Updates applied for AWS Windows AMIs - AWS Windows AMIs

Updates applied for AWS Windows AMIs

To help ensure a smooth and consistent launch experience, AWS Windows AMIs include the following updates for initialization, installation, and configuration.

Note

When you launch an instance from an Amazon managed AWS Windows AMI, the root device for the Windows instance is an Amazon Elastic Block Store (Amazon EBS) volume. AWS Windows AMIs don't support instance store for the root device.

Clean and prepare
Description Applies to
Check for pending file renames or reboots, and reboot as needed All AMIs

Delete .dmp files

 All AMIs
Delete logs (event logs, Systems Manager, EC2Config) All AMIs
Delete temporary folders and files for Sysprep All AMIs
Perform virus scan All AMIs
Pre-compile queued .NET assemblies (before Sysprep) All AMIs
Restore default values for Microsoft browsers All AMIs
Reset the Windows wallpaper All AMIs
Run Sysprep All AMIs
Set EC2Launch v1 to run at the next launch Windows Server 2016 and 2019
Run Windows maintenance tools Windows Server 2012 R2 and later
Clear recent history (Start menu, Windows Explorer, and more) Windows Server 2012 R2 and earlier
Restore default values for EC2Config Windows Server 2012 R2 and earlier
Install and configure
Description Applies to
Disable Secure Time Seeding All AMIs
Add links to the Amazon EC2 Windows Guide All AMIs
Attach instance storage volumes to extended mount points All AMIs
Install the current AWS Tools for Windows PowerShell All AMIs
Install the current AWS CloudFormation bootstrap scripts All AMIs

Disable RunOnce for Internet Explorer

 All AMIs

Enable remote PowerShell

 All AMIs
Disable hibernation and delete the hibernation file All AMIs
Disable the Connected User Experiences and Telemetry service All AMIs
Set the performance options for best performance All AMIs
Set the power setting to high performance All AMIs
Disable the screen saver password All AMIs

Set the RealTimeIsUniversal registry key

 All AMIs

Set the timezone to UTC

 All AMIs

Disable Windows updates and notifications

 All AMIs

Run Windows Update and reboot until there are no pending updates

 All AMIs

Set the display in all power schemes to never turn off

 All AMIs

Set the PowerShell execution policy to "Unrestricted"

 All AMIs

If Microsoft SQL Server is installed:

  • Install service packs

  • Configure to start automatically

  • Add BUILTIN\Administrators to the SysAdmin role

  • Open TCP port 1433 and UDP port 1434

 All AMIs

Configure a paging file on the system volume as follows:

  • Windows Server 2016 and later - Managed by the system

  • Windows Server 2012 R2 - Initial size and max size are 8 GB

  • Windows Server 2012 and earlier - Initial size is 512 MB, max size is 8 GB

 All AMIs
Install the current EC2Launch v2 and SSM Agent Windows Server 2022 and later
Install the current EC2Launch v1 and SSM Agent Windows Server 2016 and 2019
Install the current SRIOV drivers Windows Server 2012 R2 and later

Install the current EC2WinUtil driver

Windows Server 2008 R2 and later
Install the current EC2Config and SSM Agent Windows Server 2012 R2 and earlier
Install the current AWS PV, ENA, and NVMe drivers Windows Server 2008 R2 and later

Allow ICMP traffic through the firewall

Windows Server 2012 R2 and earlier

Configure an additional system managed paging file on Z:, if available

Windows Server 2012 R2 and earlier

Enable file and printer sharing

Windows Server 2012 R2 and earlier

Install the current Citrix PV driver

Windows Server 2008 SP2 and earlier

Install PowerShell 2.0 and 3.0

Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2

Apply the following hotfixes:

Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2