Exchange Server prerequisites

This topic provides the steps for installing the necessary Windows Server operating system prerequisites for Exchange Server 2016 and Exchange Server 2019 Mailbox servers and Edge Transport servers, and also the Windows prerequisites for installing the Exchange Management Tools on Windows client computers.

After you've prepared your environment for Exchange Server, use the Exchange Deployment Assistant for the next steps in your actual deployment. For information on hybrid deployments, see Exchange Server Hybrid Deployments.

To actually install Exchange 2016 and Exchange 2019, see Deploy new installations of Exchange.

Tip

• Looking for Exchange 2013 prerequisites? See Exchange 2013 prerequisites.

• Remote Registry Service must be set to Automatic and cannot be Disabled. For recommended Security Guidelines, See Security Guidelines regarding Remote Registry.

• Have you heard about the Exchange Server Deployment Assistant? It's a free online tool that helps you quickly deploy Exchange Server in your organization by asking you a few questions and creating a customized deployment checklist just for you. If you want to learn more about it, go to Microsoft Exchange Server Deployment Assistant.

What do you need to know before you begin?

• Verify that your Active Directory meets the requirements for Exchange 2019: Exchange 2019 Network and directory servers.

• Verify the Supported operating systems for Exchange 2019 or Supported operating systems for Exchange 2016.

• Verify the computer is joined to the appropriate internal Active Directory domain.

• Install the latest Windows updates on your computer.

Tip

Having problems? Ask for help in the Exchange forums. Visit the forums at: Exchange Server.

Exchange 2019 prerequisites for preparing Active Directory

You can use any member of the Active Directory domain to prepare Active Directory for Exchange 2019.

1. The computer requires the following software:

   a. .NET Framework 4.8

   Note

   When installing on Windows Server Core, you must use key "/q" for install this package. Optionaly you can use "/log [PATH]" for logging.

   b. Visual C++ Redistributable Package for Visual Studio 2012

   Note

   • The system requirements for the Visual C++ Redistributable package do not mention support for Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2019 or Windows Server 2022, but the redistributable package is safe to install on these versions of Windows.

   • An overview of the latest supported versions is available at: Visual C++ Redistributable versions.

   • The Visual C++ redistributable package is required if you're using the Exchange Setup Wizard to prepare Active Directory. If you're using unattended Setup from the command line to prepare Active Directory, this package isn't required. For more information, see Prepare Active Directory and domains.

2. Install the Remote Tools Administration Pack by running the following command in Windows PowerShell:

   Install-WindowsFeature RSAT-ADDS
   

Note

Using the Exchange Setup Wizard to prepare Active Directory requires the installation of the Management Tools Exchange role.

Windows Server 2019 & Windows Server 2022 prerequisites for Exchange 2019

Note

Support for Windows Server 2022 was introduced with Exchange Server 2019 CU12 (2022H1).

The requirements to install Exchange 2019 on Windows Server 2019 or Windows Server 2022 computers are described in the following sections. We recommend either of the following methods to install the Windows prerequisites for Exchange 2019:

• Use the /InstallWindowsComponents switch in unattended Setup mode.
• Select the check box in the Exchange Setup Wizard to install Windows prerequisites.

When you use one of these options, you don't need to restart the computer after the Windows components have been added.

Exchange 2019 Mailbox servers on Windows Server 2019 & Windows Server 2022

1. Install the following software:

   a. .NET Framework 4.8

   b. Visual C++ Redistributable Package for Visual Studio 2012

   c. Visual C++ Redistributable Package for Visual Studio 2013

   Note

   • The system requirements for the Visual C++ redistributable package do not mention support for Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2019 or Windows Server 2022, but the redistributable package is safe to install on these versions of Windows.

   • An overview of the latest supported versions is available at: Visual C++ Redistributable versions.

2. Add the required Lync Server or Skype for Business Server components:

   a. Install the Server Media Foundation windows feature by executing the following command in Windows PowerShell:

   Install-WindowsFeature Server-Media-Foundation
   

   b. Install Unified Communications Managed API 4.0. This package is available for download and in the \UCMARedist folder on the Exchange Server media.

   Note

   Make sure to use the Unified Communications Managed API 4.0 until something else is communicated by the Exchange team.

   When installing on Windows Server Core, you must use the installation package located in \UCMARedist on distributed media.

   The command you will use for installation within PowerShell: .\UCMARunTimeSetup.exe -q

3. If you aren't going to use Exchange Setup to install the required Windows components (in the wizard or from the command line), run the one of the following commands in Windows PowerShell:

   Note

   We've recently updated the required Windows components to no longer include MSMQ as it's not required by Exchange Server.

   You can optionally remove MSMQ from your Exchange server by running the following command from an elevated PowerShell and restarting the server:

   Remove-WindowsFeature NET-WCF-MSMQ-Activation45, MSMQ
   

   Note that Exchange Setup will re-install MSMQ if you check the Automatically install Windows Server roles and features that are required to install Exchange Server checkbox during the GUI Setup, or if you use the InstallWindowsComponents as part of unattended Setup.

   • Desktop Experience:

     Install-WindowsFeature Server-Media-Foundation, NET-Framework-45-Core, NET-Framework-45-ASPNET, NET-WCF-HTTP-Activation45, NET-WCF-Pipe-Activation45, NET-WCF-TCP-Activation45, NET-WCF-TCP-PortSharing45, RPC-over-HTTP-proxy, RSAT-Clustering, RSAT-Clustering-CmdInterface, RSAT-Clustering-Mgmt, RSAT-Clustering-PowerShell, WAS-Process-Model, Web-Asp-Net45, Web-Basic-Auth, Web-Client-Auth, Web-Digest-Auth, Web-Dir-Browsing, Web-Dyn-Compression, Web-Http-Errors, Web-Http-Logging, Web-Http-Redirect, Web-Http-Tracing, Web-ISAPI-Ext, Web-ISAPI-Filter, Web-Lgcy-Mgmt-Console, Web-Metabase, Web-Mgmt-Console, Web-Mgmt-Service, Web-Net-Ext45, Web-Request-Monitor, Web-Server, Web-Stat-Compression, Web-Static-Content, Web-Windows-Auth, Web-WMI, Windows-Identity-Foundation, RSAT-ADDS
     

   • Server Core:

     Install-WindowsFeature Server-Media-Foundation, NET-Framework-45-Core, NET-Framework-45-ASPNET, NET-WCF-HTTP-Activation45, NET-WCF-Pipe-Activation45, NET-WCF-TCP-Activation45, NET-WCF-TCP-PortSharing45, RPC-over-HTTP-proxy, RSAT-Clustering, RSAT-Clustering-CmdInterface, RSAT-Clustering-PowerShell, WAS-Process-Model, Web-Asp-Net45, Web-Basic-Auth, Web-Client-Auth, Web-Digest-Auth, Web-Dir-Browsing, Web-Dyn-Compression, Web-Http-Errors, Web-Http-Logging, Web-Http-Redirect, Web-Http-Tracing, Web-ISAPI-Ext, Web-ISAPI-Filter, Web-Metabase, Web-Mgmt-Service, Web-Net-Ext45, Web-Request-Monitor, Web-Server, Web-Stat-Compression, Web-Static-Content, Web-Windows-Auth, Web-WMI, RSAT-ADDS
     

   a. IIS URL Rewrite Module

   Note

   The IIS URL Rewrite Module is required with Cumulative Update 11 or later.

Exchange 2019 Edge Transport servers on Windows Server 2019 & Windows Server 2022

1. Install the following software:

   a. .NET Framework 4.8

   b. Visual C++ Redistributable Package for Visual Studio 2012

   Note

   • The system requirements for the Visual C++ redistributable package do not mention support for Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2019 or Windows Server 2022, but the redistributable package is safe to install on these versions of Windows.

   • An overview of the latest supported versions is available at: Visual C++ Redistributable versions.

2. If you aren't going to use Exchange Setup to install the required Windows components (in the wizard or from the command line), run the following command in Windows PowerShell:

   Install-WindowsFeature ADLDS
   

Windows client prerequisites for the Exchange 2019 management tools

See the Exchange Server supportability matrix for the supported Windows client operating systems.

1. Install the Visual C++ Redistributable Package for Visual Studio 2012

   Note

   • The system requirements for the Visual C++ redistributable package do not mention support for Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2019 or Windows Server 2022, but the redistributable package is safe to install on these versions of Windows.

   • An overview of the latest supported versions is available at: Visual C++ Redistributable versions.

2. If you aren't going to use Exchange Setup to install the required Windows components (in the wizard or from the command line), run the following command in Windows PowerShell:

   Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName IIS-IIS6ManagementCompatibility,IIS-Metabase -All