Convert server core to full/minimal interface GUI

Question

Hi,
We have a dell server running Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2012 R2 core edition and we are planning to take backup of VM's to a tape drive (Dell PowerEdge LTO-6 SAS drive). But the core edition is not detecting the tape drive and the drivers.
Can we switch to minimal server interface/Full GUI in Hyper-V server 2012 R2 ?
What is the best one and can we switch back after installing the tap drive drivers ?
Please suggest .
Thanks

Answer 1

The GUI is just a Windows feature in Server 2012. You can add it and remove as needed. 
Server 2012 comes with 4 levels of GUI:
No GUI = Core
Minimal GUI = Server-Gui-Mgmt-Infra feature
Regular GUI = minimal + Server-Gui-Shell (default if you install as GUI)
Full GUI = regular + Desktop-Experience
If the server ever had the GUI installed, then the bits are there (under C:\Windows\WinSxS by default). If this a Core install and has never had a GUI before, then the bits are likely to be missing as well.
To check whether the bits are there or not:
$ComputerName = "v-2012R2-Core1"
$Session = New-PSSession -ComputerName $ComputerName
Enter-PSSession -Session $Session
Get-WindowsFeature | Where { $_.Installed }
These commands will enter a remote PS session with the Core server, and list installed features. 
This command will check for the 2 features we need to have the GUI:
Get-WindowsFeature |
where { $_.Name -eq "Server-Gui-Mgmt-Infra" -or
$_.Name -eq "Server-Gui-Shell" }
If the result looks like:
Removed = not installed AND the bits are missing.
We need the install.win file from the WS 2012 media. Mount the install CD.
Next, identify which drive letter is your DVD drive, run:
Get-Volume
Next, identify the index number of the installation media needed, run:
Get-WindowsImage -ImagePath D:\sources\install.wim
This should display:
The server version I'm working with in this example is DataCenter, so the media I need is index #4, run:
Install-WindowsFeature -Name "Server-Gui-Mgmt-Infra","Server-Gui-Shell" -source:wim:d:\sources\install.wim:4
Reboot, and you got GUI.
Restart-Computer
To remove the GUI later, run:
Remove-WindowsFeature -Name "Server-Gui-Mgmt-Infra","Server-Gui-Shell"
Sam Boutros, Senior Consultant, Software Logic, KOP, PA http://superwidgets.wordpress.com (Please take a moment to Vote as Helpful and/or Mark as Answer, where applicable)