Windows Server 2025 Launch

Windows Server 2025 has officially launched, ushering in a wave of significant updates for administrators across the globe. This latest iteration brings essential tweaks to Active Directory Domain Services and waves goodbye to some long-cherished features, such as WordPad.

Previously referred to as Windows Server vNext, this successor to Windows Server 2022 has been revamped and rebranded as Windows Server 2025 as of January 2024. Notably, organizations looking to upgrade can transition to Windows Server 2025 from as far back as Windows Server 2012 R2, making it accessible for a wider range of users.

Exciting New Features Unveiled

Among its many enhancements, Windows Server 2025 boosts the Active Directory Database page size to 32K, up from the previous 8K page size introduced back in Windows 2000. This enhancement aims to alleviate certain scalability limitations that administrators often face, allowing for improved performance in managing user access and data integrity.

Moreover, networking capabilities have received a substantial upgrade, including notable changes to Software Defined Networking (SDN) and fortified security measures for Server Message Block (SMB). Virtualization improvements are also part of the package, enabling a smoother experience for organizations transitioning to cloud-based infrastructures.

Farewell to Familiar Features

However, the launch is not without its losses. Admins will find old friends, including WordPad and the SMTP service, have been removed. Microsoft advises users to rely on Word or Notepad instead for basic text editing tasks. Additionally, the IIS 6 management console has been deprecated, and the legacy Windows PowerShell 2.0 has been discarded, urging users to upgrade to PowerShell 5 or later for political functionality.

Other phased-out features include all versions of NTLM, the Computer Browser service, and the well-known scripting language, VBScript, which has been popular among administrators for years.

System Requirements and Compatibility Notes

For tech-savvy organizations wondering about system compatibility, Windows Server 2025 will seamlessly operate on most 64-bit processors with a minimum clock speed of 1.4 GHz, as long as they align with the x64 instruction set. Compliance with the POPCNT instruction and SSE4.2 (Streaming SIMD Extensions 4.2) is also required, while Secure Boot and a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) are only essential for certain specialized features.

Caution Advised: Known Issues Post-Launch

As expected, Microsoft has acknowledged several known issues with the initial rollout, ranging from minor irritations—like some installation prompts displaying in English during localized setups—to significant challenges that could halt progress, such as “boot device inaccessible” errors in some iSCSI environments and complications when dealing with servers featuring 256 or more logical processors.

Despite the enticing new features, administrators are urged to tread carefully and take time to assess Windows Server 2025 before deploying it to production systems, especially given the mix of enhancements and potential hurdles.

In summary, Windows Server 2025 is set to reshape the administrative landscape with its robust upgrades, although learned caution is advised amid the changes. Will your organization embrace this new era of server management? Let’s dive into the possibilities!