Non-default settings

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Naleksuh
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Non-default settings

Post by Naleksuh »

NFO VDS (the unmanaged kind, I always forget to specify that since I don't use managed) use different Windows settings than default Windows Server comes with. I suspect this is the case for Linux as well.

The most obvious one of these is visual changes. On Windows Server by default the taskbar will use large icons and the desktop background will be the Windows logo. NFo has changed this to a smaller taskbar and just the color blue for the background.

Visual changes alone are not really that big a deal though. They have changed other more subtle things too like networking settings. Instead of automatically finding their own DNS servers they are manually forced to 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 which are owned by Google. I've found a number of other changes too which seem to differ from the default Windows installation. I assume that the machine was accessed then saved to an image which is then added to every new VDS. This would also explain why the Downloads folder by default has 2 ZIP files and an executable saved in 2019 and 2020 even without ever having downloaded anything.

Does anyone have a full list of all such changes (for reference) or if such a list is not available I may attempt to create one myself by comparing the NFO image to the regular one.
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Re: Non-default settings

Post by TimeX »

No one ever uses a 100% stock copy of Windows when you look in fine detail, as it has to change and use different settings/drivers based on the environment it is installed in and its purpose. As such, there are also differences between versions on full machines and VDS servers, and to a lesser extent, the hardware it is installed on. Trying to generate a list of differences would be an endless task, since every time there is an OS or other software update, something will change, and the change will often vary based on the environment it is running in.

Additionally, there are many small changes that have happened over time with tweaks and updates. Some are purely visual, while others are done for reliability/performance/security, and others still that are required for proper function, such as drivers.
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Naleksuh
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Re: Non-default settings

Post by Naleksuh »

I don't mean specifically the inner workings of Windows itself, I meant the settings that NFo specifically has changed.
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Re: Non-default settings

Post by Naleksuh »

Addendum since editing is disabled: What I mean by this is not stuff like how Windows interfaces with hardware I mean Windows Server default image vs. NFo's modified image. The changes are described on the website as "performance tweaks" which is not a lot of information by itself and I may change some of them.
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Re: Non-default settings

Post by TimeX »

I think I still don't understand what you mean, as performance tweaks are inner workings for the most part.

You are free to try changing anything you would like, if that is what you are getting at, as long as it does not violate our Terms of Service. One of the great things about a VDS is that you can reimage it at any time, so you're safe even if you mistakenly break the OS with some sort of change or adjustment. Just make sure to keep backups of any important data!
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Re: Non-default settings

Post by Edge100x »

Naleksuh, it's a very light touch by us. The basic visual things you found, installing and configuring Xen drivers, entering the volume licensing key, and performing Windows updates. That's pretty much it. We don't apply any custom OS performance tweaks to unmanaged offerings.

Some DNS settings have to be entered. When you use DHCP to "find" a DNS server on your home connection, it's just being fed to you by a DHCP server, where a setting is defined by your ISP. We don't use DHCP here; instead, we assign static IPs. Google's DNS servers are a natural, high-performance, and high-availability option, but you are welcome to replace them with your own choice.
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Re: Non-default settings

Post by Naleksuh »

Ah alright, thank you for the information. I felt like there may be more subtle things that I missed but looks like that's about it.

Yeah, I will probably change my DNS servers as I am pretty sure the Google DNS servers are being logged. However I am aware that there has to be some DNS configuration just not necessarily locked on those. Thank you for the information.
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