Windows Server 2012 R2
Windows Server 2012 R2, codenamed "Windows Server Blue", is the seventh version of the Windows Server operating system by Microsoft, as part of the Windows NT family of operating systems. It was unveiled on June 3, 2013, at TechEd North America, and released on October 18 of the same year. It is the successor to Windows Server 2012, and is based on the Windows 8.1 codebase.
| Version of the Windows NT operating system | |
Screenshot of Windows Server 2012 R2, showing the Server Manager application which is automatically opened when an administrator logs on, start button, taskbar, and the blue color of Aero Lite | |
| Developer | Microsoft |
|---|---|
| OS family | Windows Server |
| Working state | Current |
| Source model | Closed source / Shared source |
| Released to manufacturing | August 27, 2013 |
| General availability | October 18, 2013 |
| Latest release | 6.3 (Build 9600) / October 11, 2022 |
| Marketing target | Business |
| Update method | Windows Update, Windows Server Update Services, SCCM |
| Platforms | x86-64 |
| Kernel type | Hybrid (Windows NT kernel) |
| Default user interface | Windows shell (GUI) |
| License | Trialware |
| Preceded by | Windows Server 2012 |
| Succeeded by | Windows Server 2016 |
| Official website | Windows Server 2012 R2 (archived at Wayback Machine) |
| Support status | |
| |
Windows Server 2012 R2 removed support for processors without CMPXCHG16b, PrefetchW, LAHF and SAHF.
A further update, formally designated Windows Server 2012 R2 Update, was released in April 2014. It is a cumulative set of security, critical and other updates. Windows Server 2012 R2, like previous versions of Windows Server before it and versions after it, is only compatible with 64-bit processors.
Windows Server 2012 R2 was succeeded by Windows Server 2016, which is derived from the Windows 10 codebase.