Smartermail Installer - Slow on Windows Server 2025

Problem reported by Chris Danks - 7/7/2026 at 8:10 AM

Known

Hello

Whenever we run the smartermail installer on our Windows Server 2025 to upgrade to the latest build our SM outage is typically 10 minutes because the installer is so slow.

It typically stays on "Configuring Windows Features" for quite sometime before it moves on and once it gets passed this stage the rest of the installer is quick and then the service comes online.

9 Replies

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J. LaDow Replied

7/7/2026 at 8:27 AM

This is a known issue with Windows Server 2025 and SmarterTools various installers.

The developer of the installers is currently aware (third party) and they are working on a solution.

More details are here: https://portal.smartertools.com/community/a97862/is-the-installation-time-when-upgrading-taking-forever-for-everyone.aspx

MailEnable survivor / convert --

Kyle Kerst Replied

7/7/2026 at 8:49 AM

Employee Post

Just a little additional detail for you guys on this one. We do have a ticket submitted with the installer vendor who has provided some modified DLLs which proved quicker in preliminary testing, so we are currently awaiting a new release of their packages that includes these changes and hope to have a solution for the community soon.

Kyle Kerst

Lead Internal Network/System Administrator

SmarterTools Inc.

smartertools.com

Chris Danks Replied

8/23/2026 at 7:55 AM

Hey Kyle

Any updates on this?

Tim Uzzanti Replied

8/24/2026 at 12:43 PM

Employee Post

Nope. Our installer vendor still says it’s related to Microsoft. They were able to knock about half the time down, but that is as good as they can do. We’re contemplating not offering an MSI type installer anymore and just providing an installer similar to our Linux one.

Tim Uzzanti

CEO

SmarterTools Inc.

www.smartertools.com

Chris Danks Replied

8/25/2026 at 1:37 AM

That would be a good solution Tim as right now the MSI is still pretty slow on Windows server 2025 and sticks on the configuring windows component screen for a long time! (about 10 minutes).

Chris

Tim Uzzanti Replied

8/25/2026 at 11:22 AM

Employee Post

It would be a big change for some customers who only spend time in GUI-type interfaces. We will solve the slowness for customers, but then others will have a heartache over a new method of installation. Since we released Linux years back, a majority of the customer base is moving away from Windows as well. A lot of variables are involved and we are still weighing everything.

Tim Uzzanti

CEO

SmarterTools Inc.

www.smartertools.com

Marc Frega Replied

8/25/2026 at 12:29 PM

Just wanted to chime in as well. It takes about 10 mins for me as well. When it first started happening I thought it was locking up.

Chris Danks Replied

8/26/2026 at 12:29 AM

Thanks Tim

I think i'll toy around with migrating to Linux this week! I may open a ticket for a trial license.

Gabriele Maoret - SERSIS Replied

8/26/2026 at 1:01 AM

Hi TIM!

Linux is undoubtedly an exceptional platform on which to install SmarterMail, but it also has its flaws...

The first (and most obvious) is the difficulty of administration, management, and troubleshooting that those accustomed only to the Windows GUI will encounter. Nothing impossible, of course, but for some, it's a VERY important step to take...

I've already installed three new SmarterMail servers (VMs) using Linux for some clients, and I'm happy with them...

The second (the one that's giving me the most pause at the moment...) is that on my main SmarterMail server (Windows 2022, which hosts over 200 different client domains and over 1,600 individual users), I've currently enabled Windows deduplication on the SmarterMail storage, and this has saved me over 50% space!!! I went from 5TB of occupied space to 2.3TB...

I'm currently trying to figure out if I can replicate the same thing on Linux (ZFS perhaps? But it would use a lot of RAM and CPU to deduplicate...)

Gabriele Maoret - Head of SysAdmins and CISO at SERSIS

Currently manages 7 SmarterMail installations (1 in the cloud for SERSIS which provides services to a few hundred third-party email domains + 6 on-premise for customers who prefer to have their mail server in-house)

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