Here is how to install Plesk on Windows Server. Most guides assume you have a desktop and a mouse, but a dedicated server usually does not give you that comfort over a remote session. This guide sticks to Command Prompt from start to finish, since that is what you actually have access to on a headless Windows Server.
What you need
- A Hostner dedicated server running Windows Server
- Administrator access via RDP or console
- A Plesk license (a free trial is available, a paid license is required after it ends)
- A resolvable hostname pointed at your server’s IP
- A stable internet connection on the server, since the installer downloads everything live during setup
Step 1: Download the installer
Click the Start button, search for “Command Prompt”, right-click it, and choose “Run as administrator”. Confirm the prompt if Windows asks for permission.
Download the Plesk Windows installer from Plesk’s official site (plesk.com) onto the server, then move into the folder where you saved it:
~ $ cd C:\Users\Administrator\Downloads
Step 2: Install Plesk on Windows Server
Run the installer with the typical installation option, no GUI required:
~ $ plesk-installer.exe –select-product-id=panel –select-release-latest –installation-type=typical
This installs the latest stable Plesk release with a standard set of components. Command Prompt shows text-based progress as it downloads and installs each piece. This step takes longer than the Linux equivalent, often over an hour, since Windows components tend to be larger.
If you need more control over which components get installed instead of the typical set, drop --installation-type=typical and run the installer without it. It will prompt you through each choice step by step in the same Command Prompt window.
Step 3: Access Plesk
Once the installer finishes, open a browser (on your own machine, not the server) and go to:
~ $ https://your-server-ip:8443
Log in with your Windows administrator credentials. Plesk’s first-run wizard walks you through setting an admin password, adding a contact email, and confirming your server’s network details. This part of the process looks and feels the same as the Linux version, only the path to get here is different.
Step 4: Confirm the install
Back in Command Prompt on the server, you can check that the Plesk services are running with:
~ $ sc query psa
A RUNNING state confirms Plesk installed correctly. If it shows STOPPED instead, give it another minute, Windows services sometimes take a moment longer to start after a large install, especially on a server with limited RAM.
If it does not work
If the installer exits with a Windows Update-related error, install any pending Windows Updates first and reboot, Plesk on Windows depends on certain OS components being current. A slow or stalled download step usually means the server’s outbound internet connection is restricted, check that it can actually reach Plesk’s download servers before assuming the installer itself is broken. For the current supported Windows Server versions and detailed installer options, the official Plesk Windows installation documentation covers every flag the installer accepts.
No ticket needed. A downloaded installer, one command, and Plesk runs on Windows Server just as it does on Linux. The interface you end up managing sites from looks and behaves the same either way, only the installation path underneath differs, so any Plesk knowledge you already have from a Linux server transfers directly.
See more guides in Docs, or check out Install Plesk on Linux if you manage both.