This article provides a detailed guide for installing Windows Server 2025, along with an overview of its new features and the requirements for installation. Let’s get started.
The Server 2025 installation media has been released, allowing server enthusiasts, myself included, to download the ISO for installation and explore the new features. Microsoft has focused on enhancing security, improving performance, and introducing innovative capabilities in Server 2025, marking it as a transformative upgrade.
New Features in Windows Server 2025
Windows Server 2025 brings numerous new features that include better integration with Azure, Active Directory, updates to Hyper-V and storage improvements. Some of the best features of Server 2025 are listed below.
1. Windows Hotpatching for Everyone: Hotpatching is a popular feature that allows administrators to install updates without rebooting the server. The hotpatching is now fully supported on Windows Server 2025 Standard and Datacenter editions, as well as virtual machines.
2. New Functional Level of AD: When you promote Windows Server 2025 to a domain controller, you will find a new functional level version of domain and forest for the Active Directory, which is Windows Server 2025. In addition, Server 2025 will have a updated schema version of 90.
3. Scaling and performance improvements: When Windows Server 2000 was first launched, it supported 8k page database. With Server 2025, it now supports a 32k page database, which improves the overall performance of the server.
4. Delegated Managed Service Accounts: A new account type known as delegated managed service account (dMSA) is introduced in Windows Server 2025 that allows migration from a traditional service account to a machine account with managed and fully randomized keys, while disabling original service account passwords.
5. NUMA Support: Starting in Windows Server 2025, there is better support for non-uniform memory access (NUMA) by removing the 64 CPU core limit.
6. Storage performance: optimized support for some storage devices, including NVMe over Fabrics, which can improve storage performance by up to 70%.
7. Improved security for default machine account passwords: AD now uses random generated default computer account passwords. Windows 2025 DC’s block setting computer account passwords to the default password of the computer account name.
8. Kerberos AES SHA256 and SHA384: The Kerberos protocol implementation is updated to support stronger encryption and signing mechanisms with support for RFC 8009 by adding SHA-256 and SHA-384.
For a complete list of new features, please read the official documentation by Microsoft on What’s new in Windows Server 2025.
System Requirements
Let’s look at the hardware requirements that are required for installing Windows Server 2025 operating system.
| Hardware Requirements | Description |
|---|---|
| Processor | 1.4 GHz 64-bit processor Compatible with x64 instruction set Supports NX and DEP, CMPXCHG16b, LAHF/SAHF, and PrefetchW |
| Memory/RAM | 512 MB (2 GB for Server with Desktop Experience installation option) ECC (Error Correcting Code) type or similar technology, for physical host deployments |
| Disk Space | Minimum 32 GB (Windows Server 2025 using the Server Core installation option) |
| Network Requirements | An Ethernet adapter capable of at least 1 gigabit per second throughput Compliant with the PCI Express architecture specification |
| Additional | UEFI 2.3.1c-based system and firmware that supports secure boot Trusted Platform Module Graphics device and monitor capable of Super VGA (1024 x 768) or higher-resolution |
Installation Options
During installation of Windows Server 2025, you get two installation options. Choose the installation option based on the information provided below.
- Server Core: This is the recommended installation option. It’s a smaller installation that includes the core components of Windows Server and supports all server roles but does not include a local graphical user interface (GUI). It is used for deployments that are remotely managed with Windows Admin Center, PowerShell, or other server management tools.
- Server with Desktop Experience: This is the complete installation and includes a full GUI. This option has a larger footprint than server core and is most preferred by organizations.
Also See: Windows server upgrade paths for all versions
Download Windows Server 2025 ISO
There are three different locations from which you can download the latest ISO release of Server 2025, and they are listed as follows:
- Microsoft Evaluation Center
- Microsoft Volume Licensing Service Center
- Microsoft Visual Studio Subscriptions (formerly known as MSDN)
Note: Do not download the ISO files from unreliable places; they can contain malware or viruses. ISOs are available from Microsoft, and you should only download them from the official site.
I will be downloading my copy of Windows Server 2025 from Microsoft VSS. Launch the browser and visit the Microsoft VSS downloads site. In the Downloads section, look for the Server category, and here you should find Windows Server 2025 listed. Click on the Download button to obtain the latest ISO media for Server 2025.
Installing Windows Server 2025
We’ll now go through the process of installing Windows Server 2025. You can choose to install the server OS on your physical machine or a virtual machine. Make sure you go through the hardware requirements of Server 2025 listed in this guide before installing it.
If you have installed previous versions of Server, such as WS 2022 and 2016, you will notice that the setup screens are different and significantly improved in Server 2025.
I am going to install Server 2025 in my lab and test the new features. I have created a virtual machine on which I will be installing the server. Mount the Server 2025 and boot the virtual machine.
In the initial window, you’ll get to select language settings for the server. Click the drop-down and select the language to install, and then select the time and currency format. Click Next.
Select the keyboard or input method and click Next.
Choose the setup option “Install Windows Server” to install a new copy of the server OS. Enable the option I agree everything will be deleted, including files, apps, and settings. Click Next.
Enter the product key to activate your copy of Windows Server 2025. If you don’t have a product key or if you are evaluating the server, select I don’t have a product key. You can activate Server 2025 later as well.
This is a critical step where you must select the edition of Windows Server to install. You get the image options to select from:
- Windows Server 2025 Standard
- Windows Server 2025 Standard (Desktop Experience)
- Windows Server 2025 Datacenter
- Windows Server 2025 Datacenter (Desktop Experience)
I have selected Windows Server 2025 Datacenter (Desktop Experience) for installation. Click Next.
Accept the notices and license terms for installing the server.
Select the location to install Windows Server 2025. Click Next.
On the Ready to Install window, review the selections and click Install. The Windows Server 2025 installation begins now.
The below screenshot shows the server setup in progress. Your server will restart a couple of times to complete the installation.
Configure Windows Server 2025
The Windows Server 2025 installation is complete. Before you can sign in to the server, you must set a complex password for the administrator account. Once you have done that, click Finish.
On the Send diagnostic data to Microsoft screen, you will have to select whether you want to include optional data to be sent to Microsoft or required data only. Choose one of the options and click Accept.
Upon successful login, you’ll notice that Windows Server 2025 has a new desktop wallpaper. The icons in the notification area also look polished and updated. Overall, the desktop shell experience conforms to the style and appearance of Windows 11.
Verify Windows 2025 Server Build Number and Version
After you sign in to Windows Server 2025, let’s check the build number and other specifications. Click Start > Settings > System > About. The following details are displayed under Windows Specifications:
- Edition: Windows Server 2025 Datacenter
- Version: 24H2
- OS build: 26100.1
The OS build of Windows Server 2025 is 26100. You can also find the build number by running the ‘Winver‘ command on the server.
The final step is to activate Server 2025 and install the latest Windows updates. After completing this, you can begin exploring the new features available in Server 2025.
Hopefully, this guide has been helpful. You are welcome to ask any questions in the comments section.
