How To Enable Aero On Longhorn Server

I am not a server guy, but I really enjoy participating in the Microsoft betas.  One of the draw backs of the Longhorn Server beta is that I find the initial install is very light on features.  This is by design, but may hurt your testing abilities if you only have one machine and need to be able to live on the machine you are testing with. Here is a tip to make that machine a lot like Windows Vista.

NOTE: Don't do this on a production servers it adds additional overhead to the server.

Using the "Add Features Wizard"  add "Desktop Experience" then expand ".Net Framework 3.0" and add ".Net 3.0 framework" and the "XPS viewer". Click Next and add the features.  Adding these features will get you many of the Windows Vista features that aren't in the base install such as Windows Media Player, themes, Photo gallery, etc.  The .Net Framework, well it gets you the .Net framework of course. After you add these you will need to reboot.  After the

Once you have logged back in after the reboot launch Server Manger and browse to Diagnostics | Services locate the "Themes" service.  Change the value from "Disabled" to "Automatic" and start the service.  You should now be able to right click on the Desktop select "Personalize" and set the theme to Windows Vista. Wohoo,  Aero goodness!  Set the wallpaper and you should end up looking a lot like the picture below.

UPDATE: Thanks to Mefree in the comments for adding details on getting the full aero experience, which I will paste here.

"Just a couple of quick notes Josh.  You have to do 2 more additioanl things to get glass, and the full 'aero' experience with effects.  First, right click the desktop and select personalize.  Then select 'Window Color and Appearance'.  You'll notice when you select the 'aero' theme it defaults to 'Windows Vista Basic.'  So, select 'Windows Vista Aero'.  Now you have glass, but still don't have the cool animation effects.  Now, right click 'my computer' and select 'properties.'  Now click 'advanced system settings.'  Click the first 'settings' button, which is under the 'performance' section.  Select 'Adjust for best apperance' and hit ok.  You now have all the cool effects that go with it.  The first time I did this, it turned off glass, so I had to go back and repeat the first step to go back to Windows Vista Aero theme rather than Windows Vista Basic."

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