Windows Server 2025: The upgrade and update experience

Event details

Discover the streamlined upgrade process to Windows Server 2025 in our session. We will cover N-4 media-based upgrades, feature upgrades through Windows Update, and efficient management of feature an...

Char_Cheesman

Updated Dec 27, 2024

Karl-WE

MVP

Mar 28, 2024

With the unclear (delayed) roadmap on Exchange on-premises, are you considering to support in-place upgrade of the Windows Server OS when Exchange is installed?

This was previously not supported.

Very understandably as back in the time with Exchange 2013 / 2016 / 2019 there were many under the hood dependencies like mainly PowerShell 2>5.1, eventually .net 3.5 > 4.x, IIS, IE10 > 11.

Do you believe this could be lifted when upgrading Exchange 2019+ to WS 2025?

Rob-Hindman

Microsoft

Mar 28, 2024

The Exchange Server team only support Clean OS installations. They have pointed me to this document: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/exchange/plan-and-deploy/plan-and-deploy?view=exchserver-2019

Karl-WE
MVP
Mar 28, 2024
Thank you for your confirmation and asking. Remain hopeful the Exchange Team could investigate the limiting factors and follow the notable example the Windows Server team set. Could imagine that the constrains are fewer. Another one to dislike / not supporting IPU is Citrix. True for PVS Service, Delivery Controller and Storefront, Virtual Apps and Desktops (VAD). Currently it is fine to uninstall their software packages, upgrade the WS fleet and install theirs again. They have their reasons. Same with Exchange I hope that these limitations could be lifted with some good coffee and cookies 🙂 Have good weekend ahead!