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Setting Up Windows 10/11 as a Server: A Step-by-Step Guide

1. Install Windows 10/11

If you haven’t installed Windows yet, follow these steps: - Download the ISO: Get Windows 10/11 from Microsoft's official website. - Create a Bootable USB: Use Rufus or Windows Media Creation Tool. - Install Windows: Boot from the USB, select your language, and install the OS.

Post-Installation Setup: - Set up an Administrator Account. - Disable unnecessary telemetry (Settings > Privacy). - Install essential drivers (Chipset, LAN, Graphics, etc.). - Enable Remote Desktop (Settings > System > Remote Desktop).

2. Configure Networking

A server requires a static IP address to function reliably.

Set Static IP:

  1. Go to: Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center > Change adapter settings
  2. Right-click your active network > Properties.
  3. Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) > Properties.
  4. Choose "Use the following IP address", enter:
  5. IP Address: (e.g., 192.168.1.100)
  6. Subnet Mask: (e.g., 255.255.255.0)
  7. Default Gateway: (Your router's IP, e.g., 192.168.1.1)
  8. Preferred DNS: (Google: 8.8.8.8, Cloudflare: 1.1.1.1)

3. Install Server Features

Windows 10/11 doesn’t come with Windows Server features, but you can enable similar functionality.

Enable File and Printer Sharing

  1. Open Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center.
  2. Click Change advanced sharing settings.
  3. Turn on:
  4. Network discovery
  5. File and printer sharing
  6. Password-protected sharing (optional)

Enable SMB for File Sharing

  1. Open Control Panel > Programs > Turn Windows features on or off.
  2. Enable SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support.
  3. Click OK and restart.

Set Up a Shared Folder

  1. Right-click a folder > Properties > Sharing tab.
  2. Click Advanced Sharing > Share this folder.
  3. Set permissions (Everyone for open access or restrict users).
  4. Use \\yourserverIP\sharename to access it.

4. Install and Configure a Web Server (IIS)

Windows has a built-in web server called IIS (Internet Information Services).

Enable IIS:

  1. Open Control Panel > Programs > Turn Windows features on or off.
  2. Scroll down, check Internet Information Services (IIS).
  3. Expand IIS > World Wide Web Services and enable:
  4. Common HTTP Features
  5. Application Development Features (CGI, ASP.NET)
  6. Security (Basic Authentication, Windows Authentication)
  7. Click OK and restart.

Configure IIS:

  1. Open IIS Manager (Windows + R, type inetmgr, press Enter).
  2. Expand Sites, right-click Default Web Site, select Bindings.
  3. Click Add, set:
  4. Type: HTTP
  5. IP Address: (Choose your static IP)
  6. Port: 80 (or 8080 if 80 is taken)
  7. Place your website files in C:\inetpub\wwwroot\.

To access the website: - From local network: http://192.168.1.100 - From the internet (requires port forwarding): http://yourpublicIP

5. Set Up Remote Access

Enable Remote Desktop

  1. Go to Settings > System > Remote Desktop.
  2. Enable Remote Desktop and Allow connections.
  3. Open Windows Firewall and allow Remote Desktop.

Setup SSH Server (Optional)

For remote command-line access: 1. Install OpenSSH Server (Settings > Optional Features > Add Feature). 2. Start the SSH service: 

net start sshd
3. Connect via ssh yourusername@yourserverIP.

6. Install FTP Server (File Transfers)

  1. Open Control Panel > Programs > Turn Windows features on or off.
  2. Enable Internet Information Services > FTP Server.
  3. Open IIS Manager > Add FTP Site.
  4. Set Binding & SSL:
  5. IP: Static IP
  6. Port: 21
  7. SSL: No SSL (or use a certificate for security)
  8. Set Authentication & Authorization:
  9. Authentication: Basic
  10. Authorization: Allow specific users or Everyone
  11. Permissions: Read & Write
  12. Access FTP via ftp://192.168.1.100.

7. Install Docker Desktop (Containerized Applications)

Docker allows you to run applications in isolated containers.

Install Docker Desktop:

  1. Download from Docker’s official site.
  2. Install and restart Windows.
  3. Enable WSL 2 Backend (Settings > Resources > WSL Integration).
  4. Open PowerShell and test: 
    docker --version

Run a Test Container:

  1. Pull an Nginx web server: 
    docker run -d -p 80:80 --name webserver nginx
  2. Access via http://localhost.
  3. Use docker ps to check running containers.

8. Secure Your Server

Firewall Configuration

  • Open Windows Defender Firewall.
  • Create Inbound Rules for only required services.
  • Block unused ports.

Install SSL for Websites

  • Get a free SSL certificate from Let’s Encrypt.
  • Use Certbot to automate renewal.

Set Up Automatic Backups

  • Use Windows Backup (Control Panel > Backup & Restore).
  • Use robocopy or PowerShell scripts for scheduled backups.

9. Optimize Performance

Disable Unnecessary Services

Run services.msc and disable: - SysMain (Superfetch) if using an SSD. - Windows Search if not needed. - Xbox Services (for gaming-related background services).

Optimize Power Settings

  • Set to High Performance (Control Panel > Power Options).
  • Disable Sleep/Hibernate to keep services running.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you’ve turned Windows 10/11 into a fully functional server capable of handling file sharing, web hosting, remote access, and containerized applications. 🚀