Unfortunately, DigitalOcean does not offer Windows Server as a pre-built image for its droplets. However, you can still install Windows on a DigitalOcean droplet using a custom ISO image.

To install Windows on DigitalOcean, you will need to create a custom ISO image of the Windows installation media. You can then use this image to create a bootable droplet that you can use to install Windows.

Here are the high-level steps you will need to follow:

  1. Create a custom ISO image of the Windows installation media.
  2. Upload the ISO image to DigitalOcean Spaces or another cloud storage service.
  3. Create a new droplet in DigitalOcean and select the “Custom ISO” option.
  4. Specify the URL for the custom ISO image you uploaded.
  5. Configure the droplet as needed for your Windows installation.
  6. Boot the droplet and follow the Windows installation prompts.

Note that installing Windows on DigitalOcean is not officially supported and may have limitations or restrictions depending on your licensing agreement with Microsoft. It is recommended that you check with Microsoft to ensure that your licensing agreement allows you to install Windows on a cloud platform like DigitalOcean.

Here are the detailed steps for installing Windows on a DigitalOcean droplet using a custom ISO image:

  1. Create a custom ISO image of the Windows installation media. You can create a custom ISO image using a tool like Rufus, which can be downloaded from its official website. You will need a Windows installation media in the form of an ISO file and a USB drive with at least 8GB of storage. Use Rufus to “burn” the ISO image to the USB drive. Once complete, you should have a bootable USB drive with the Windows installation media.
  2. Upload the ISO image to DigitalOcean Spaces or another cloud storage service. You can use a cloud storage service like DigitalOcean Spaces or another provider to store the custom ISO image. Upload the ISO file to a bucket in your cloud storage account and make sure it is publicly accessible. You will need the URL for the file when you create the droplet.
  3. Create a new droplet in DigitalOcean and select the “Custom ISO” option. When creating a new droplet, choose the “Custom ISO” option under the “Choose an image” section. This will allow you to specify the URL for the custom ISO image you uploaded in step 2.
  4. Specify the URL for the custom ISO image you uploaded. When prompted for the custom ISO image URL, enter the URL for the ISO file you uploaded to your cloud storage account.
  5. Configure the droplet as needed for your Windows installation. Choose the appropriate droplet size, region, and other settings as needed for your Windows installation.
  6. Boot the droplet and follow the Windows installation prompts. Once the droplet is created, it should boot from the custom ISO image you specified. Follow the Windows installation prompts to install Windows on the droplet.

Note that this method of installing Windows on DigitalOcean is not officially supported and may have limitations or restrictions depending on your licensing agreement with Microsoft. It is recommended that you check with Microsoft to ensure that your licensing agreement allows you to install Windows on a cloud platform like DigitalOcean.

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