Microsoft Exchange and Blackberry Server Specialists

Admin Tools Pre-Requisites

You can install the Exchange System Manager tools on to your workstation allowing you to admin the Exchange environment from your own machine. Before you can install the tools from the Exchange disk there are some prerequisites that you need to install on to your machine otherwise the install will not succeed.

After installing the extra components, run setup from the Exchange CD and choose custom install and then just the Exchange System Tools.

Once the installation is complete, remember to install the same or higher service pack for Exchange that you have on your Exchange servers. This will give you access to the new screens for features that were introduced in later service packs.
Rule of thumb - treat machines with the Exchange tools installed like front end servers. They should be at the same or higher version/patch level than the back end servers.

These prerequisites do NOT apply to Exchange 2007 Admin Tools. For Exchange 2007, go here: Exchange 2007 Admin Tools Requirements.

Windows Vista

Microsoft have released a version of ESM that will run on Windows Vista. The version supplied on the CD will not work on Vista. Do read the release notes though, you may also want to read the comments on the blog announcement: http://blogs.technet.com/b/exchange/archive/2008/08/18/3406107.aspx 

Windows XP SP2 and Higher:

  • Internet Information Services Snap-In component
    (You do not need to install the SMTP service as with SP2 IIS installs the SMTP bits too)
  • Windows 2003 Server Admin Pak

Windows XP SP1:

  • Internet Information Services
  • SMTP Service
  • WWW Service (should be selected for installation when you choose SMTP)
  • Windows 2003 Admin Pack

Once the Exchange tools have been installed you can disable WWW and SMTP services

If you installing the Exchange 2000 tools, then you need a patch from Microsoft. See KB Article 815529.

Windows 2000 Professional SP3 (or higher):

  • Internet Information Services
  • Windows 2000 Server Admin Pack

Windows Server 2003:

  • Internet Information Services Manager - this includes SMTP.
  • If SMTP hasn't been installed (if you are using Add/Remove components to add IIS then this could be the case) then you will have to add it by hand.

Windows 2000 Server SP3 (or higher):

  • Internet Information Services
  • SMTP Service
  • NNTP Service

You can disable WWW, NNTP, and SMTP services after installation.