Cannot get Server-Gui-Mgmt-Infra to install on Server Core

Solution 1:

I tested using this link below. Not sure why but with a fresh server core build (I disabled UAC temporarily FYI) and changed was the last command to only include server-gui-mgmt-infra Seems a bit overkill and complicated to get a feature installed. I've not done extensive testing with server core RTM build. During Beta, I recall being able to use Add-WindowsFeaure -Name Server-GUI-Mgmt-Infra -source c:\sxs but guess not during RTM :( What I couldn't get was using a UNC path for the source, even now.

http://virtualisationandmanagement.wordpress.com/2012/08/09/windows-2012-converting-a-full-gui-version-to-server-core-and-vice-versa/

Solution 2:

First, the good part. You can use the DVD as the source.

Install-WindowsFeature -Name User-Interfaces-Infra -IncludeAllSubfeature -Source D:\
Install-WindowsFeature -Name Server-Gui-Mgmt-Infra, Server-Gui-Shell -Source D:\

Next, the bad part. I have successfully used these commands in the past. Today, however, they are not working for me. I've tried using the iso as the source, I've tried using a mounted install.wim, all with no success - I get the same message as the OP.

Some web searching found me How to update local source media to add roles and features. It says that to add features to an existing copy of Windows, the source you are installing from must be at the same patch level as the copy of Windows. Sadly, WSUS is not a solution for this - you have to manually apply all the packages to a mounted image before you can use it to add features.

I guess that Microsoft's answer to this is "just use the -online switch". My reply would be "Yeah, right."

Solution 3:

Tried all of the solutions, including a manual mounted ISO with all updates applied. Everything failed. However, I thought about what the process is trying to do and thought about pointing the command to another server running GUI, and it worked. Hope this helps others. Syntax:

Dism /Online /Enable-Feature /FeatureName:ServerCore-Gui-Mgmt /Source:\\[server]\c$\Windows\WinSxS /LimitAccess