> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://blog.jsinh.in/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # How to setup Windows Nano Server - URL: https://blog.jsinh.in/how-to-install-windows-nano-server/ - Published: 2015-05-30T14:07:37.000Z - Updated: 2026-07-07T15:07:00.000Z - Author: Jsinh - Tags: #Import 2026-10-04 19:16 Small footprint Windows Server Images is not a myth anymore. Few weeks back Microsoft announced the availability of Windows Nano Server preview coming out as part of Windows Server 2016 Technical Preview 2. Nano Server as they call at the moment is a re-engineered, small footprint, hosting oriented, command-line only, minimal install option for Windows Server specifically designed for hosting applications, services and routines in cloud and data-centers. This one is specifically small in size and has only minimal required things to start with. I will walk you through **setting up and installing Windows Nano Server in VM on Hyper-V** **Note:** This guide is tested, works and applies to **Windows Server 2016 Technical Preview 2**. This may or may not work for any other version / variants of Windows Server or Nano. ![Works on / with - Windows Server 2016 - Technical Preview 2](https://blob.jsinh.in/media/2015/05/30/01-Works-On-Badge-WinServer2016TechPreview2.png) To obtain source image for Windows Nano Server you need to download [latest build for Windows Server 2016](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/evaluate-windows-server-technical-preview?ref=blog.jsinh.in) (current version is Technical Preview 2) Windows Nano Server image `*.wim` can be found in a folder called `NanoServer` inside the Windows Server 2016 ISO on mounting. ![Windows Nano Server - Part of Windows Server 2016 Installation Media](https://blob.jsinh.in/media/2015/05/30/02-NanoServer-In-WinServer2016-ISO.png) **IMP:** Through the entire course we will be using `Powershell` (Run As Administrator) to execute commands and connect with the newly prepared and spinned Windows Nano Server. This preparation is done using **Windows 8.1**. **Step:** Create a folder called `nanoserver` in `C:\` or where you want. We will use this folder as our working folder to put all Nano Server related files and for preparation of Nano Server Virtual Hard Disk (VHD). For the sake of guide I am using `C:\nanoserver` as my working / preparation folder. **Step:** Mount your Windows Server 2016 Technical Preview 2 ISO and copy contents from `NanoServer` folder to `C:\nanoserver`. You should be copying the `NanoServer.wim` image file and `Packages` folder to `C:\nanoserver` folder. Same can be achieved in powershell using following command (`E:\` is the letter of the drive where my Windows Server 2016 Technical Preview 2 ISO image is mounted): `Copy-Item E:\NanoServer\* C:\nanoserver -Recurse` **Step:** Provided Nano Server image is of type `*.wim` \- Windows Image and needs to be converted to `*.vhd` so we can create a VM in Microsoft Hyper-V using this `*.vhd` image. To convert between images you require powershell script (`Convert-WindowsImage.ps1`) created by [Pronichkin](https://social.technet.microsoft.com/profile/pronichkin/?ref=blog.jsinh.in) on [Technet Script Center](https://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/scriptcenter/Convert-WindowsImageps1-0fe23a8f?ref=blog.jsinh.in) Copy `Convert-WindowsImage.ps1` to our setup folder `C:\nanoserver` **Step:** Please make sure your Hyper-V is on or started. You can turn on and off your Hyper-V service using following command: Turn on: `bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype on` (reboot required) `bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype auto` (reboot required) Turn off: `bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype off` (reboot required) **Step:** `Convert-WindowsImage.ps1` script you just downloaded is unsigned, to execute this script without any issue you need to alter your script `Execution-Policy` in powershell (Input `Y` when asked for confirmation): `Set-ExecutionPolicy unrestricted` **Step:** Navigate to `C:\nanoserver` in your powershell prompt and execute following command to convert `*.wim` to `*.vhd` (Input `R` for **Run once** when asked for confirmation): `.\Convert-WindowsImage.ps1 -WIM .\NanoServer.wim -VHD .\NanoServer.vhd -DiskType Fixed -VHDFormat VHD -SizeBytes 5GB -Edition 1` It would take few minutes in conversion and will temporarily mount image as drive and will get removed by itself (ignore) **Note:** Here `-SizeBytes 5GB` in switch in above command is the size of `*.vhd` you can change to the size you wish your Nano Server Hard Disk should have. ![Convert WIM to VHD using Convert-WindowsImage.ps1 script](https://blob.jsinh.in/media/2015/05/30/03-Convert-WIM-To-VHD-Convert-WindowsImage-Script.png) **Step:** Create a folder in `C:\nanoserver` folder called `dism` and copy following type of types from your mounted Windows Server 2016 Technical Preview 2 ISO > `sources` folder. - api\*\* downlevel \*\*.dll - \*\* dism \*\* - \*\* provider \*\* ![DISM script files from Windows Server 2016 Technical Preview 2 - Source Folder](https://blob.jsinh.in/media/2015/05/30/04-Dism-Files-From-Source-Folder.png) **Step:** Create a directory under `C:\nanoserver` called `mountdir` so that we can mount `NanoServer.vhd` into that directory. `md mountdir` Mount `NanoServer.vhd` using `DISM.exe` and add packages to VHD image. `dism /Mount-Image /ImageFile:.\NanoServer.vhd /Index:1 /MountDir:.\mountdir` Commands for adding packages: `dism\dism /Add-Package /PackagePath:.\packages\Microsoft-NanoServer-Compute-Package.cab /Image:.\mountdir` `dism\dism /Add-Package /PackagePath:.\packages\Microsoft-NanoServer-FailoverCluster-Package.cab /Image:.\mountdir` `dism\dism /Add-Package /PackagePath:.\packages\Microsoft-NanoServer-Guest-Package.cab /Image:.\mountdir` `dism\dism /Add-Package /PackagePath:.\packages\Microsoft-NanoServer-OEM-Drivers-Package.cab /Image:.\mountdir` `dism\dism /Add-Package /PackagePath:.\packages\Microsoft-NanoServer-Storage-Package.cab /Image:.\mountdir` `dism\dism /Add-Package /PackagePath:.\packages\Microsoft-OneCore-ReverseForwarders-Package.cab /Image:.\mountdir` At this point you can unmount VHD and it would be ready to use and boot up. Unmount VHD: `dism\dism /Unmount-Image /MountDir:.\MountDir /Commit` Default password on remote powershell connection authentication is blank space. **Step:** You can create a file named `unattend.xml` and push to the VHD image where you can configure - `Administrator` user's default password - Time-zone - Computer Name - Registered owner and organization name for the Nano Server. There are many more things that can be specified in the `unattend.xml` file but that would be some basic things to control on first run. An example `unattend.xml` file would be something similar to this one: ``` NanoServerComputerName AdministratorUserPasswordGoesHere true</PlainText> </AdministratorPassword> </UserAccounts> <TimeZone>Pacific Standard Time</TimeZone> </component> </settings> <settings pass="specialize"> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS"> <RegisteredOwner>OwnerNameGoesHere</RegisteredOwner> <RegisteredOrganization>OrganizationNameGoesHere</RegisteredOrganization> </component> </settings> </unattend> ``` Create a file called `unattend.xml` in `C:\nanoserver` directory and execute following command to push `unattend.xml` file to your VHD image: Mount VHD if not already mounted: `dism\dism /Mount-Image /ImageFile:.\NanoServer.vhd /Index:1 /MountDir:.\mountdir` `dism\dism /image:.\mountdir /Apply-Unattend:.\unattend.xml` `md .\mountdir\windows\panther` `copy .\unattend.xml .\mountdir\windows\panther` Unmount VHD if you are done: `dism\dism /Unmount-Image /MountDir:.\mountdir /Commit` **Step:** you can additionally push a `*.cmd` file that will get executed after setup is complete on first run of Nano Server VM in Hyper-V. Create a file called `SetupComplete.cmd` under `C:\nanoserver`, add `ipconfig` into it and save. This will print `ipconfig` command output on the VM blank screen once setup is complete on first run of Nano Server. Mount VHD if not already mounted: `dism\dism /Mount-Image /ImageFile:.\NanoServer.vhd /Index:1 /MountDir:.\mountdir` `md .\mountdir\Windows\Setup` `md .\mountdir\Windows\Setup\Scripts` `copy .\SetupComplete.cmd .\mountdir\Windows\Setup\Scripts` Unmount VHD: `dism\dism /Unmount-Image /MountDir:.\mountdir /Commit` At this point the VHD is ready to use and boot for first time. Open Hyper-V Manager and from top level menu > Action > New > Virtual Machine. In New Virtual Machine Wizard > Connect Virtual Hard Disk step > selected "Use an existing virtual hard disk" and provide path to the `NanoServer.vhd` we prepared. Nano Server on first boot started up and printed output of `ipconfig` in **18 seconds** on my machine. That just blows my mind, cool stuffs. You can connect to your up and running Nano Server using remote powershell: Add Nano Server's IP address to list of trusted hosts on your machine before you can connect `Set-Item WSMan:\localhost\Client\TrustedHosts -Value <IPAddress-Of-You-NanoServer> -Concatenate` Input `Y` to confirm, two times. Connect to Nano Server: `Enter-PSSession -ComputerName <IPAddress-Of-You-NanoServer> -Credential Administrator` Login prompt will popup asking for `Administrator` user's password. I think there is no Microsoft .NET Framework that comes installed out-of-the-box (full .NET framework installation is not supported for Nano Server at the moment) but after some traversing I found a folder named `CoreCLR` under `C:\Windows\System32` and it contains bunch of DLLs / libraries under folder named `v1.0`. Also tried `dnx` and `dnvm` but that didn't work so no .NET runtime environment tools installed already. Tried installing DNX / DNVM tools using command provided at Github - ASP.NET Home Repo But it seems that `net.webclient` class is missing for powershell to use: ``` `new-object : Cannot find type [net.webclient]: verify that the assembly containing this type is loaded. At line:1 char:23 + &{$Branch='dev';iex ((new-object net.webclient).DownloadString('https ... + ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + CategoryInfo : InvalidType: (:) [New-Object], PSArgumentException + FullyQualifiedErrorId : TypeNotFound,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.NewObjectCommand ``` Comment below if you have more to add or update.