Many administrators face this situation after deploying Windows Server 2016 Core edition. While Server Core offers reduced attack surface and lower maintenance, sometimes you need the graphical interface for specific management tasks.

The command you tried (Server-GUI-Shell) was correct for Server 2012, but Microsoft changed the feature names in Server 2016. Here's the proper command:

Install-WindowsFeature Server-Gui-Mgmt-Infra,Server-Gui-Shell -Restart

This accomplishes two things:

• Installs the management infrastructure (Server-Gui-Mgmt-Infra)
• Adds the graphical shell itself (Server-Gui-Shell)

If you prefer using DISM instead of PowerShell:

DISM /Online /Enable-Feature /All /FeatureName:ServerCore-FullServer /FeatureName:Server-Gui-Mgmt /FeatureName:Server-Gui-Shell

After the server restarts, verify the installation with:

Get-WindowsFeature | Where-Object {$_.InstallState -eq "Installed"}

Look for these features in the output:

• Graphical Management Tools and Infrastructure
• Server Graphical Shell

Before proceeding:

• Ensure you have at least 4GB free disk space
• The process requires an internet connection to download components
• Server will restart automatically if you use the -Restart flag
• You cannot convert back to Server Core after this change

If you encounter errors:

# Check available features
Get-WindowsFeature

# Verify source files are accessible
Test-WindowsFeature -Name Server-Gui-Mgmt-Infra

# Alternative installation from source
Install-WindowsFeature Server-Gui-Mgmt-Infra -Source wim:D:\sources\install.wim:4

Remember that the installation source path may vary depending on your media.

When deploying Windows Server 2016, you might accidentally select the Server Core installation option which provides a minimal environment without the familiar Windows GUI. Unlike older versions where you could simply add the "Server-GUI-Shell" feature, Windows Server 2016 requires a different approach.

The feature naming convention changed in newer Windows Server versions. For Windows Server 2016, you need to install either:

# For full GUI experience
Install-WindowsFeature Server-Gui-Mgmt-Infra,Server-Gui-Shell -Restart

# Or alternatively:
Install-WindowsFeature Desktop-Experience

First, check available GUI features:

Get-WindowsFeature *GUI*

You should see output including:

Display Name                                            Name                       Install State
------------                                            ----                       -------------
[ ] Graphical Management Tools and Infrastructure       Server-Gui-Mgmt-Infra      Available
[ ] Desktop Experience                                  Desktop-Experience         Available

Here's the proper sequence to convert your Server Core to GUI mode:

# 1. Install required features
Install-WindowsFeature Server-Gui-Mgmt-Infra,Server-Gui-Shell -Restart

# 2. After reboot, install additional components (optional)
Install-WindowsFeature Desktop-Experience

# 3. Final reboot to complete installation
Restart-Computer -Force

If you encounter errors, consider these solutions:

# Ensure you have internet access for feature downloads
Test-NetConnection -ComputerName www.microsoft.com

# Check for corrupted components
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

# Verify you're running as Administrator
[Security.Principal.WindowsPrincipal][Security.Principal.WindowsIdentity]::GetCurrent() | 
  Select-Object -ExpandProperty IsInRole([Security.Principal.WindowsBuiltInRole]::Administrator)

If PowerShell isn't working, you can use:

# Using DISM
DISM /Online /Enable-Feature /All /FeatureName:ServerCore-FullServer /FeatureName:Server-Gui-Mgmt /FeatureName:Server-Gui-Shell

# Or from installation media
DISM /Online /Add-Package /PackagePath:"D:\sources\install.wim"

Remember that converting between Core and GUI modes:

• Requires at least 4GB free disk space
• May take 30-60 minutes to complete
• Needs one or more reboots
• Cannot be undone without reinstalling the OS