ServerCore.Net

Tip! Get-DisplayResolution and Set-DisplayResolution also work on Full installations of Windows Server 2012

A quick look at the Windows PowerShell support for Windows Server 2012 page on TechNet reveals two PowerShell Cmdlet gems for Server Core installations:

• Get-DisplayResolution
• Set-DisplayResolution

These two PowerShell Cmdlets fill a huge gap many Server Core administrators faced in the Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2 timeframes. With these two cmdlets, it’s easy to change the display resolution (or screen resolution) on Server Core installations.

Although the page on TechNet suggests otherwise, these two PowerShell Cmdlets are not just limited to Server Core installations of Windows Server 2012: They also work on Full Installations of Windows Server 2012.

This presents an interesting opportunity, because one of Windows Server 2012’s system requirements is a 1024 x 768 display. Yet, with Set-DisplayResolution I can configure a 800×600 display resolution. Despite what you might expext, when configured with a 800×600, Windows Server 2012 will still display the Start Screen…

I use Set-DisplayResolution a lot for demos. One of my laptops has a 1366×768 display and virtual machines running within Hyper-V, aren’t able to show their entire screen. Changing the display resolution with Set-DisplayResolution on my virtualized Windows Server 2012 installations, makes their screens sit neatly above the Task Bar.

Thanks, Microsoft!