🧩 Initial System Setup

• [ ] Install Windows Server 2025 (UEFI + GPT mode)
• [ ] Set computer name (e.g. srv-backup-01)
• [ ] Install all available Windows Updates
• [ ] Install VM tools or hardware drivers (e.g. Proxmox guest tools)
• [ ] Set system time zone and verify NTP sync
• [ ] Define and document common admin password
  

👤 User and Access Management

• [ ] Create local user accounts
• [ ] Assign user roles (Administrator, Backup Operator, RDP user, etc.)
• [ ] Configure unified “Documents” folder for all users (e.g. D:\Documents)
  

🌐 Remote Access & Network

• [ ] Enable Remote Desktop
• [ ] Enable NLA (Network Level Authentication)
• [ ] (Optional) Disable RDP firewall rule (if behind hardware firewall)
• [ ] Set static IP or reserve DHCP lease
  

🧅 Tailscale Setup

• [ ] Install Tailscale
• [ ] Authenticate using auth key or login manually
• [ ] Assign hostname and optional tags – I tend not to
• [ ] Ensure ACLs allow RDP access to this node
• [ ] Enable Tailscale “Always On”
  

🔐 Backup and Security

• [ ] Install Veeam Agent for Windows (installer must be pre-downloaded)
• [ ] Configure backup job (volume-level or file-level)
• [ ] Set backup schedule and retention policy
• [ ] Configure backup target (local drive or network share – BOTH)
• [ ] Enable email notifications (optional)
• [ ] (Optional) Enable BitLocker disk encryption – NOT YET
• • Install BITDEFENDER
    

🖨️ Printer Setup

• [ ] Install Canon MAXIFY GX7050 driver
• [ ] Set printer as SYSTEM default
• [ ] Enable printing for all users without elevation
  

📁 Storage & Folder Configuration

• [ ] Mount any external data volumes (e.g. My Pegasus)
• [ ] Create D:\Data, and D:\Documents
• [ ] Set NTFS permissions and ACLs
• [ ] (Optional) Use registry or group policy to map Documents folder globally – done
  

🛠️ Optional Enhancements

Not sure much about these

• [ ] Install Chocolatey or winget for package management
• [ ] Install common tools (e.g. 7-Zip, Notepad++, Git, etc.)
• [ ] Disable Windows Error Reporting
• [ ] Configure power settings (e.g. prevent sleep) yes
• [ ] Create Scheduled Tasks (e.g. for network checks, health reports)

But all these “nice to haves” can wait.

ADD – agnostic partitioning

https://gparted.org/download.php