How to rename Windows Server 2012 R2 (GUI & Command Prompt)
How to rename Windows Server 2012 R2
In this post, we’ll learn the steps to rename Windows Server 2012 R2. When we install Windows Server 2012, it assigns alpha-numeric name. To ensure proper name is assign, we need to rename computer. In this post, we’ll learn the steps to rename computer from GUI (Graphical User Interface) and from Command Prompt. We’ll rename a Windows Server 2012 R2 to DC01. Normally in Organizations we follow proper naming conventions.
Proper naming convention is very critical for all the Organizations. It helps in identifying the role and services running on the Computer. I’ll quote one example to understand naming convention in detail. Let’s assume we have a Server in our Organization with the name of USCAL001. Besides the naming convention we can also define the numbers to define the Application running on the Server.
The example that we have taken i.e. USCAL001, we can identify that this Server is in US, in Califonia and it has DC role installed on it. The reason why I said DC because we can define the numbers i.e. anything between 001 to 099 it a Domain Controller. Anything server between 100 to 199 is a Citrix Server. Any Server between the range of 200 to 299 is a File and Print Server, etc.
This kind of naming convention would certainly help in identify the role deployed on the Server and we don’t to put extra efforts to remember it.
Rename Windows Server 2012 R2 from GUI
1. To rename computer, right click on Start button and then click on System.
2. This would open System window. Under Computer name, domain and workgroup settings, we’ll see default Name which is alpha numeric value and very difficult to remember. To change the default computer name, click on Change Settings.
3. It would open System Properties window, click on Change to rename Server.
4. Under Computer Name, type the new Computer name. Click on Ok.
5. Restart is required to apply the changes. Click on Ok to restart the computer.
6. Click on Close again to close the System Properties window.
7. To restart the box click on “Restart Now” or click on “Restart Later” to restart your computer later.
Rename Windows Server 2012 R2 from Command Prompt
1. To rename computer from command prompt, right-click on Start button and click on Command Prompt.
2. This would open User Account Control and click on “Yes”.
3. It opens a Command Prompt.
4. Write a command to change Computer name : “netdom renamecomputer WIN-D107HBP2691 /newname:DC03“.Here WIN-D107HBP2691 is default computer name and DC03 is new computer name.
5. Restart is required to apply the changes. If you want to restart then type “Y” else type “N”.
6. In this example we’ll type “Y” to restart the box and hit enter.
7. We’ll get the message, “The computer needs to be restarted in order to complete the operation”.
8. To restart from command prompt type “shutdown /r /t 0”.
9. To verify if the Server name is changed or not we’ll either go to command prompt and type “hostname” or right click start button and click on System. This would show the updated name of your Server.
Hop you understood the steps to rename Windows Server 2012 R2. In the future articles, we’ll learn the steps to promote Domain Controller.