issue on windows ports after migrating smartermail

Problem reported by Paolo Biondi - 6/22/2026 at 8:57 AM

Submitted

Dear Smartermail Users,

I installed a smartermail build 9526 on a new server (windows 2022) cause I need to upgrade our hardware from the old server (same build 9526).

First attempt:

following these instructions:

portal.smartertools.com/kb/a2724/migrate-smartermail-to-a-different-server.aspx

After following that guide my new server has all the bindings ports closed on windows, impossibile to open them

Second attempt:

Installed clean smartermail on new server, just copied only these 2 files from the old server smartermail installation folder to the new one:

C:\Program Files (x86)\SmarterTools\SmarterMail\Service\domainList.xml

C:\Program Files (x86)\SmarterTools\SmarterMail\Service\Settings\domains.json

I also copied all the data files (domains, logs etc...):

d:\smartermail\

When I finish this configuration the local ports of windows (25,110,465, 587 etc...) were all opened (I tested calling the port from outside).

After that through web interface on the new server I setted up same configurations as the old server. Then I leave the server alone for 2 days, today all the ports on windows are closed and the mail server isn't reachable from outside, only trorugh web interface. The ports on the firewall are opened.

By any chance, have any of you managed to migrate from smartermail to smartermail from an old to a new server without encountering these problems?

Regards,

Davide

5 Replies

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Douglas Foster Replied

6/22/2026 at 10:05 AM

I have migrated several times, successfully.

I think the problem you experienced occurs when the IP address is changing. To remove SmarterMail port mappings from an IP address, the IP address has to be visible to SmarterMail. Use this process:

Boot the migrated system

Disconnect from the network if necessary to avoid an IP address conflict.

Add the old IP address as an additional address on the network adapter.

Reconfigure SmarterMail port mappings to ignore the old IP and use the new IP.

Shutdown SmarterMail service, remove old IP from the network adapter, shut down system.

Restore network connectivity

Perform a clean boot.

Paolo Biondi Replied

6/23/2026 at 1:24 AM

Dear Douglas,

thank you very much for your suggestion, yes we also changed the IP address on the new server.

The problem is not in the old IP, cause when I make the second attempt I didn't bring the settings with me, I simply install smartermail from zero on the new server and also the old IP was never transferred on the new server.

The new smartermail server create from zero, initially has all the ports binded on smartermail opened correctly: 25,110,465,587,993,995.

From friday to monday something has closed the port on windows, i checked the windows event manager, I see nothing.

Today on smartermail web interface I deleted all the bindings and re-create binding ports to the IP again but all the ports still closed.

Thank you

Douglas Foster Replied

6/23/2026 at 5:03 AM

Then you need a support ticket.

Paolo Biondi Replied

6/23/2026 at 8:56 AM

Ok, I think I found the issue: it's in the two files I moved to the new server:

C:\Program Files (x86)\SmarterTools\SmarterMail\Service\domainList.xml

C:\Program Files (x86)\SmarterTools\SmarterMail\Service\Settings\domains.json

these files contains 22 domains from the old server, but in the migration right now I only moved one domain to the new server data folder d:\smartemail\domains\

So I tried this:

1. stopped the smartermail service

2. I changed the two file files:

C:\Program Files (x86)\SmarterTools\SmarterMail\Service\domainList.xml

C:\Program Files (x86)\SmarterTools\SmarterMail\Service\Settings\domains.json

in the files I only left the domain with data in d:\smartemail\domains\ and cancelled all the others domains.

3. d:\smartemail\domains -> cancelled all the domains folder that smartermail created after initialization and reading the domains list from the above files.

4. restarted the smartermail service now (with only 1 domain in files and in folder) -> the ports are opened now

What I think is that I need to transfer all the domains folder to the new one and retry

Paolo Biondi Replied

6/24/2026 at 2:37 AM

Ok I discovered the reason why the ports are closed on Windows, because we installed the free version of Smartermail on the new server. If we move just one domain, the ports work correctly and are open; if we move the second domain, the ports will close.

While I would have preferred Smartermail to clearly indicate that moving the second domain would prevent the ports from being opened on Windows, I'm also glad I figured it out.

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