Install StackRegent on Windows Server 2022

What is different on Windows Server 2022#

Windows Server 2022 (build 20348) is where every StackRegent feature is available and where the product is tested end to end, on the Standard edition. Compared with 2016 and 2019, three things change for a hosting server:

HTTP/2 works on every supported release. The panel itself has its own TLS stack, so Tools & Settings › Security Policy can offer TLS 1.3 for panel connections on any release; what 2022 adds is TLS 1.3 for the websites IIS serves.

Microsoft's mainstream support for Windows Server 2022 ended in October 2026. Security updates continue under extended support until October 2031, so 2022 remains a sound choice for a new hosting server.

TLS 1.3 for websites on Windows Server 2022#

On 2022, the Windows TLS stack (Schannel) that IIS uses negotiates TLS 1.3 by default. The StackRegent installer then turns off SSL 2.0, SSL 3.0, TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1 on the server side, so websites offer TLS 1.2 and TLS 1.3 only. There is nothing to switch on in the panel; every site with a certificate gets TLS 1.3 for clients that support it, and older clients fall back to TLS 1.2.

Switch on HTTP/3 (optional)#

HTTP/3 runs over QUIC on UDP port 443. Windows Server 2022 supports it in HTTP.sys, but it is off by default, and StackRegent leaves it that way. To switch it on:

1. In an elevated PowerShell, set the two registry values Microsoft documents for HTTP/3 in IIS:

reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\HTTP\Parameters" /v EnableHttp3 /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\HTTP\Parameters" /v EnableAltSvc /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

1. Restart the server, so HTTP.sys reads the new values.
2. Open UDP 443: in Tools & Settings › Firewall, click Add rule, enter a Name such as HTTP/3, set Direction to Incoming, Action to Allow and Protocol and ports to UDP 443, then Activate and Keep these settings. Open UDP 443 in any provider firewall too.

EnableAltSvc makes IIS announce HTTP/3 in an Alt-Svc header, so browsers first connect over HTTP/2 and switch to HTTP/3 on later requests. HTTP/3 always uses TLS 1.3, so it applies only to sites with a certificate.

Prepare the server#

1. Install Windows updates and restart until no more are offered. The installer adds the IIS role, and a server with pending updates is more likely to ask for a restart halfway.
2. Set the computer name you want to keep (Rename-Computer, then restart). The license activation records it.
3. Give the server a fixed IP address and create the A record of its host name, for example server1.example.com.
4. Check the edition and installation option:

Get-ComputerInfo -Property WindowsProductName, OsBuildNumber, WindowsInstallationType

The build should be 20348. WindowsInstallationType shows Server for Desktop Experience and Server Core for Server Core.

1. Open ports in your provider's firewall: TCP 9443 for the panel and TCP 80 and 443 for websites, plus UDP 443 if you plan HTTP/3. The requirements page lists the rest.

Install StackRegent on Windows Server 2022#

Step 1: Open an elevated PowerShell#

On Desktop Experience, right-click Windows PowerShell and choose Run as administrator. On Server Core, the console that opens at sign-in runs as the administrator; type powershell if you are at the sconfig menu or a command prompt.

Step 2: Run the one-line installer#

[Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol='Tls12'; & ([scriptblock]::Create((New-Object Net.WebClient).DownloadString('https://panel.stackregent.com/get/stackregent.ps1'))) -LicenseKey SR-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX -Hostname server1.example.com -AdminEmail you@example.com

The script activates the license, downloads the newest stable release, checks its size, SHA-256 and signature, and runs install.ps1. Use the zip package instead if you want to inspect the release first or need other ports.

Step 3: Wait for the components#

After the panel itself is running, the installer sets up the recommended components one at a time and prints a line for each. If the Visual C++ runtime is missing on your image, the installer adds it before MariaDB.

Step 4: Save the login#

Copy the panel address, the login admin and the password from the last lines. The password is not stored in plain text anywhere.

Server Core on Windows Server 2022#

Server Core runs StackRegent with everything except IIS Manager and the Service Monitor tray app. Some practical points:

• Open the panel from a browser on another computer: https://server1.example.com:9443/.
• The jobs of the tray app are done with the command line: Restart-Service StackRegent restarts the panel, and & "C:\Program Files\StackRegent\bin\stackregent.exe" sessions-purge logs everyone out.
• Use sconfig for Windows Update, the network and the computer name.
• Lockout recovery works the same way: stackregent firewall-reset, stackregent ip-access-reset and stackregent panel-url-reset run from the console.

Check the installation#

Run these in the same PowerShell window:

Get-Service StackRegent, StackRegentTask, StackRegentGuard, StackRegentSQL
& "C:\Program Files\StackRegent\bin\stackregent.exe" version
& "C:\Program Files\StackRegent\bin\stackregent.exe" license-check

All four services should be Running, the version should match the release notes, and the license should report as licensed. Then log in and open Tools & Settings › About StackRegent: its feature table marks your release, and TLS 1.3 and HTTP/3 should show as available.

To confirm TLS 1.3 on a website once it has a certificate, use the curl.exe that ships with Windows:

curl.exe -sI --tlsv1.3 https://www.example.com/

A response means the site accepted TLS 1.3. If you switched on HTTP/3, the response headers include alt-svc with h3.

Finally, run Tools & Settings › Diagnose & Repair › Check Everything and continue with getting started.