You have logged onto Windows Server many times and you find that you only have to wait for Server Manager to finish loading. This becomes annoying that you need to wait when you mostly log onto your server and want to complete a specific task that does not require a Server Manager.
This article will show you how to disable Server Manager at startup for all users using group policy, PowerShell, or the command line and save you some time.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Today’s post is not related to Virtualization or Cloud topics.
If there is one thing irritating me when I log on to Windows Server is Server Manager.
When you log on to a server, the Server Manager application is automatically launched for you. Sorry thank you, I don’t want this!
How to disable Server Manager at logon?
The easiest way to disable Server Manager is from the Server Manager dashboard itself.
From the Server Manager console, click Manage and click Server Manager Properties. On the Server Manager Properties window as shown in the figure below, check the box “Do not start Server Manager automatically at logon“, and then click OK.
What if you want to automate this process and disable Server Manager at startup for all users?
Getting Started
Before we delve into the methods to disable Server Manager, it’s essential to understand why it launches at startup. Server Manager is a management tool in Windows Server operating systems that helps users configure and manage server roles and features. While it’s incredibly useful for system administrators, the constant startup can be an annoyance for regular users.
Did you move from managing your servers from Server Manager to Windows Admin Center? Windows Admin Center is a freely available management tool for anyone to use and makes managing a set of servers with or without GUI remotely, very easy, especially for “day-to-day activities”.
Related: How to deploy Windows Admin Center in High Availability mode.
So, without further ado, here are the three ways to disable Server Manager:
Disable Server Manager Using Group Policy
To disable Server Manager for all servers and all users, you can leverage Group Policy under:
Computer Configuration | Administrative Templates | System | Server Manager
Double-click on: Do not display Server Manager automatically at logon, and set it to Enabled and click OK.
Once the policy is applied, you can test by logging in to a server. The server manager shouldn’t be launching at startup.
Another way to test if the policy has been applied is by checking the Resultant Set of Policy (RSoP) set of policies on the server by running the gpresult/v cmdlet, which will display verbose policy information. This includes detailed settings that were applied with a precedence of 1.
Disable Server Manager Using PowerShell
If you are not using Active Directory in your environment and you want to automate this behavior for all users… What you can do is use PowerShell!
And what is surprising is that Server Manager is a scheduled task under Task Scheduler.
You can run the following PowerShell command on any Windows Server:
Get-ScheduledTask -TaskName ServerManager | Disable-ScheduledTask -Verbose
Disable Server Manager Via Command Line
Our third method involves using the Windows Task Scheduler to prevent Server Manager from launching at startup.
You can disable Server Manager through the command line by running the following command in the cmd window:
schtasks.exe /change /tn "MicrosoftWindowsServer ManagerServerManager" /disableThe server Manager is gone forever now 
Conclusion
In this article, we’ve explored three simple yet effective methods to disable Server Manager at startup. Whether you’re using Windows Server for personal or professional purposes, these methods will help you save time and streamline your system’s booting process. Say goodbye to unwanted pop-ups and regain control of your Windows Server.
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Thank you for reading my blog.
If you have any questions or feedback, please leave a comment.
-Charbel Nemnom-
