The Role, Role Service, or Feature Name is Not Valid: ‘Server-GUI-Shell’.

From a Windows Server Core, if you want to switch Server Core to Server GUI version, you will try to run this command:

PS > Install-WindowsFeature Server-GUI-Shell -Restart

But you will get the following error:

PS > Install-WindowsFeature Server-GUI-Shell -Restart
Install-WindowsFeature : ArgumentNotValid: The role, role service, or feature name is not valid: 'Server-GUI-Shell'.
The name was not found.
At line:1 char:1
+ Install-WindowsFeature Server-GUI-Shell -Restart
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidArgument: (Server-GUI-Shell:String) [Install-WindowsFeature], Exception
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : NameDoesNotExist,Microsoft.Windows.ServerManager.Commands.AddWindowsFeatureCommand

Success Restart Needed Exit Code      Feature Result
------- -------------- ---------      --------------
False   No             InvalidArgs    {}

How to Fix?

You can’t… In Server 2016, a Server Core installation cannot be turned into a GUI installation.

More information here: https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/windowsserver/2017/04/05/switching-between-windows-server-2016-server-core-and-desktop-experience/

 

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