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After your first sign-in, change the Administrator password, install Windows updates and check how many days are left on the Windows Server evaluation license. Then add any other users, set your time zone and language, secure the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) port and turn on backups.

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Sign in as Administrator

Connect with the IP address, the username Administrator and the password from your welcome email. See Connect to your Windows RDP for each device, and Find your server credentials if you don’t have them.

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Change the Administrator password

You have two ways to set a new password:
  • Inside Windows: you choose the password yourself. In a Remote Desktop session, press Ctrl+Alt+End and click Change a password. Or open Command Prompt as administrator and run net user Administrator *, then type the new password twice.
  • Reset password in the Billing Portal: the portal picks a new password and shows it on screen. No email is sent, and the server must be running. See Reset server password.
Show in the Billing Portal only knows passwords set with Reset password. After you change the password inside Windows, the one shown there no longer works.

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Install Windows updates

1

Open Windows Update

Open Settings and click Windows Update. On Windows Server 2019 and 2022, it is under Update & Security.
2

Install the updates

Click Check for updates and install everything offered. The first round on a new server can take a while.
3

Restart

Restart when Windows asks. Your Remote Desktop session ends; reconnect after a minute or two. Check for updates again until none are left.

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Check your Windows license

Windows Server is installed with Microsoft’s 180-day evaluation license. FlashRDP doesn’t sell Windows licenses. To keep using Windows Server after the evaluation, activate your own license.

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See how many days are left

Open Command Prompt as administrator and run:
An evaluation shows EVAL in the output, together with the time remaining. While Windows isn’t activated, the bottom-right corner of the desktop also shows the days left.
Activate before the evaluation ends. For Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2, Microsoft documents that an expired evaluation shows a Windows License is expired warning and shuts down every hour. Microsoft doesn’t describe the behavior of later versions, so don’t count on it being different.

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Convert the evaluation with your own product key

Microsoft’s procedure converts an evaluation edition to a retail edition with DISM. You need a retail product key for the edition you convert to.
1

Check the current edition

Open Command Prompt as administrator and run:
An evaluation edition name ends in Eval, for example ServerStandardEval.
2

List the editions you can convert to

Note the edition name you want, for example ServerStandard. If the edition you want isn’t listed, it can’t be converted in place; you need a fresh install of that edition.
3

Save and read the license terms

Open C:\license.rtf and read the Microsoft Software License Terms.
4

Convert the edition

Replace the edition name and XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX with your own values:
Restart the server if Windows asks you to, then check the result with slmgr.vbs /dlv.
To use a volume license key instead, Microsoft says to convert to the retail edition first, then install your key with slmgr.vbs /ipk <product key>. Full details are on Microsoft Learn: Convert Windows Server editions and license types.

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Add users for Remote Desktop

Give each person their own account instead of sharing Administrator.
1

Open Computer Management

Press Windows key + R, type compmgmt.msc and press Enter. Go to Local Users and Groups > Users.
2

Create the user

Right-click in the empty space, select New User, enter a name and a strong password, and click Create.
3

Allow Remote Desktop sign-in

Right-click the new user, select Properties > Member Of > Add, type Remote Desktop Users and click OK. Add Administrators too only if this person needs full control of the server.
Windows Server allows two simultaneous Remote Desktop connections for administration. For more users at the same time, you need the Remote Desktop Session Host role and a Remote Desktop Services (RDS) client access license (CAL) for each user or device, which you buy from Microsoft or a reseller. See Remote Desktop Services CALs on Microsoft Learn.

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Set the time zone and language

  • Time zone: open Settings > Time & language > Date & time and choose your time zone. In PowerShell, run Get-TimeZone -ListAvailable to find the ID, then for example Set-TimeZone -Id "W. Europe Standard Time".
  • Language: open Settings > Time & language > Language (Language & region on Windows Server 2025), click Add a language and follow the prompts. Sign out and back in to switch the display language.

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Secure Remote Desktop

Bots try to guess passwords on port 3389 around the clock. Follow Secure your Windows RDP to change the port, sign in with your own admin account, turn on account lockout and limit RDP to your IP address.

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Turn on backups

Backups run daily off-site and are included on quarterly, semi-annual and annual billing. Monthly plans need the Backups add-on. See Backups to turn them on and restore your server.

Connect to your Windows RDP

Secure your Windows RDP

Reset server password

Backups

Last modified on October 11, 2026