Install Microsoft Security Essentials In Windows Server 2008 to 2012 R2

Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE) is free tool to help guard your Windows computer against viruses and other malware. In previous years, MSE is not in the list of top security guys for Windows, but now Microsoft is investing a lot on security problem and it is running to the top. So it is worth to have MSE on your Windows server to protect your server. MSE also rather doesn't take many resource vs. the other antivirus program, so it doesn't impact much on server performance.

But unfortunately it runs only on Windows desktop. It cannot run on Windows server by default. However, you can make it serves you by the following steps:

1. Go to this link: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/14210/security-essentials-download then choose right version for your server (32 bit or 64 bit) and download mseinstall.exe

2. Use Administrator user, right click on mseinstall.exe then choose Properties menu

3. Select Compatibility tab, then choose Run this program in compatibility mode for Windows 7. Then click OK.

4. Use command prompt, change folder to the folder containing mseinstall.exe then run below command:
mseinstall.exe /disableoslimit

5. Follow next steps and enjoy MSE installed on your Windows server.

You can download a test EICARs file on the link: https://www.eicar.org/86-0-Intended-use.html for checking if MSE is working.

Note for updating MSE:
When running Windows Update, you may see new update for MSE but the installation will be failed.
After Windows Update tried & failed, open the folder: C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download\Install, then you may see UpdateInstall.exe file, let do step 3 & 4 above for this file, then you can install new update.

Good bye and good luck!
Any comment is welcome.

Windows Server 2012: turn off auto restart after logging in

By default Windows Server will auto download new update and auto restart after you log in if the update requires to restart the server. This can cause some unwanted problems such as some applications cannot run after restarting, users complains etc.
You can change this default behavior by policies in Local Group Policies. Below are steps:

1. Press Windows Key + R to open the run prompt.
2. Type "gpedit.msc" and press enter.
3. Navigate to Computer Configuration >> Administrative Templates >> Windows Components >> Windows Update.
4. Enable the "Configure Automatic Updates" policy and set it to "2 - Notify for download and notify for install".
5. Enable the "No auto-restart with logged on users for scheduled automatic updates installations" policy.

See the following image for example:

Have a good time!

Happy new year!

Windows: Change Remote Desktop Port

If you check Event Viewer of your server and see that there is many Audit Failure in Task Category Logon, you should change the port of remote desktop immediately.

Change port value (select Decimal when changing) of the registry PortNumber in:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\WinStations\RDP-Tcp

PortNumber of Remote Desktop

After changing, restart your server.

To connect to your server with new port (e.g. 3333), use the following information:
Your_Server_Name:3333
OR:
Your_Server_IP:3333

Make sure the firewall of your computer doesn't lock this new port.