Windows Server VDS Guide: RDP, Licensing and Essential Setup

Windows Server VDS Guide: RDP, Licensing and Essential Setup

Set up a Windows Server VDS the right way: RDP access, firewall rules in PowerShell, trial license extension, IIS installation and performance tuning.

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Windows Server VDS Guide

A Windows Server VDS gives you serious server capability behind an interface you already know. It works well for web hosting, application hosting, game servers and remote desktop setups. This guide covers everything you need to run one properly from day one.

Connecting With RDP

Connect to your Windows server using Remote Desktop Connection:

  1. Press Win + R
  2. Type mstsc and press Enter
  3. Enter your server IP address
  4. Username: Administrator, then your password
  5. Click “Connect”

RDP Security Tips

  • Move off the default 3389 port
  • Use a long password, 16 characters or more
  • Keep NLA (Network Level Authentication) enabled
  • Restrict access to specific IP addresses

💡 Xeon Enterprise VDS and Ryzen Premium VDS plans both support Windows Server 2019 and 2022 installations.

The Windows Server Firewall

Opening a Port Through the GUI

  1. Server Manager → Tools → Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security
  2. Inbound Rules → New Rule
  3. Pick the protocol and port
  4. Choose “Allow the connection”

Opening Ports With PowerShell

# RDP on a custom port
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Custom RDP" -Direction Inbound -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 13389 -Action Allow
 
# Web server ports
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "HTTP" -Direction Inbound -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 80 -Action Allow
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "HTTPS" -Direction Inbound -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 443 -Action Allow
 
# FiveM ports
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "FiveM" -Direction Inbound -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 30120 -Action Allow
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "FiveM UDP" -Direction Inbound -Protocol UDP -LocalPort 30120 -Action Allow

Windows Server Licensing

Extending the Trial License

To extend a Windows Server evaluation period:

# Check the remaining days
slmgr /dlv
 
# Extend the trial (can be done three times)
slmgr /rearm
 
# Restart the server
Restart-Computer

Installing the IIS Web Server

Install IIS

# Install IIS
Install-WindowsFeature -Name Web-Server -IncludeManagementTools -IncludeAllSubFeature
 
# Verify the installation
Get-WindowsFeature Web-Server

ASP.NET Support

Install-WindowsFeature -Name Web-Asp-Net45
Install-WindowsFeature -Name Web-Net-Ext45

Performance Tuning

Disabling Unnecessary Services

# Disable the Windows Search service
Set-Service -Name WSearch -StartupType Disabled
Stop-Service -Name WSearch
 
# Set Windows Update to manual
Set-Service -Name wuauserv -StartupType Manual

Disk Cleanup

# Clear temporary files
Remove-Item -Path $env:TEMP\* -Recurse -Force
Remove-Item -Path C:\Windows\Temp\* -Recurse -Force
 
# Clear the Windows Update cache
Stop-Service -Name wuauserv
Remove-Item -Path C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download\* -Recurse -Force
Start-Service -Name wuauserv

Which Plan for Which Workload

Use caseRecommended planSpecs
Web hostingENT-22 Core, 4 GB RAM, 40 GB SSD
Application serverENT-46 Core, 8 GB RAM, 80 GB SSD
Game serverPRO-36 Core Ryzen, 8 GB RAM, 80 GB SSD
Database serverPRO-510 Core Ryzen, 12 GB RAM, 120 GB SSD

Conclusion

Windows Server VDS suits both newcomers and experienced administrators: the graphical tools keep the learning curve gentle, while PowerShell gives you everything you need to automate the rest.

👉 Our Windows VDS page covers which plans suit a Windows install and which builds you can choose. To go straight to the plans, see Xeon Enterprise VDS and Ryzen Premium VDS, or the Forex VDS page if you are running MetaTrader and algorithmic trading setups.