By default, Windows Server 2012 comes without a security solution. This is especially important if you use 2012 as a robust workstation OS for your studying needs. So, to protect your time-consuming lab-rat experiments, you might feel left “high and dry”. 'Though not everything is lost, since there are 2 hacks you might wish to implement to provide a minimum form of protection to your lab.

The first hack allows you to install Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE). Microsoft Security Essentials is designed for Windows 7 and is not compatible (nor supported) on Windows Server 2012. But if you insist, you might as well end-up installing it on your Windows Server 2012.

1. Download a copy of MSE from Microsoft: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security-essentials-all-versions
2. Right Click on the “mseinstall.exe”.
3. Click on Properties.
4. Click on the “Compatibility”-tab.
5. Locate the “Compatibility mode”-section.
6. Check “Run this program in compatibility mode for:”.
7. Select From the (now active) dropdown menu “Windows 7”.
8. Open a Command Prompt as Administrator.
9. cd to your Downloads folder (ie. cd C:\Users\%username%\Downloads).
10. Run “mseinstall /disableoslimit” and follow the installer prompts to install MSE on your Windows Server 2012.