there are one or two things you have to load on the '12 server, like SMB1 (not on by default).

When you say server 2012 can't do a workgroup, are you talkin about 2012 Essentials? That DCPromo wizard keeps launching? Yup like its predecessor, SBS, it's licensed to be a DC only....and you wan't a domain anyways...plus all the cool features of 2012 Essentials experience. Just do a new domain from scratch, I'd skip trying a migration for a network of just 4 rigs.

And check to see that they're on a fairly current version of Slowbooks..I mean...Quickbooks.

Yes, I have found that many people don't have a great experience setting these servers up or connecting to a domain is just specifically a DNS settings issue. They are not pointing the workstations to the correct DNS.