Windows Server 2008 - Server Core - Change Default Prompt
If you are planning to deploy Windows Server 2008 - Server Core installations in your network I would strongly advise you to use the following tip.
In all my Server core installations I change the default prompt to something like this:
Imagine you have more than one Server core box and you are connecting to them by using the Terminal Services Remote Programs. Guess what you get, yes just a prompt and if you don't add more information than the path you will have a hard time to now on which machine you are executing commands, therefore do change the default prompt and add at least the servername. How can you do that?
Quite simple open the registry editor, yes there is one on server core too, and navigate to the following key
HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Environment
There should be a key called Prompt, if it's not there create one using the following settings.
Value Name: Prompt
Data Type: REG_EXPAND_SZ
Value Data: $_Server:[%servername%]$_Username:[%username%]$_$T$_$p$g
With this value you get the prompt as shown in the above picture.
Here are some of the special codes you can use:
- $A - & (Ampersand)
- $B - | (pipe)
- $C - ( (Left parenthesis)
- $D - Current date
- $E - Escape code (ASCII code 27)
- $F - ) (Right parenthesis)
- $G - > (greater-than sign)
- $L - < (less-than sign)
- $N - Current drive
- $P - Current drive and path
- $Q - = (equal sign)
- $S - (space)
- $T - Current time
- $_ - Carriage return and linefeed
- $$ - $ (dollar sign)
Now you will always know on which server you are working even when connecting through remote apps. :)
