1. Install POP3 and SMTP service components
By default, Windows Server 2003 does not have POP3 and SMTP service components installed, so we need to add them manually.
1. Install the POP3 service component
Log in to the Windows Server 2003 system as a system administrator. Go to "Control Panel → Add or Remove Programs → Add/Remove Windows Components", select the "Email Service" option in the pop-up "Windows Component Wizard" dialog box, and click the "Details" button. You can see that this option includes two parts: POP3 Service and POP3 Service Web Management. To facilitate users to manage mail servers remotely, it is recommended to select "POP3 Service Web Management".
2. Install the SMTP service component
Select the "Application Server" option, click the "Details" button, then view the details in the "Internet Information Service (IIS)" option, select the "SMTP Service" option, and finally click the "OK" button. In addition, if the user needs to remotely manage the mail server, be sure to select the "Remote Management (HTML)" component in the "World Wide Web Services". After completing the above settings, click the "Next" button and the system will start to install and configure POP3 and SMTP services.
2. Configure the POP3 server
1. Create a mail domain
Click "Start → Administrative Tools → POP3 Services" to pop up the POP3 Service Console window. After selecting the POP3 service in the left column, click "New Domain" in the right column to pop up the "Add Domain" dialog box. Then enter the domain name of the mail server in the "Domain Name" column, that is, the part behind the email address "@", such as "", and finally click the "OK" button. Where "" is a domain name registered on the Internet, and the domain name has an MX mail exchange record set in the DNS server and resolves to the IP address of the Windows Server 2003 mail server.
2. Create a user email address
Select the newly created "" field, click "Add Email" in the right column, and the Add Email dialog box pops up. Enter the email user name in the "Mailbox Name" column, then set the user password, and finally click the "OK" button to complete the creation of the email.
3. Configure the SMTP server
After completing the configuration of the POP3 server, you can start configuring the SMTP server. Click "Start → Programs → Administrative Tools → Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager", right-click the "Default SMTP Virtual Server" option in the "IIS Manager" window, select "Properties" in the pop-up menu, enter the "Default SMTP Virtual Server" window, switch to the "General" tab page, and select the IP address of the mail server in the "IP Address" drop-down list box. Click the "OK" button and a simple mail server will be set up.
After completing the above settings, users can use the mail client software to connect to the mail server for mail sending and receiving mails. When setting the SMTP and POP3 server addresses of the mail client software, enter the domain name of the mail server "".
4. Remote Web Management
Windows Server 2003 also supports remote web management of mail servers. In the remote client, run IE browser and enter "https://server IP address: 8098" in the address bar. The connection dialog box will pop up, enter the administrator username and password, and click the "OK" button to log in to the Web management interface.