IIS - second SMTP virtual server

Radek Ryšan 31

Hello,
I installed the IIS role and the SMTP server function on Windows Server 2022. Everything went well (we solved the mmc console error). I configured the SMTP Virtual Server generated by the first installation.
I added a second IP address to the server and installed a second virtual SMTP server in the IIS service. Unfortunately, this server is installed and can be started, but any settings are not possible. It reports an error for every management operation: The system cannot find the path specified.
I've tried removing the whole IIS installation, creating more Smtp servers and still nothing...
Does anyone know what's up with that?

Best regards
Radek R

Radek Ryšan 31 Reputation points

2022-11-23T12:51:57.547+00:00
Sam Wu-MSFT 7,546 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2022-11-24T02:45:14.527+00:00

@Anonymous

What happened is probably the default location for the SMTP site have been moved, and the site properties have not been updated to reflect this, is there any difference between the second virtual SMTP server you installed and the first one?
Radek Ryšan 31 Reputation points

2022-11-24T08:45:42.35+00:00

i also tried it on another windows servr 2022 and the result is the same error. Can anyone try the same. Create second SMTP server via IIS6 console?
I wonder if anyone knows how to generate a new second SMTP server via powershell? maybe it will go through him...
Radek Ryšan 31 Reputation points

2022-11-24T09:13:22.103+00:00

Nothing happened at all. It just goes through the wizard with setting up the second smtp server. Then you need to edit MetaBase.xml (RelayIp). When you go back to the IIS6 tool, there is this error.

RR
Radek Ryšan 31 Reputation points

2022-11-24T09:48:22.977+00:00

Unfortunately, when I create a second smtp via the IIS6 GUI - an error occurs and the generation does not finish. I compared both steps on W2012 and W2022. On W2022, there is significantly less configuration for SMTP 2 in the MetaBase.xml file.
There was also an attempt to connect to W2022 with Gui IIS6 from W2012. This of course works, but Gui also falls.
Radek Ryšan 31 Reputation points

2022-11-24T09:49:49.363+00:00

So in my opinion, the only option is to try to do the build via powershell and hope the build goes through...

RR
Justin Woolington 0 Reputation points

2024-04-30T14:39:41.71+00:00
@Anonymous - were you able to figure this out at all? I am having the same issue unfortunately.

4 answers

Yoganathan Sivaram 10 Reputation points

2023-01-11T22:38:57.1133333+00:00
Hi,

We had the same issue as well and managed to resolve as follows

In the metabase file below the first (i.e. /LM/SmtpSvc/1/) IIsSmtpServer node there are several other nodes such as IIsSmtpAlias, IIsSmtpDl etc.

Copy all of them and replace the /LM/SmtpSvc/1/ with /LM/SmtpSvc/2/ and paste it under the second IIsSmtpServer node.

Now restart The SMTP Server and it should work.

Hope it helps someone.
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2 people found this answer helpful.
Justin Woolington 0 Reputation points

2024-04-30T14:34:22.2066667+00:00

Hello.

I am facing this same issue and have done this process, but still no luck. Still getting system cannot find specified path.

In the Metabase file under /LM/SmtpSvc/1/ it has this under IIsSmtpServer:

<IIsSmtpAlias Location ="/LM/SmtpSvc/1/Alias"

>

</IIsSmtpAlias>

<IIsSmtpDL Location ="/LM/SmtpSvc/1/DL"

>

</IIsSmtpDL>

<IIsSmtpDomain Location ="/LM/SmtpSvc/1/Domain"

>

</IIsSmtpDomain>

<IIsConfigObject Location ="/LM/SmtpSvc/1/EventManager"

>

</IIsConfigObject>

<IIsConfigObject Location ="/LM/SmtpSvc/1/EventManager/EventTypes"

>

</IIsConfigObject>

<IIsConfigObject Location ="/LM/SmtpSvc/1/EventManager/EventTypes/{59175850-E533-11D1-AA67-00C04FA345F6}"

>

</IIsConfigObject>

<IIsConfigObject Location ="/LM/SmtpSvc/1/EventManager/EventTypes/{59175850-E533-11D1-AA67-00C04FA345F6}/Bindings"

>

</IIsConfigObject>

<IIsConfigObject Location ="/LM/SmtpSvc/1/EventManager/EventTypes/{59175850-E533-11D1-AA67-00C04FA345F6}/Bindings/{609B7E3A-C918-11D1-AA5E-00C04FA35B82}"

>

</IIsConfigObject>

<IIsConfigObject Location ="/LM/SmtpSvc/1/EventManager/EventTypes/{59175850-E533-11D1-AA67-00C04FA345F6}/Bindings/{609B7E3A-C918-11D1-AA5E-00C04FA35B82}/DisplayName"

> <Custom Name="MD_0" ID="0" Value="Exchange Ntfs Store Driver" Type="STRING" UserType="UNKNOWN_UserType" Attributes="NO_ATTRIBUTES" />

</IIsConfigObject>

<IIsConfigObject Location ="/LM/SmtpSvc/1/EventManager/EventTypes/{59175850-E533-11D1-AA67-00C04FA345F6}/Bindings/{609B7E3A-C918-11D1-AA5E-00C04FA35B82}/SinkClass"

> <Custom Name="MD_0" ID="0" Value="Exchange.NtfsDrv" Type="STRING" UserType="UNKNOWN_UserType" Attributes="NO_ATTRIBUTES" />

</IIsConfigObject>

<IIsConfigObject Location ="/LM/SmtpSvc/1/EventManager/EventTypes/{59175850-E533-11D1-AA67-00C04FA345F6}/Bindings/{609B7E3A-C918-11D1-AA5E-00C04FA35B82}/SourceProperties"

>

</IIsConfigObject>

<IIsConfigObject Location ="/LM/SmtpSvc/1/EventManager/EventTypes/{59175850-E533-11D1-AA67-00C04FA345F6}/Bindings/{609B7E3A-C918-11D1-AA5E-00C04FA35B82}/SourceProperties/priority"

> <Custom Name="MD_0" ID="0" Value="28000" Type="DWORD" UserType="UNKNOWN_UserType" Attributes="NO_ATTRIBUTES" />

</IIsConfigObject>

<IIsSmtpRoutingSource Location ="/LM/SmtpSvc/1/RoutingSources"

SmtpDsAccount="" SmtpDsBindType="None" SmtpDsDomain="" SmtpDsFlags="9" SmtpDsHost="" SmtpDsNamingContext="" SmtpDsPassword="49634462500000000600000040000000b5ac5bf29ce448a1def7683e0f6294d05a2fccedbaedd8ddbcc4fce0a2689181ca000e57a4c741f46fff9906a442255fb777f1548922aa7c27a80f8de1c1b30ae3644dbe9a77d08d" SmtpDsSchemaType="NT5" SmtpDsUseCat="0" >

</IIsSmtpRoutingSource>

<IIsSmtpSessions Location ="/LM/SmtpSvc/1/Sessions"

>

</IIsSmtpSessions>

<IIsSmtpUser Location ="/LM/SmtpSvc/1/User"

>

</IIsSmtpUser>

My question is, do we include all of these entries under the second SMTP server, or just the IIsSmtpAlias, IIsSmtpDL, and IIsSmtpDomain entries? When I include just these and repoint the directories, I am still having the error. If I include all entries to which I have stated above, IIS admin service fails to start because of the metabase file being wrong.

Any help with this would be appreciated, or if you can share your metabase file config layout!
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Thomas Hoffmann 5 Reputation points

2025-03-07T07:14:11.7766667+00:00

The SMTP service is deprecated and will be removed in future versions of Windows Server. Maybe a migration to another tool should be taken into account.

The maintenance seems to have already stopped and issues are not fixed by MS.
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Marco Rauchenstein 0 Reputation points

2024-01-29T15:34:03.0366667+00:00

Hi Yoganathan Sivaram Thanks a lot for your information. I was able to get rid of this annoying error following you hint. All the best, Marco
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Justin Woolington 0 Reputation points

2024-04-30T14:35:26.02+00:00

Marco.

Is this configuration still working for you? If so, how did you get it work. What did you change in your metabase file?

Thanks in advance!

Thomas Hoffmann 25 Reputation points

2024-09-05T15:03:28.1066667+00:00

Copying and editing the whole block beneath the first configuration worked for me too. Thank you!

I had to additionally remove the value of SmtpDsPassword=""

Otherwise the IIS Admin service complaint during startup.

Cristhian F Obregoso 0 Reputation points

2024-10-10T14:17:59.94+00:00

Buenos días, quería saber como corregiste el error?...muchas gracias
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WiseOldHowell 0 Reputation points

2025-03-06T19:10:25.3233333+00:00

I've been battling this for some time now. New Server 22 AZ VM.

Added a second STMP server, and same error.

Ended up copying the MetaBase.xml to the desktop, editing it in NP++, stopping IIS and SMTP service, dropping the MetaBase.xml back in after changes. (then starting the services back up... trial and error).

Yoganathan comment is where I started.

Here are the changes I had to make.

I found the close of the first SMTP server [<IIsSmtpServer Location ="/LM/SmtpSvc/1"] -- i.e. "</IIsSmtpServer>"...

then copied everything down to the close of the first server ["/LM/SmtpSvc/1/User"] -- i.e. "</IIsSmtpUser>"...

Found the close of the second SMTP server... [<IIsSmtpServer Location ="/LM/SmtpSvc/2"] -- i.e. "</IIsSmtpServer>"

Pasted the clipboard contents...

Then find/replace "SmtpSvc/1" with "SmtpSvc/2".

Hope this helps...
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