If you upgrade Exchange Server to a new version, you must also upgrade the Exchange Server Management Tools. The same applies if you’ve removed Exchange Server but still have the Management Tools installed to manage the objects. You must perform this step on all servers and workstations where the Management Tools are installed. In this article, you will learn how to upgrade Exchange Server Management Tools.
Before you start
The steps are slightly different if you have an Exchange Server running or non-running in the organization. Identify which setup you have before you select the correct upgrade method. The steps in the article work for every Exchange Server version.
To upgrade the Exchange Server Management Tools, follow the steps below:
- Sign in on the server or workstation where the Management Tools are installed.
- Go to Programs and Features.
- Check which Exchange Server Management Tools version is installed.
- Download the Exchange Server CU (ISO file).
- Mount the Exchange Server ISO file.
- Run the upgrade setup by double-clicking on the mounted Exchange Server drive. If that doesn’t work, right-click the mounted file, open it, and then double-click the Setup.EXE file.
- The setup is preparing the necessary resources.
- Click on Next.
- Accept the license agreement.
- Click Next.
- Click Install.
- The setup will go through 11 steps.
- Click Finish.
- Restart the Windows Server.
- Go to Programs and Features.
- Verify that the new Exchange Server Management Tools version is installed.
That’s it!
If you removed the last Exchange Hybrid Server, you still have the Exchange Server Management Tools installed on a server or workstation. That’s because you will manage the Exchange Server objects from the tool.
To upgrade the Exchange Server Management Tools for a non-running Exchange Server, follow the steps below:
- Sign in on the server or workstation where the Management Tools are installed.
- Go to Programs and Features.
- Check which Exchange Server Management Tools version is installed.
- Download the Exchange Server CU (ISO file).
- Mount the Exchange Server ISO file.
- Start Command Prompt as administrator.
- Run the following command to prepare Active Directory for Exchange Server.
Note: If you run the setup to upgrade Management Tools without preparing Active Directory, an error occurs. So this step is essential.
E:\Setup.exe /PrepareAD /IAcceptExchangeServerLicenseTerms_DiagnosticDataOFFThe output appears.
Microsoft Exchange Server 2019 Cumulative Update 15 Unattended Setup
Copying Files...
File copy complete. Setup will now collect additional information needed for installation.
Performing Microsoft Exchange Server Prerequisite Check
Prerequisite Analysis COMPLETED
Configuring Microsoft Exchange Server
Organization Preparation COMPLETED
The Exchange Server setup operation completed successfully.
Exchange Setup preserved the required configurations during upgrade. More details can be found in Exchangesetup.log
located in <SystemDrive>:\ExchangeSetupLogs folder. For more information, visit:
https://aka.ms/PreserveExchangeConfig2019.- Run the upgrade setup by double-clicking on the mounted Exchange Server drive. If that doesn’t work, right-click the mounted file, open it, and then double-click the Setup.EXE file.
- The setup is preparing the necessary resources.
- Click on Next.
- Accept the license agreement.
- Click Next.
- Click Install.
- The setup will go through 11 steps.
- Click Finish.
- Restart the Windows Server.
- Go to Programs and Features.
- Verify that the new Exchange Server Management Tools version is installed.
- Clean up your Active Directory by removing unnecessary Exchange objects.
AD cleanup can be done by running the CleanupActiveDirectoryEMT.ps1 script shipped with Management tools. The script removes system mailboxes, unnecessary Exchange containers, permissions for Exchange Security Groups on the domain and configuration partitions, and the Exchange Security Groups. You need to run this script with domain admin credentials.
Note: You must run it because /PrepareAD re-created some objects that the CleanupActiveDirectoryEMT.ps1 removes.
Open PowerShell on the management server and go to the directory.
cd $env:ExchangeInstallPath\ScriptsRun the command below.
.\CleanupActiveDirectoryEMT.ps1The output appears.
Removing system mailboxes
Removing un-nesessary Exchange containers in Configuration partition
Removing permissions for Exchange Security Groups on DC=exoip,DC=local
Removing permissions for Exchange Security Groups on CN=AdminSDHolder,CN=System,DC=exoip,DC=local
Removing permissions for Exchange Security Groups on CN=Configuration,DC=exoip,DC=local
Removing permissions for Exchange Security Groups on CN=Microsoft Exchange,CN=Services,CN=Configuration,DC=exoip,DC=local
Removing permissions for Exchange Security Groups on CN=EXOIP,CN=Microsoft Exchange,CN=Services,CN=Configuration,DC=exoip,DC=local
Removing permissions for Exchange Security Groups on CN=Recipient Policies,CN=EXOIP,CN=Microsoft Exchange,CN=Services,CN=Configuration,DC=exoip,DC=local
Removing permissions for Exchange Security Groups on CN=Microsoft Exchange Autodiscover,CN=Services,CN=Configuration,DC=exoip,DC=local
Removing permissions for Exchange Security Groups on CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=exoip,DC=local
Removing Exchange Security Groups container
Removing Exchange System Objects container
Cleanup script completed successfullyThat’s it!
Read more: Upgrade Microsoft Entra Connect »
Conclusion
You learned how to upgrade Exchange Server Management Tools. If you install a Cumulative Update or Security Update, the Management Tools on the Exchange Server gets automatically upgraded. However, if you have the Management Tools on other servers, or workstation installed, you must upgrade all of them too.
Remember to keep your Exchange Server Management Tools up to date with every Cumulative Update (CU) and Security Update (SU) release to ensure they remain in a supported and secure state.
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