How to Install Windows Server 2022 Step by Step

Overview of Windows Server 2022

Windows Server 2022 is the latest server OS developed by Microsoft. While this OS is new, it’s built on the strong base of Windows Serve 2019. The Windows Server 2022 Datacenter Azure Edition helps use the benefits of the cloud to keep your VMs up to data while minimizing downtime.

Windows Server 2022 contains many useful new features. For example, the security module provides advanced multi-layer security to give Servers the comprehensive protection they need today; the core edition of Server 2022 is built on 3 key pillars which provide simplified security, advanced protection, and preventative defense; also, Microsoft Edge is included with Windows Server 2022 to replace Internet Explorer…

Windows Server 2022 also has specific requirements for computer hardware and before installing Server 2022, you should make sure your computer supports it.

How to install Windows Server 2022 on VMware?

It’s never easy to install an operating system especially when it comes to Windows Server and VMware. So, how to install Windows SERVER 2022 on a virtual machine? This time, I’ll try to make everything explicit so that you can get it without any hassle.

Part 1. Download Windows Server 2022 ISO

If you want to give a shot at Windows Server 2022, it’s recommended to download the ISO media from the Microsoft Evaluation Center. However, you should remember that Evaluation versions of Windows Server have to be activated over the internet in the first 10 days to avoid automatic shutdown. Now, visit the Microsoft Evaluation Center and you should see the download options as follows.

1) Sign up for a free Azure account

2) Create a Windows Server VM in Azure

3) Download the ISO

4) Download the VHD

This time, select “Download the ISO” and then, you should enter the basic details asked by Microsoft. Then, select a language and download the operating system.

Part 2. Install Windows Server 2022

You can install Windows Server 2022 on a physical server or a virtual machine. This time, I will be creating a new virtual machine for the OS, mount the ISO file and boot the VM.

1. On the Microsoft Server Operating System Setup screen, select a language to install, time and currency format, and keyboard or input method. After all is set, hit “Next” to proceed.

2. Click on “Install Now”.

3. Next, you’ll be prompted that a product key must be entered. Enter the key and hit “Next”.

I have entered the Server 2022 data center edition key and maybe that’s the reason why I only see Datacenter options.

4. Here, let’s select Windows Server 2022 Datacenter (Desktop Experience) and hit “Next”.

5. Read applicable notices and license terms carefully and afterward, accept the license terms and click on “Next”.

6. Select an installation type between “Upgrade” and “Custom”. Since it’s a clean install, here, we select “Custom”.

7. Choose the destination drive where you want to install Server 2022. Hit “Next”.

8. Now, the Server 2022 OS installation will begin. Wait several minutes before completes.

Before logging into the Server OS, you must set the administration password. After successfully setting it, hit “Finish”.

Part 3. Windows 2022 Server Build Number

Log into Server 2022 with the administrator account and follow the path “Start > About my PC”. Search for the following details under Windows Specifications.

1) Edition Windows Server 2022 Datacenter

2)Version 21H2

3) OS built 20348.169

The OS built of the OS is 20348.169. You can also find the build number by running the Winver command on the OS.

To rename the OS, hit “Rename this PC” specify a new name, and reboot the OS.

Part 4. Installing the latest update on Server 2022

Once you’ve finished Server 2022 installation, you should install the most recent Windows update. Follow “Start > Settings > Update and Security > Check for Updates”. Now, the latest update for Windows Server 2022 should appear. Then, hit “Install Now” to begin the update installation.

Migrate Windows Server 2022 to your computer 

Now, you’ve learned how to install Windows Server 2022 after going through the step-by-step guide above. However, don’t you think the process is too complex and feel puzzled? Here, I’ll recommend an alternative way to make Server 2022 installation much easier and that’s OS migration – migrating Server 2022 to your computer from another one.

In this case, you’ll need AOMEI Partition Assistant Server – a powerful and full-featured disk manager – that provides a feature called “Migrate OS to SSD” that helps transfer an operating system from one SSD/HDD to another. In the course of the OS transfer, only the system drive and other system-relevant drives will be moved.

More than “Migrate OS to SSD”, this AOMEI product also offers a decent number of other useful features including SSD secure erase, disk clone, and SSD 4K alignment.

Download the demo of the most powerful OS migration tool to make Windows Server 2022 installation easier!

Step 1. Connect your SSD/HDD to a computer where Windows Server 2022 has already been installed and then, install and launch AOMEI Partition Assistant Server from the computer.

Step 2. Click “Clone” in the top toolbar, and choose “Migrate OS”.

Step 3. Choose a piece of unallocated space on your SSD/HDD as the target location. If there’s no unallocated space, tick the option “I want to delete all partitions on the disk to migrate the system to the disk”. After that, hit “Next”.

Step 4. Now, in the popup window, you can resize partitions. Then, click on “Next”.

Step 5. Read the note on how to boot OS from SSD or HDD and hit “Finish”.

Step 6. After returning to the home interface, click on “Apply” on the upper left to start the OS migration.

Step 7. Choose a restart mode and click on “OK”.

After the migration is done, you can unplug the SSD/HDD connect it back to your own computer again and boot from this Server 2022 SSD/HDD.

Note: To migrate OS from MBR to GPT or GPT to MBR, ensure your motherboard supports UEFI or Legacy boot mode.

Conclusion

How to install Windows Server 2022? Although in this post, the specific steps of the traditional way are provided, it’s too complex for beginners. So, a third-party OS migration tool – AOMEI Partition Assistant Server – is introduced to help migrate Server 2022 to your own computer from another one. The process is much easier and more secure.