Server 2025 or not 2025? That is the Question

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dpf81nz@reddit

Came here to see if this was still a thing as im building a new DC shortly and was wondering is 2025 was any good yet. Think ill stick with 2022!

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ik zou voorzichtig zijn met server 2025 als je de verhalen over glitches hebt gelezen. als je organisatie klein is en stabiliteit belangrijk is, lijkt server 2022 misschien een veiligere keuze. ik gebruik ook https:// vanrosmalenautomatisering.nl voor dit soort dingen, dus dat zou je kunnen helpen bij de overstap. succes!

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highroller038@reddit

I tried running WS 2025 as a new DC in a mixed environment and users started experiencing logon issues / password incorrect errors. After reading all the posts here, I decommissioned it and the issues went away after a few weeks. Sticking with 2022 for DC duty.

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artie5trong@reddit

right, so what about this? [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQkA-VJAFdM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQkA-VJAFdM) I half suspect the guy in this video is AI, lol. It's like "guys we've made it so easy to upgrade your DC's to 2025" He does caveat that you should test in a lab first, though.

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daffy_69@reddit

I have had no problems with 2025, when it's in it's own environment, as in complete new setup. It does not play well with others, this is where I had problems, and never went back. Problems like no one could log in, had to roll back AD to fix type of problems.

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DifferentKeyStrokes@reddit

Stood up a brand new 2025 AD forest today. Should I run the other way?

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Lost_Term_8080@reddit

That's from not having changed passwords in many years. If you have a krbtgt password that hasn't been rotated in 15 years, you will need to rotate it before you add a 2025 DC. Any other accounts that haven't had their passwords changed since Server 2008 will also need to be changed, even if you set them to the same thing

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NDAbsoluteZero@reddit (OP)

That's one of my biggest concerns, so thanks for the confirmation. We have a mixture of 2016 & 2019 servers, with a few 2022's mixed in there, and I don't want to cause a disturbance in the Force.

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alexwhit80@reddit

I’m currently upgrading all my 2016 DCs to server 2022 as 2025 is still supposed to be a bit flaky

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xnerio@reddit

2022 until it's dead.

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GoatOutside4632@reddit

2022. I just rolled out my first 2025 server to a brand new domain and still had weird issues. First, they finally came out with a new domain function level for 2025, which was the biggest driving factor for deploying 2025. I couldn't find anything new in GPO or AD. Simple stuff like a new windows 11 power config setting in GPO would have been huge. But no, its still just win7+. Additionally, I don't know who is to blame for this, but installing splashtop practically bricks the server if AD is installed. Not sure why, but it does. You can't run any installers, and almost all remote control applications fail to launch. IDC if its on splashtop's end, or Microsoft's, but this was reported over a year ago and its still an issue. Also, I had some really weird issues installing roles on the server. Keep in mind like I said this was a brand new server, no software was installed yet, but I had it fail to install numerous roles (which I have never seen before), and then rebooting the server helped. The roles installed without issue after the reboot, but it did not give me warm fuzzies.

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zvmware@reddit

Windows Updates seem to install very slow on 2025, but 2022 installs them fast. Does everyone else see this too?

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GoatOutside4632@reddit

I had an issue where the splashtop service installed on server 2025 caused windows updates to come to a crawl, and basically no MSI installs would work. Might want to verify you haven't use splashtop on that device. AFAIK it hasn't been fixed.

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Supereater69@reddit

I just spent 8 hours domain joining and promoting to a DC in an existing environment.. not including the work my colleague put in

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NDAbsoluteZero@reddit (OP)

OOFT1 Definitely grimace-inducing

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doctorevil30564@reddit

2022 at minimum for your domain controllers, 2025 has major issues due to bugs related to "improvements" to Kerberos if you run it on your domain controllers. I just finished a downgrade migration to server 2022 using our software assurance provided licenses that came with our server 2025 licenses. We were having constant issues with our workstations being unable to renew their Kerberos trust connections That in turn was causing constant user account lock outs. 2025 seems to run ok if it's not being used as a domain controller. I've been checking the logs on my regular server VMs running 2025 and they are playing nice with the 2022 domain controllers.

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picklednull@reddit

We started deploying Server 2025 like 3 days after release day (2019 and 2022 I did do on release day) so I saw it all… it should be fine for all roles *now*, even perhaps DC’s, but to be safe you could skip the DC part. To be honest though, the release sucks ass. I wouldn’t necessarily deploy it at all. I’m not sure if they’ve even fixed patching yet, only the Core Edition patches properly via WSUS policies, the Desktop Edition would only install one patch and get stuck and only reboot at the scheduled time a week later and so on. And the Windows 11 UI sucks compared to 10.

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Deodedros@reddit

I was gonna say I have two dcs with 2025 and dont seem to be running into any issues. Third DC is a 2019

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HogginTheFeedz@reddit

Windows 11 UI would be a plus for me!

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NDAbsoluteZero@reddit (OP)

I'm definitely leaning toward all 2022 for the time being, since I have some physical 2022 servers and they've been rock-solid. I thought I'd dip my toe in the water for 2025, but I'm definitely snatching it right back out. 11 has been okay for me; however, when it sucks, it doesn't do so in half measures. UGH!

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Unable-Entrance3110@reddit

One "problem" with 2025 is you can no longer do LACP NIC teaming. You have to use SET, which is switch-independent teaming.

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Ok_SysAdmin@reddit

Did that start with 2022?

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Unable-Entrance3110@reddit

Yes, but you could override it in 2022. In 2025, that is no longer an option. You are forced to use SET

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SnakeOriginal@reddit

yep

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MFKDGAF@reddit

For me the answer depends on the workload as well as if it will be physical or virtual. Also remember when the end of life is and possible ESUs (3 years): Server 2016: Jan 12, 2027 Server 2019: Jan 9, 2029 Server 2022: Oct 14, 2031 Server 2025: Nov 14, 2034

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SnakeOriginal@reddit

Hundreds of servers upgraded from 2022, including DCs, no problems

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JuniorCombination774@reddit

We haven't moved on from Server 2019's. A few 2022's are causing issues for us :(

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kissmyash933@reddit

No STIG other than a draft available currently, so, not 2025 until there is one!

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CPAtech@reddit

2022 all day right now.

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mobchronik@reddit

Preach, 2025 is still hot garbage

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Burgergold@reddit

Dang even 15 months later is still an issue?

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cosmos7@reddit

Yep

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ranger_dood@reddit

Still building servers with 2022. Especially DCs.

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NDAbsoluteZero@reddit (OP)

My ass was twitching like a panther's nose when I read about all the DC troubles, so this confirms it for me.

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Ok_SysAdmin@reddit

As long as you quickly migrate all the DC to 2025 there is no problem. Mixing 2025 DC with older OS DC is the issue. 2025 increased the database size for the first time in 30 years.

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Comfortable-Zone-218@reddit

Love the panther analogy here. But I hope you dont drop that line at a work meeting! LOL! 😆

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NDAbsoluteZero@reddit (OP)

It's not the first time I've had to catch myself from using inappropriate language - especially when it comes to some of our more bothersome end-users 😂

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Break2FixIT@reddit

Pucker factor is real

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BatemansChainsaw@reddit

'22 is the newest I've gotten. 25 seems like an ass of a release.

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delicate_elise@reddit

2025 for everything except DCs.... 2022 for those.

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lart2150@reddit

I'm working on upgrading our terminal servers because non LTS office drops support for server 2022 and lower in October.

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Slasher1738@reddit

So far so good on this side

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E__Rock@reddit

I've upgraded about 50 servers from 2016/2019/2022 with no problems so far. There is some bloat with Arc that is easily disabled, but other than that no probably. I have however dodged IIS services because of known problems on upgrades. I will probably build those from scratch, eventually.

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Jeff-IT@reddit

We just bought a server with 2025 and paid the 2022 downgrade option.

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topher358@reddit

2025 in an all 2025 environment is fine to my understanding. Even DCs. In a mixed environment, stick with 2022

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LaurenzVonArabien@reddit

Same for me. Go with Server 2022! Still have 400+ 2016 Servers in place. Built a test environment with AD, DHCP, Citrix Terminal Servers and all new software versions - server 2022 as base OS. All fine. Now forced by management to use Server 2025. But 2025 still has some problems. Would not use it as DC or DHCP.

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st0ut717@reddit

Most of my servers are Linux. But I do have 4 windows machines. But they are just WECs I would go with windows 25. To get the most life span

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TahinWorks@reddit

In my experience, 2025 is only recommended over 2022 if installed as Core whose only role is Hyper-V

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anxiousinfotech@reddit

It's all the Windows 11 components they didn't properly strip out causing the problems IMO.

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apxmmit@reddit

Exactly our take atm.

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WendoNZ@reddit

2022 still. Tried a 2025 just recently and randomly Win11 clients couldn't connect when they had 10 mins earlier, nothing in any logs, and after a client side reboot they could connect to it again. Some googling suggested a recent patch had caused issues but as is was a very basic server and at that point hadn't even had the application fully setup, I just started again with 2022

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homing-duck@reddit

We have been trying it in production since June last year. Our DCs lasted a month before we started having problems, and we went back to 2022. Recently we tried rolling out a new file server for or OT Network (operational technology, e.g. CNC machines), that needs to use smb1. Had nothing but issues and had to go to server 2022. Everything else has been fine.

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Netfade@reddit

30 Windows servers here. All 2025, upgraded from 2022. 0 issues in one year excluding one which was fixed by upgrading DC02 to 2025. 🤓

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xxdcmast@reddit

Member server, yes. Domain controller or other critical roles, no

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frosty3140@reddit

We have a small environment. For new physical servers (2 x Hyper-V hosts in a cluster and a Backup server) we did go with Windows Server 2025. They are working fine. But for all our VMs, especially DCs, we are sticking with Windows Server 2022 for the time being.

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Key-Brilliant9376@reddit

Everyone knows you don't move to server 2025 until at least the year 2027.

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NDAbsoluteZero@reddit (OP)

That would be everyone minus one - me 😂

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Key-Brilliant9376@reddit

Ha! My comment was in jest as most organizations struggle to keep up.

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NDAbsoluteZero@reddit (OP)

I know, and I took it that way....heh ✌️

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Key-Brilliant9376@reddit

It's amazing. We still have an old camera system running on Windows XP. We've been trying to get management to pay for a new one for a long time. I'm honestly amazed and impressed that it still works. Of course, I did what I could to secure it. It's mainly on it's own standalone network.

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NDAbsoluteZero@reddit (OP)

OOFT! What a PITA. I guess as long as it works, and it's on its own internal network, but still. I'm guessing they'd be reeing if it fell over, despite all your recommendations to them. Yanno...typical management.

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Magic_Neil@reddit

2025 has been fine for everything for us. I’d be pretty scared to roll a Hyper-V host with it though!

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benuntu@reddit

I haven't had any serious issues with it so far. 4x hosts all on Server 2025 with a few nodes and managing with the Failover Cluster Manager. iSCSI is still a pain to set up initially, so that's comforting! I ran into some migration issues from VMWare and converting to VHD, but only with one of the VMs.

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Magic_Neil@reddit

Is there still the bug where it doesn’t display CPU utilization properly in Hyper-V Manager? Not sure if that bled over to FCM.

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benuntu@reddit

Yes, still there.

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Magic_Neil@reddit

Brilliant, the bug has only been there for.. over a year 🤦‍♂️

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FartInTheLocker@reddit

Got about 60% of our stack to server 2025 currently, had no issues at all, the obvious stuff is left on 2022, DCs/EntraConnect etc. I’d say no using 2025 is fine, just 2022 must be the minimum used

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dracotrapnet@reddit

Vital infrastructure to AD like DC's, no - that is not recommended. Anything else, sure. We have upgraded in place a KMS server, and an IT workstation from 2016 to 2025. We have fresh installed a couple RDS servers for IT and testing, I think in place upgraded an IIS server. We had an ERP upgrade for Sage MAS a bit over a year ago and we put the client app on a 2022 RDS server (before 2025 was out) as a remote app and had issues. They redid the deployment on a fresh 2019 server and issue went away. They haven't trialed 2025 yet for that ERP client remote app since. We will probably wait for the next ERP upgrade to bother again. We often try the latest OS with our vendors as beta test with a short time line to call for failure then back track to their current known latest supported OS version just to nudge them into testing. As a client for some of these vertical market application vendors we understand we basically have Land Rover level infrastructure compared to their many other clients who have Ford Pinto infrastructure (why are they still running Server 2012r2?) so they don't get test the latest OS with their apps as much.

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NDAbsoluteZero@reddit (OP)

Thanks for your insight. A few of our vendors have mentioned 2022 for compatibility with their systems, and I know I can downgrade 2025 licences to 2022 to ensure compatibility with their apps. I figured I might be able to mix & match with 2022 and 2025 servers, but I'm definitely leaning moreso to the former with all I'm reading here.

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