Table of Contents
Hyper-V Server
A stripped down version of Windows Server Core meant to function only as a Hyper-V server. 2019 was the last iteration released by Microsoft.
As a Desktop
With a little bit of coaxing, Hyper-V Server 2019 can be used as a full desktop OS.
Enable Application Compatibility
Run the following command to enable running regular Win32 programs:
Add-WindowsCapability -Online -Name ServerCore.AppCompatibility~~~~0.0.1.0
Set the Default Shell
By default, Hyper-V Server will just load a CMD window on login. We can change that via the registry.
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\AlternateShells\AvailableShells is the the key that lists the priority of shells that Windows will load on logon. By default, cmd.exe is set with a priority of 3000.
In order to edit the AvailableShells key, take ownership of it by right clicking it > Permissions > Advanced > and changing the owner from *TrustedInstaller* to yourself.
Add a new string with a value higher than 3000 and the data with explorer.exe.
Add a Start Menu
The built-in explorer doesn't have a start menu. Use a third party one such as Open-Shell.