How to Install Exchange Server with GUI? A Step-by-Step Guide?

Installation of Exchange Server is a complex process. It requires careful planning, preparation, and fulfilling some prerequisites for successful completion. Below, we will discuss the step-by-step process of installing an Exchange Server 2019 using the Graphical User Interface (GUI).

Step-by-Step Process to Install Exchange Server

For a successful installation of Exchange Server, follow the below stepwise procedure.

Step 1: Prerequisites

If you’re doing a new installation of Exchange Server, you don’t need to worry about preparing the Active Directory Schema or domains as the installation of the Exchange Server will do this automatically through the setup wizard. However, you still need to do some other preparations.

Compatibility Matrix

If you already have an Exchange Server installed and you are installing a new server, you need to factor in the compatibility matrix. Exchange Server 2019 does not support Exchange Server 2010 in the same infrastructure. You need to remove or upgrade the Exchange Server 2010 to 2013 or 2016 and update the existing installation to the latest Cumulative Update (CU).

Active Directory Schema

Domain controllers where you have Active Directory Schema must be running Windows Server 2016, 2019, or 2022. If you’re using Windows Server 2012 R2, it is suggested to upgrade it since it’s out of support and end of life. The compatible Active Directory forest level is Windows Server 2012 R2 or higher.

Hardware and Software Requirements

Although you might have a beefed-up server, if you’re still running hardware and operating system on 32-bit, this will decrease the performance of the Exchange Server as all the configuration is stored in the schema.

Exchange Server 2019 installation is only supported on Windows Server 2022 or 2019 (with Standard or Datacenter). Management tools can be installed on Windows 11 or 10. You need to also consider the Outlook client version compatibility. Presently, Microsoft 365 apps for business, Outlook 2021, Outlook 2019, Outlook 2016, Outlook 2013, Outlook for Mac for Office 365, and Outlook 2016 for Mac are compatible with Exchange Server 2019.

Naming Convention and User Roles

The server should have a name according to the company’s naming convention, a fixed IP address, and joined with the domain of the company. The user who will install the Exchange Server 2019 must be a member of the Schema Admins and Enterprise Admins Security Groups.

Step 2: Get Installation Media

To get the installation media, go to the Microsoft page to see the list of all the Exchange Server build numbers and release dates for Exchange Server 2019. Presently, the latest version of Exchange Server 2019 is Exchange Server 2019 CU13 with build number 15.2.1258.28. It is recommended to always refer to the Microsoft website to get the latest version to install.

Step 3: Install the Exchange Server

• After the installation is downloaded, mount the ISO file on the server and run the setup.exe as administrator. This will start copying of the files at the temp location – %winDir%\Temp\ExchangeSetup.

• Next, you will see the introduction screen of the installation.

• Then, the License Agreement window will appear. Accept the terms in the license agreement.

• It is always recommended to check for any updates before starting the installation.

• After downloading the updates (if needed), select the roles. For a standalone server, you need to tick the Mailbox role and Automatically install Windows Server roles and features that are required to install Exchange Server so that any required items are installed by the setup.

• Now, you need to select the location where the installation of your server will be done. For this setup, we’re keeping the default installation folder.

• Now it’s time to name the organization. This name will only be used internally by the Exchange Server. It will not be visible by users and no functionality will be affected by the name.

• If you have your own malware protection hardware or service, you need to disable it. If not, you should select the No option to use the Exchange Server definitions and service.

• On the next screen, you will check and verify if all is good so that the installation can proceed.

• If something is missing, it will show on the screen and give you time to do the changes or installations.

• Once this is done, the installation button will be available. The Exchange Server will start the installation.

• After the installation, you need to do some post-installation tasks.

Step 4: Post-Installation Tasks

Open the Exchange Admin Center (EAC) to finalize the installation. Here, you may see a message from the browser that the site is a potential security threat. Don’t worry! This might happen due to a self-signed certificate. You can skip or accept this part. Once you log in, if this is the only Exchange Server, you will see one mailbox created with the user used to install the Exchange Server. Now, you can start the creation of custom send/receive connectors and other mailboxes and settings.

To Conclude

Above, we have discussed the step-by-step process of installing a standalone Exchange Server 2019 using the Graphical User Interface. However, if you’re doing migration from an Exchange Server version to another, you might encounter issues or may forget some steps that could hinder the installation of the Exchange Server. In addition, you may face network connectivity issues, Active Directory Schema update failure, service start-up failure, setup execution failure and other installation issues. In such cases, it is highly recommended to use specialized applications to restore, migrate, or export the data. Stellar Converter for EDB is EDB to PST Converter Software that can assist in such cases. With this application, you can open multiple standalone or live EDB files from any Exchange Server version with no size limit and granularly export the EDB data to live Exchange Server. You can also use the application to directly migrate mailboxes to a newer version of Exchange Server of any version or Office 365. You can export user mailboxes, shared mailboxes, user archives, disabled mailboxes, and even public folders.

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About The Author

Shelly Bhardwaj

I am a Product Consultant and is associated with Stellar Data Recovery from last 8 years. I write about the latest technology tips and provide custom solutions related to Exchange Server, Office 365, MS Outlook, and many other Email Clients & different flavors of OS Servers. Read More