Windows Server Standard 2008 Tweaks

After installing a fresh Windows 2008 Server Standard edition, I enabled and disabled the following to tweak my installation. 

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Convert Windows 2008 to a Workstation

http://www.win2008workstation.com/wordpress/
Download the automated Server to Workstation converter made by Sawo: http://converter.win2008workstation.com/

My Settings

General:
Enable Windows Audio
Optimize CPU Performance for Programs
Disable IE Enhanced Security Configuration
Enable Superfetch

Visual Tweaks
Disable Shutdown Event Tracker
Disable Verbose Messages at Startup/Shutdown
In addition to enabling themes, if you want to have your desktop look like the ones you've seen on Vista, you need to enable Desktop Experience:

Go to Server Manager
Add feature
Check on Desktop Experience

Network
Enable Wireless Networking

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Disable automatic driver updates:

Start menu, right click My Computer, Poperties
Click on Advanced System Settings
Click on Hardware Tab
Then Windows Update Driver Settings
Select Never check for drivers when I connect a device
Click Ok

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Turn off Indexing Services:

Right click on drive C: and then properties
Click off Index this drive for faster file searching
Apply to all files and subfolders
Click Ignore all if a message pops up
Once Windows is done, close

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Disabling Services (these are settings that worked for me, if you use a VPN, Windows firewall, adjust accordingly):

Go to your start menu and search
Type Services
Expand the  Services icon

Disable:

Application Experience 
Diagnostic Policy Service
Distributed Link Tracking Client
KtmRm for Distributed Transaction Coordinator
IP Helper
IPsec Policy Agent
Remote Access Connections Manager (VPN usage)
Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol Service
Shell Hardware Detection
Terminal Services
Windows Error Reporting Services
Windows Firewall
Windows Time

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