How to: Change the Windows 2008 R2 desktop to Aero look using RES Workspace Manager 2012

A great feature within Windows Server 2008 R2 is the new Desktop Experience. After the installation of this feature, the desktop could be configured with the Aero look. Normally, the active setup will change the desktop look. When you are using a mandatory profile in combination with for example RES Workspace Manager 2012, the active setup components are disabled by default. So the desktop is looking like an old-school desktop and the most using color is grey.

To give the users more Desktop Experience, we are going to change the desktop to Aero look.

1.) The first step is to install the Windows feature Desktop-Experience.
This could be done throught the Server Manager, of using the ServerManagerCmd option within powershell.
ServerManagerCmd -i Desktop-Experience
2.) Open the RES Workspace Manager 2012 Management Console and navigate to Execute Command
3.) Create a new command with the following commandline
%SystemRoot%\system32\regsvr32.exe /s /n /i:/UserInstall %SystemRoot%\system32\themeui.dll
4.) Make sure the option Run task is configured to run Before logon and before other actions

After login again, the Windows shell is looking much better now! 🙂

       

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