This page is the curated entry point for Windows content on TurboGeek — Server, workstation and the admin toolchain that holds both together. The articles here are the ones you reach for when something Windows-shaped is in front of you and the answer needs to work today.
TL;DR
- Server coverage: 2012 R2 (EOL playbooks), 2019, 2022, and 2025 install & configure.
- Workstation coverage: Windows 10 recovery, Windows 11 install / reinstall / safe-mode, WSL2 setup.
- Admin toolchain: PowerShell, Active Directory automation, Hyper-V, SharePoint, SQL Server, VSS & backup, Sysmon.
- If something is broken, jump to Workstation. If you’re standing up a server, jump to Server. If you’re automating, jump to PowerShell & AD.
What is Windows administration?
“Windows administration” is the umbrella term for everything that keeps a Windows fleet running — installing operating systems, configuring services, automating common tasks with PowerShell, managing identities through Active Directory, virtualising workloads through Hyper-V, and recovering machines when something goes wrong. The Microsoft world has its own conventions and toolchain that don’t always map cleanly to Linux equivalents, so the right reference matters.
The canonical reference is Microsoft Learn. The articles here are the complement: real configurations from real environments, the pitfalls Microsoft glosses over, and the migration playbooks for the long tail of Server 2012 R2 and Windows 10 still in production.
Start with the problem in front of you
Workstation in trouble
Stuck booting? Boot Windows into safe mode, then exit safe mode if you got stuck there. Disk full? Free up disk space on Windows. Need a clean OS? Reinstall Windows 11.
Standing up a server
For new builds, follow Install and configure Windows Server 2025. If you’re still managing Server 2012 R2, the Server 2012 R2 end-of-life strategy covers your migration options.
Automating repetitive admin work
Lean on PowerShell — PowerShell one-liners for AD management and automate multiple AD user creation with PowerShell are the highest-leverage starting points. If you live in Linux but need to script Windows, install and use PowerShell on Ubuntu Linux.
The full Windows reading list, grouped
Windows Server
- Install and configure Windows Server 2025
- Install Windows Server 2012 R2 (legacy reference)
- Navigating Server 2012 R2 end of life
Workstation (Windows 10 / 11)
- Install Windows 11 from scratch
- Reinstall Windows 11
- Boot Windows into safe mode
- Exit safe mode (and fix being stuck)
- Free up disk space on Windows
- Windows 10 vs Windows 11 — a comparison
PowerShell & Active Directory
- Install and use PowerShell on Ubuntu Linux
- PowerShell one-liners for AD management
- Automate multiple AD user creation
WSL2, SQL and SharePoint
Networking and security
Adjacent — virtualisation futures
Want the chronological view? Browse all Windows Server posts or all Windows 11 posts.
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