If you manage to get the ISO mounted, run this PowerShell command immediately after the first boot:
You are building a new greenfield environment. Server 2022 (or 2025) offers significantly better security (Credential Guard improvements), faster SMB transfers, and a less painful update experience. windows server 2016 iso
Dusting Off the Gold Image: A Practical Look at the Windows Server 2016 ISO in 2026 If you manage to get the ISO mounted,
Despite being nearly a decade old (released September 2016), Server 2016 remains the quiet workhorse for thousands of on-premises environments. Whether you are spinning up a legacy air-gapped test lab, recovering a bricked domain controller, or supporting a manufacturing execution system (MES) that refuses to die, that ISO is still a critical tool in the admin’s backpack. faster SMB transfers