There may be times where you want to install the Windows Server 2012 Essentials Connector without joining a domain. By not joining the Essentials domain, the following features are impacted:
– Any features that require a domain such as Group Policy, SSO by use of AD credentials to domain resources
– Any 3rd-party add-ons or applications that require the use of a domain
The connector can be installed in these cases by creating a registry key prior to launching the connector installation.
1. Launch Command Prompt as an administrator
2. Run the following command (may need to remove the dash in “SkipDomainJoin” due to formatting):
reg add “HKLMSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows ServerClientDeployment” /v SkipDomainJoin /t REG_DWORD /d 1
3. Launch the Connector Installation
Tom on Tech 