windows windows server 2019 missing desktop environment

[zach12255]

The admin account on My windows 2019 server is missing both taskbar and the Explorer.EXE. I've ran  DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth.  and it installed a few updates but didn't fix the issue, does anyone know a fix without having to reinstall windows? Just to Clarify i can open task manager and run programs but the desktop GUI is missing.

[thevictor390]

what happens when you open task manager and run explorer.exe?

[zach12255]

nothing happens when i try to run explorer.exe

[Agall]

57 minutes ago, zach12255 said:

The admin account on My windows 2019 server is missing both taskbar and the Explorer.EXE. I've ran  DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth.  and it installed a few updates but didn't fix the issue, does anyone know a fix without having to reinstall windows? Just to Clarify i can open task manager and run programs but the desktop GUI is missing.

Run the .iso and do an in-place reinstall. It works similar to standard Windows OS upgrades and you do it to the same version OS. It'll practically speaking reinstall the base OS without removing programs. I've done it several times to the same OS and plenty from older Windows Server versions to newer.

[thevictor390]

Has it ever worked properly? It's worth noting that if you install Windows server with the standard options, it installs without most of the traditional UI. You have to switch it during install.

[zach12255]

yes it worked for years until a few weeks ago, There are three local accounts on the same install that work just fine, its just the admin account that's missing the desktop. I've tried everything I can think of besides a full reinstall of windows (but that could destroy the old software I have running on it). I also appreciate the quick response!