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How to Stop Server Manager from Starting Automatically in Windows Server 2012

· 2 min read
Luke Murray
Luke Murray
Author

By default, Server Manager launches automatically every time you log into Windows Server 2012 (and later versions, including 2012 R2). While Server Manager is useful for initial configuration, having it open on every login can be annoying on servers you manage frequently.

How to disable Server Manager auto-start​

  1. Open Server Manager (if it is not already open).
  2. Click Manage in the top-right corner of the toolbar.
  3. Click Server Manager Properties.
  4. Tick the checkbox "Do not start Server Manager automatically at logon".
  5. Click Ok.

The next time you log in, Server Manager will no longer appear automatically. You can still launch it manually from the taskbar, Start menu, or by running servermanager.exe.

Alternative method using Group Policy​

If you need to disable Server Manager auto-start across multiple servers in a domain, you can use Group Policy:

  1. Open the Group Policy Management Console.
  2. Create or edit a GPO linked to the OU containing your servers.
  3. Navigate to Computer Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > System > Server Manager.
  4. Set "Do not display Server Manager automatically at logon" to Enabled.

This applies the setting to all servers affected by the GPO, saving you from configuring each one individually.