Converting windows Server 2012 with a GUI to Server Core

To convert from Server with a GUI to a Server Core installation with Windows Power‐Shell, run the following cmdlet:

Uninstall-WindowsFeature Server-Gui-Mgmt-Infra -restart

Successful execution of the preceding cmdlet starts the removal process of the server shell (see Figure 1).

 

Figure 1 Converting Server with a GUI to a Server Core install

The server reboots once the graphical interface is removed. When the server comes back up, after login, the core interface is loaded.

 

If you convert to a Server Core installation, Windows features, server roles, and GUI management tools that require a Server with a GUI installation will be uninstalled automatically. You can specify the -WhatIf option in PowerShell to see exactly which features will be affected by the conversion.