Note
Access to this page requires authorization. You can try signing in or changing directories.
Access to this page requires authorization. You can try changing directories.
Question
Monday, August 17, 2015 9:02 PM | 1 vote
We are experimenting with Server Core for Windows Server 2012 R2. One of the big benefits of Server Core is a smaller attack surface. However, one of the downsides is the absence of Windows Explorer. Our tightly locked down environment sometimes prevents the use of the Admin shares, i.e., C$, D$, etc.
Although much of the GUI is not present in Server Core, the Operating System seems to be able to display some GUI applets, for example, Notepad, Task Manager, etc. Is there an alternative to Windows Explorer for Server Core? Maybe a PowerShell script? Something Open Source?
All replies (24)
Monday, August 17, 2015 9:51 PM
Server core is managed with remote management tools. PowerShell is one remote management tool.
If you are going to manage server code I recommend doing the training on server code as it will save you a lot of time and trouble.
http://www.amazon.com/Administering-Windows-Server-2008-Core/dp/0470238402
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/JJ574091.aspx?f=255&MSPPError=-2147217396
\(ツ)_/
Friday, August 21, 2015 12:17 AM
>>If you are going to manage server code I recommend doing the training on server code as it will save you a lot of time and trouble.
Actually, I already have. I have used PowerShell for about 4 years, and I am proficient with it. However, there are still times that a File Manager of some sort (in lieu of the missing Windows Explorer in Server Core) is extremely useful, especially since our extremely locked down environment causes the administrative share connections (i.e., C$, D$, etc.) to fail at times.
So my original question still stands, and it's not a newbie question. Is there an alternative to Windows Explorer for Server Core? Maybe a PowerShell script? Something Open Source?
Friday, August 21, 2015 1:11 AM
Since you know PowerShel then you know that PowerShell can manage files with no issue. When you say FIle Explorer wwhy can't you just use it as it is.
To server core from and GUI system run File Explorer and typ this into the command bar: 0 "\servername\C$"
Now you can mange the files just like you do on any other server.
Out side of that it I snot possible ti understand what you are asking. Core has no GUI and has to be managed remotely or at a console prompt.
\(ツ)_/
Friday, August 21, 2015 1:35 AM
Here is a list of all of the Server Core APIs. You will see that there are no GUI elements included.
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee391634(v=vs.85).aspx
You could use the API to build a program similar to the old DOS file managers built with a text and console graphics character interface. I am not sure it the mouse can be activated in this context although it should work.
You might even be able to find an old DOS file manager and run it in Core.
\(ツ)_/
Friday, August 21, 2015 9:12 AM
>>Core has no GUI and has to be managed remotely or at a console prompt.
>>You will see that there are no GUI elements included.
That's odd. Although Windows Explorer, Internet Explorer, and several other GUIs do not exist, Notepad, Task Manager, and other semi-GUI applets certainly exist in Server Core. I used them yesterday in Windows Server 2012 R2 Server Core at our shop. Yes, the GUI can be removed to varying degrees in Server Core, but the fundamental GUI elements always appear to be present.
PowerShell is certainly capable of launching a GUI dialog box in Server Core.
I'm not trying to be snotty here. Have you actually used Windows Server 2012 R2 Server Core? Your comments do not match up with what I have seen in the product.
Friday, August 21, 2015 9:16 AM | 1 vote
It is capable of running builtin popups. You cannot script any GUI. You can build custom popups using the Core SDK and Visual studio. The graphic capabilities are very limited. You cannot build anything like Explorer. You can build semi-graphical simple applications.
\(ツ)_/
Friday, August 21, 2015 11:52 AM
I don't have any core installations to test with, but this article has an interesting idea:
Notepad.exe
So how would you read such a file? Simple. Notepad.exe is available to you. You can use it as you would on a Server with a GUI, and this allows for a neat trick. If you liked to work within the Windows Explorer in previous versions of Windows, you can use the Open… command from the File menu (Ctrl+O) to get the same functionality. Also, it allows for right-clicking files to get their properties:
Friday, August 21, 2015 1:50 PM
Here is why I believe that a "Windows Explorer-like" GUI applet on Windows Server 2012 R2 Server Core is possible.
I copied the HELPDESK.PS1 code from the link above to a Server Core box and executed it. The code opened a GUI with a clickable button.
Also, I copied an old PowerShell script (based on Sapien's PrimalForms Community Edition) that I wrote a few years ago to the same Server Core box. The script opens a GUI window, prompts for a SQL Server database connection string, and displays database session data in a list box. A "Refresh Data" button requeries the database and refreshes the screen. The script seems to work fine on Server Core; so, the basic elements of GUI window painting appear to be present in PowerShell 4, which ships with Windows Server 2012 R2 Server Core.
As I recall, Sapien's PrimalForms Community Edition also touted the ability to display and process mouse clicks with PowerShell. (If I recall correctly, it claimed to have the ability to use PowerShell mouse clicks to expand nodes in a GUI display tree, which would be analogous to double clicking a folder in Windows Explorer to get the folder to expand.) However, it looked complicated, and I never got around to trying it.
So, back to the question. Is there an alternative to Windows Explorer for Server Core? Maybe a PowerShell script? Something Open Source?
Friday, August 21, 2015 2:15 PM
Looks like you'll have to write this yourself if you really want it. A quick search hasn't gotten me much and I'm not going to spend any additional time on this.
Have you looked through the repository?
https://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/scriptcenter
This might help getting started:
https://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/ScriptCenter/73dd51d4-d942-4490-aa10-f6c2ac5b233e/
Friday, August 21, 2015 2:44 PM
That second link that you cited is based on Sapien PrimalForms Community Edition--it's code contains the following comment.
########################################################################
# Code Generated By: SAPIEN Technologies PrimalForms (Community Edition) v1.0.7.0
# Generated By: Ravikanth_Chaganti
########################################################################
Thanks for the feedback. I'll keep looking.
Friday, August 21, 2015 3:16 PM
Yes - you can use any GUI code that generates popups. As for Explorer - you cannot load the Shell or COM controls which Explorer depends upon. You can load the file/folder dialogs which is the same as that that you get with notepad.
\(ツ)_/
Friday, August 21, 2015 3:48 PM
jrv,
Thanks for your feedback, but we really are not on the same page. Not once in this post have I ever said that I wanted to run Explorer. I am well aware that is is missing, which is the reason for this post. I'm not looking for a flame war. Let's just agree to disagree and move on.
Friday, August 21, 2015 4:01 PM
We are experimenting with Server Core for Windows Server 2012 R2. One of the big benefits of Server Core is a smaller attack surface. However, one of the downsides is the absence of Windows Explorer. Our tightly locked down environment sometimes prevents the use of the Admin shares, i.e., C$, D$, etc.
Although much of the GUI is not present in Server Core, the Operating System seems to be able to display some GUI applets, for example, Notepad, Task Manager, etc. Is there an alternative to Windows Explorer for Server Core? Maybe a PowerShell script? Something Open Source?
Server Core uses DOS and Powershell as you know, it only relies on PS and DOS commands but yes there is limited GUI for some applications but the overall explorer.exe (Server-gui-shell) isn’t available for foot print reasons.
So you you’re probably wanting a partially graphical terminal window to do things easier then having to run each command individually or use some third-party graphical shell for Windows (don’t think I personally know of one). Having said that if there was an interactive PS shell like that it wouldn’t be able to do anything other than what the default PS & DOS APIs can do.
You can add additional GUI items by installing the server-gui-mgmt-infra which is helpful.
Friday, August 21, 2015 4:05 PM
Server Core uses DOS and Powershell as you know, it only relies on PS and DOS commands but yes there is limited GUI for some applications but the overall explorer.exe (Server-gui-shell) isn’t available for foot print reasons.
So you you’re probably wanting a partially graphical terminal window to do things easier then having to run each command individually or use some third-party graphical shell for Windows (don’t think I personally know of one). Having said that if there was an interactive PS shell like that it wouldn’t be able to do anything other than what the default PS & DOS APIs can do.
You can add additional GUI items by installing the server-gui-mgmt-infra which is helpful.
DOS??? No.
Friday, August 21, 2015 4:06 PM
I am not saying you are trying to run explorer. I am saying that most of the functionality of explorer cannot be had in Code.
You can run any popup that is not blocked as in notepad.
You can use Sapien products to create limited popups that can open the file dialog. If that is all you need then just build your little dialog with Sapien tools and you are set just note that it will not be like "Explorer".
You can use a PowerShell simple form to list files and folders.
\(ツ)_/
Friday, August 21, 2015 4:12 PM
Server Core uses DOS and Powershell as you know, it only relies on PS and DOS commands but yes there is limited GUI for some applications but the overall explorer.exe (Server-gui-shell) isn’t available for foot print reasons.
So you you’re probably wanting a partially graphical terminal window to do things easier then having to run each command individually or use some third-party graphical shell for Windows (don’t think I personally know of one). Having said that if there was an interactive PS shell like that it wouldn’t be able to do anything other than what the default PS & DOS APIs can do.
You can add additional GUI items by installing the server-gui-mgmt-infra which is helpful.
DOS??? No.
As in CMD.exe Mike.
Friday, August 21, 2015 4:28 PM
As in CMD.exe Mike.
Good. There is a HUGE difference there.
</threadjack>
Wednesday, February 1, 2017 1:25 PM
I personally use Ultra Explorer on windows server core. It works, but has some flaws.
Wednesday, February 1, 2017 1:51 PM
File Explorer for Server Core:
Add-Type -AssemblyName System.Windows.forms
$of = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.OpenFileDialog
$of.ShowDialog()
\(ツ)_/
Thursday, November 2, 2017 5:36 PM | 5 votes
This works for me fine in Windows Server 2016 Core:
Explorer++ is a lightweight and fast file manager for Windows.
I usually RDP into the server.
Go into powershell
Go to your user directory
iwr -outf explorerplus.zip https://explorerplusplus.com/software/explorer++\_1.3.5_x64.zip
expand-archive explorerplus.zip
./explorerplus/explorer++.exe
I think Server Core being called command line only is a misnomer. It is a severely limited GUI with a command line to start. I've been able to install GUI based programs just fine. If you stick with modern portable apps, you should be able to install most anything.
Sunday, April 22, 2018 7:31 PM
This works for me fine in Windows Server 2016 Core:
Explorer++ is a lightweight and fast file manager for Windows.
This solution also works fine with Core 2012. Since this is one of the top search results for this question I figured it deserves some upvotes.
Also, where are people getting this notion that Core doesn't have a GUI? Of course it does.
Tuesday, May 1, 2018 10:42 PM
This works for me fine in Windows Server 2016 Core:
Explorer++ is a lightweight and fast file manager for Windows.
Yes!!!! This is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you so much!
Tuesday, May 1, 2018 10:50 PM
I have used TotalCommander for this issue.
Monday, May 13, 2019 10:53 AM
Great! Just what I was looking for, thnx!