Brief Introduction to the GUI in Windows Server 2012

Before you start

Objectives: Learn where to find the Start Button and Start Menu, how to see all programs, how to log off, and how to shut down your Windows Server 2012 computer.

Prerequisites: no prerequisites.

Key terms: Start Menu, computer, option, settings, server, shut down, Windows, charm, Desktop


Start Menu

In previous versions of Windows OS, we would normally click on the Start button to go to the Start Menu. In Windows Server 2012 the Start button is not visible any more, but it is actually located at the same location – lower left part of the screen. You have to get your mouse all the way to the lower left part, practically to the end of the screen. The Start button, or Start Charm as they call it now, will then appear.

 1 Star Button

Start Charm

When we click on the Start button, a new screen will appear containing icons for programs, management utilities and other items on the computer. Note that if we click on our account name, we can lock the computer or we can sign out.

 2 Start Menu

Start Menu

We can simply click on the Desktop option on the Start Menu to go back to the Desktop again, and we will do that now. As you noticed, we can’t shut down our computer from the Start Menu. To do that we have to go to the upper or lower right hand side of the screen. When we do that we will see new items on the screen including Search, Start and Settings. If we click on the Start option here, we will go to the same Start Menu we saw earlier. To shut down our computer we have to choose the Settings option.

 3 Upper Right

Search, Start and Settings

Notice that we have a Power option here. When we click it we will see the available options to shut down or restart our computer. On the Settings screen we can quickly go to the Control Panel, check out system properties (Server info option), etc.

4 Settings

Settings Screen