Tip: Quickly Remove Features in Windows Server 2008 R2

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In earlier versions of Windows, you use the Add/Remove Windows Components option of the Add Or Remove Programs utility to add or remove operating system components. In Windows Server 2008 R2, you configure operating system components as Windows features that you can turn on or off rather than add or remove. To remove server features, simply do the following:

1. Launch Server Manager (Start | Administrative Tools | Server Manager).
2. In Server Manager, select Features in the left pane, and then click Remove Features in the Features pane. This starts the Remove Features Wizard.
   (If the wizard displays the Before You Begin page, read the intro text and then click Next. You can avoid seeing this page the next time you start the wizard by selecting the Skip This Page By Default check box before clicking Next.)
3. On the Select Features page, the currently installed features are selected. To remove a feature, clear the related check box. If you try to remove a feature that another feature depends on, you’ll see a warning stating that you cannot remove the feature unless you also remove the other feature. Click the Remove Dependent Feature button to remove both features.
4. When you are finished selecting features that you want to remove, click Next and then click Remove.

For information on adding features, see Adding Features in Windows Server 2008 R2

Tip adapted from the Microsoft Press book Windows Server 2008 Administrator’s Pocket Consultant, Second Edition by William R. Stanek.