What to do in the first 30 minutes

1. Retrieve the IP address, username, and password from the OuiHeberg client area

2. Connect via RDP from Windows (mstsc), macOS, or Linux

3. Change the Administrator password immediately

4. Launch Windows Update and restart if necessary

5. Check the Windows firewall and only open the necessary ports

6. Set the time zone to Europe/Paris and enable backups

🎯 What you will do in this guide

This guide covers everything that happens after receiving your delivery email: from the first RDP connection to a secure, configured, and ready-to-use Windows VPS.

We are not talking about Linux here. Only Windows Server, only concrete steps.

🔑 Step 1: Retrieve your login credentials

Upon receiving the OuiHeberg delivery email, log in to your client area.

You will find:

⚠️ Note this information in a password manager (Bitwarden, 1Password…) before doing anything else. The initial password will only be displayed once in certain configurations.

🖥️ Step 2: Connect via RDP for the first time

RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) is Microsoft's native protocol for remotely accessing a Windows desktop. It listens by default on TCP port 3389.

From Windows

1. Press Win + R, type mstsc, and confirm

2. In the Computer field, enter the IPv4 of your VPS

3. Click on Connect

4. Enter Administrator as the username and the initial password

Or directly from the command line:

mstsc /v:145.xxx.xxx.xxx

From macOS

Install Microsoft Remote Desktop (free on the Mac App Store).

1. Open the app → click + → Add PC

2. PC name: enter the IPv4 of your VPS

3. User account: Administrator + initial password

4. Double-click the connection to connect

From Linux

Use Remmina (pre-installed on Ubuntu/Debian):

sudo apt install remmina remmina-plugin-rdp  # if not already installed
remmina

Create a new RDP connection, enter the IP, login, and password.

⚠️ The certificate warning: this is normal

On the first connection, you will see a message like:

"The certificate of this remote computer cannot be verified."

This is expected and normal. The VPS uses a self-signed certificate generated at installation. Click Yes (or Continue) to accept and proceed.

This is not a sign of compromise: it simply means that the certificate is not issued by a known public authority.

First screen after connection

You arrive at the Windows Server desktop. Server Manager opens automatically on startup: you can close it for now.

👉 For complete documentation on RDP connection (troubleshooting, advanced options, multi-monitors): [See our complete guide on RDP connection →]

🔐 Step 3: Change the Administrator password

This is the first thing to do. The initial password was sent by email: it must be replaced immediately.

GUI Method (recommended for beginners)

In the RDP session:

1. Press Ctrl + Alt + End (equivalent to Ctrl + Alt + Delete in RDP)

2. Click on Change a password

3. Enter the old password, then the new one twice

4. Confirm

💡 On some RDP clients, Ctrl + Alt + End does not work. Use the RDP toolbar → Ctrl+Alt+Delete.

PowerShell Method (faster)

Open PowerShell as an administrator and run:

net user Administrator "YourNewPassword123!"

Or with the native cmdlet:

$Password = ConvertTo-SecureString "YourNewPassword123!" -AsPlainText -Force
Set-LocalUser -Name "Administrator" -Password $Password

Windows Server password requirements

Windows Server enforces a complexity policy by default. Your password must:

• Be at least 8 characters (12+ recommended)

• Contain at least 3 of the 4 types below:

  • Uppercase letters (A–Z)

  • Lowercase letters (a–z)

  • Numbers (0–9)

  • Special characters (!, @, #, $…)

• Not contain the username

Valid example: OuiHeberg#2024!: 14 characters, uppercase, lowercase, number, special character.

🔄 Step 4: Update Windows Server

A delivered VPS is not necessarily up to date. Updates fix critical security vulnerabilities: do not ignore them.

GUI Method

1. Open Settings (Win + I)

2. Go to Windows Update

3. Click on Check for updates

4. Install everything that is available

5. Restart if prompted, then reconnect via RDP

PowerShell Method

The PSWindowsUpdate module greatly simplifies updates from the command line:

# Install the module (once)
Install-Module PSWindowsUpdate -Force

# Check for available updates
Get-WindowsUpdate

# Install all updates and automatically restart if necessary
Install-WindowsUpdate -AcceptAll -AutoReboot

⚠️ If a restart is triggered, wait 2–3 minutes before reconnecting via RDP. The server needs to finish applying the updates.

🛡️ Step 5: Configure the Windows firewall

The Windows firewall is enabled by default on Windows Server. This is a good thing: never disable it globally.

Check active rules

# List all enabled firewall rules
Get-NetFirewallRule | Where-Object {$_.Enabled -eq "True"} | Select DisplayName, Direction, Action | Format-Table -AutoSize

Essential rules to keep

⛔ Never disable the RDP rule (port 3389) without first creating a rule for the new port. You would lose access to the VPS.

Open a custom port (example: port 80 for IIS)

# Open port 80 inbound (HTTP)
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "HTTP" -Direction Inbound -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 80 -Action Allow

# Open port 443 inbound (HTTPS)
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "HTTPS" -Direction Inbound -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 443 -Action Allow

Close an unnecessary port

# Disable an existing rule (example: WinRM if not used)
Disable-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Windows Remote Management (HTTP-In)" 

🔒 Step 6: Secure RDP access

Port 3389 is constantly scanned by bots on the Internet. Here are the measures to apply from day one.

6.1: Change the RDP port (3389 → custom port)

Choose a port between 1024 and 65535, not used by another service. Example: 33890.

# Set the new port
$newport = 33890

# Modify the registry
Set-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\WinStations\RDP-Tcp' `
  -Name "PortNumber" -Value $newport

# Create the firewall rule for the new port
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "RDP-$newport-TCP" -Direction Inbound -Protocol TCP -LocalPort $newport -Action Allow
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "RDP-$newport-UDP" -Direction Inbound -Protocol UDP -LocalPort $newport -Action Allow

# Restart the RDP service
Restart-Service TermService -Force

⚠️ Before restarting the service, ensure that the firewall rule for the new port is created. Otherwise, you will lose access.

After this change, connect with: mstsc /v:185.xxx.xxx.xxx:33890

6.2: Enable NLA (Network Level Authentication)

NLA requires authentication before a full session is opened. This reduces the attack surface and protects against denial-of-service attacks.

# Enable NLA
Set-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\WinStations\RDP-Tcp' `
  -Name "UserAuthentication" -Value 1

Verification:

(Get-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\WinStations\RDP-Tcp').UserAuthentication
# Should return: 1

6.3: Create a dedicated user (do not use Administrator directly)

The Administrator account is the primary target for brute-force attacks. Create a dedicated account with a non-obvious name.

# Create a new local user
$Password = ConvertTo-SecureString "MyPassword#Strong!" -AsPlainText -Force
New-LocalUser -Name "myuser" -Password $Password -FullName "My User" -Description "Main admin account"

# Add to the Administrators group
Add-LocalGroupMember -Group "Administrators" -Member "myuser"

# Add to the Remote Desktop Users group
Add-LocalGroupMember -Group "Remote Desktop Users" -Member "myuser"

Then, disable the Administrator account once you have verified that the new account works:

Disable-LocalUser -Name "Administrator"

🕐 Step 7: Configure the time zone and language

An incorrect time zone skews your logs, scheduled tasks, and SSL certificates. Fix it immediately.

PowerShell Method (recommended)

# Set the time zone to Paris (UTC+1 / UTC+2 in summer)
Set-TimeZone -Id "Romance Standard Time"

# Check
Get-TimeZone

The expected result:

Id                         : Romance Standard Time
DisplayName                : (UTC+01:00) Brussels, Copenhagen, Madrid, Paris

GUI Method

1. Right-click on the clock in the taskbar → Adjust date/time

2. Disable Set time zone automatically

3. Select (UTC+01:00) Brussels, Copenhagen, Madrid, Paris

Interface language

If your VPS is delivered in English and you want the interface in French:

# Install the French language pack
Install-Language fr-FR

# Set as system language
Set-WinSystemLocale fr-FR
Set-WinUILanguageOverride -Language fr-FR

A restart is necessary to apply the change.

💾 Step 8: Enable automatic backups

A VPS without a backup is a lost VPS. A wrong manipulation, a failed update, ransomware: and everything disappears.

Option 1: OuiHeberg Backups (recommended)

OuiHeberg offers snapshots and automatic backups directly from the client area.

[📌 Placeholder: link to OuiHeberg backup offer]

Option 2: Windows Server Backup (native)

Install the Windows Server Backup feature:

# Install Windows Server Backup
Install-WindowsFeature -Name Windows-Server-Backup -IncludeManagementTools

# Check the installation
Get-WindowsFeature -Name Windows-Server-Backup

Create a basic backup policy:

# Create a new policy
$Policy = New-WBPolicy

# Add system state
Add-WBSystemState $Policy

# Add bare-metal recovery
Add-WBBareMetalRecovery $Policy

# Set the destination (replace E: with your backup drive)
$BackupLocation = New-WBBackupTarget -VolumePath "E:"
Add-WBBackupTarget -Policy $Policy -Target $BackupLocation

# Schedule: every day at 02:00
Set-WBSchedule -Policy $Policy -Schedule 02:00

# Apply the policy
Set-WBPolicy -Policy $Policy

💡 For off-site backup, prefer OuiHeberg snapshots or a solution like Veeam Agent for Windows (free for personal use).

📊 Step 9: Check VPS performance

Before deploying anything, establish a baseline of available resources.

Task Manager

Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) → Performance tab.

Upon delivery, you should see:

• CPU: < 10% (Windows indexes in the background at startup: this is normal)

• RAM: 30–50% used (basic Windows services)

• Disk: high activity for 5–10 min after the first startup (indexing)

Confirm disk type (NVMe)

Get-PhysicalDisk | Select FriendlyName, MediaType, Size

On a OuiHeberg VPS, you should see MediaType: SSD or NVMe.

Check available disk space

Get-PSDrive C | Select Name, Used, Free

Typical result on a 50 GB VPS:

Name  Used(GB)  Free(GB)
----  --------  --------
C     18.4      31.6

Test network connectivity

# Test HTTP connectivity to Google
Test-NetConnection google.com -Port 80

# Test HTTPS connectivity
Test-NetConnection google.com -Port 443

# Test latency (ping)
Test-Connection google.com -Count 4

Check available RAM

Get-CimInstance Win32_OperatingSystem | Select TotalVisibleMemorySize, FreePhysicalMemory

The values are in KB: divide by 1024 to get MB.

🚀 Step 10: Next steps based on your usage

Your VPS is now secure and operational. The next steps depend on what you want to do with it.

🌐 Web hosting

Goal: host websites on Windows Server.

1. Install IIS (Internet Information Services):

Install-WindowsFeature -Name Web-Server -IncludeManagementTools

2. Install PHP (via Web Platform Installer or manually from php.net)

3. Install SQL Server Express (free) or MySQL/MariaDB

4. Configure virtual hosts in IIS Manager

[📌 Placeholder: link to our IIS guide on Windows Server]

🖥️ Remote Desktop / Remote Desktop Services (RDS)

Goal: allow multiple users to connect simultaneously.

⚠️ By default, Windows Server allows 2 simultaneous RDP connections (administrator sessions). Beyond that, an RDS CAL license is required.

1. Install the Remote Desktop Services role:

Install-WindowsFeature -Name RDS-RD-Server -IncludeManagementTools

2. Add users to the Remote Desktop Users group

3. Configure RemoteApp to publish specific applications

💻 Development / ASP.NET

Goal: deploy .NET applications on IIS.

1. Install IIS + ASP.NET:

Install-WindowsFeature -Name Web-Server, Web-Asp-Net45, Web-Net-Ext45 -IncludeManagementTools

2. Install the .NET Runtime (download from dotnet.microsoft.com)

3. Install Visual Studio Build Tools to compile from the command line

4. Deploy your app via Web Deploy or FTP

✅ Summary: 30-Minute Checklist

[ ] Credentials retrieved from the OuiHeberg client area
[ ] RDP connection established from your workstation
[ ] Certificate warning accepted
[ ] Administrator password changed
[ ] Windows Update launched and updates installed
[ ] Restart performed if requested
[ ] Firewall checked: RDP rule active
[ ] RDP port changed (3389 → custom port)
[ ] NLA enabled
[ ] Dedicated user created (non-Administrator)
[ ] Time zone set to Paris (Romance Standard Time)
[ ] Backups enabled (OuiHeberg or Windows Server Backup)
[ ] Performance checked (CPU, RAM, disk, network)
[ ] Usage defined (IIS, RDS, .NET…) and initial roles installed

🔧 Quick Troubleshooting

❓ FAQ

What version of Windows Server is installed on my VPS?

Check in the OuiHeberg client area (VPS information section). You can also confirm it from PowerShell:

Get-ComputerInfo | Select WindowsProductName, WindowsVersion, OsHardwareAbstractionLayer

OuiHeberg offers Windows Server 2019 and Windows Server 2022.

How to reset the password if I am locked out?

If you can no longer connect via RDP (forgotten password or locked account), use the KVM console available in your OuiHeberg client area. It gives you direct access to the server screen, independent of RDP. From there, you can change the password via Ctrl + Alt + Del → Change a password.

Can I install any software on my Windows VPS?

Yes. You have full Administrator rights. You can install any software compatible with Windows Server (IIS, SQL Server, Node.js, Apache, etc.). The only limitation: software requiring a DirectX/GPU graphical interface (games, certain 3D tools) will not work properly without a dedicated GPU.

How many simultaneous RDP connections are possible?

By default, 2 simultaneous administrator sessions are allowed on Windows Server without additional licensing. For more simultaneous connections (non-administrator users), a Remote Desktop Services role and RDS CAL (Client Access License) must be purchased separately from Microsoft.

Is my Windows VPS automatically backed up?

Not by default. OuiHeberg offers optional automatic backup options (snapshots, remote backup) from the client area. We strongly recommend enabling them. You can also configure Windows Server Backup natively (see Step 8).

How to contact OuiHeberg support if I have a problem?

OuiHeberg support is available 24/7:

• Support ticket: from the client area → Support → New ticket

• Live chat: available on ouiheberg.com

• Email: [email protected]

For critical issues (inaccessible VPS, data loss), open a ticket with Urgent priority.

📚 Useful Sources

• Microsoft Learn: Change Remote Desktop Listening Port

• Microsoft Learn: Set-TimeZone (PowerShell)

• Microsoft Learn: WindowsServerBackup Module (PowerShell)

• Microsoft Learn: Password must meet complexity requirements

• Microsoft Learn: New-NetFirewallRule (PowerShell)