How to Migrate Exchange 2010 to 2019 Step by Step (Directly)

Published By Mohit Jha

Approved By Nimisha Ramesh

Published On September 16th, 2026

Reading Time 10 Minutes Reading

Quick Answer: The best & most direct method to migrate Exchange 2010 to 2019 is to use professional migration software such as FreeViewer Exchange Migrator.

Officially, Microsoft’s n-2 support policy prevents a direct, native Exchange 2010 to 2019 migration. To migrate Exchange 2010 to 2019 step by step, administrators are required to execute a “double hop” migration (migrating from 2010 to 2016, and then from 2016 to 2019).

However, enterprise IT teams bypass this architectural obligation by using a trusted, corporate-grade migration utility (such as FreeViewer Exchange Migrator).

So, if you’re an enterprise tasked with migrating Exchange 2010 to 2019 while preserving full data integrity and zero downtime, this is your “IT” guide.

It will provide a tidy roadmap to seamlessly move Exchange 2010 to 2019 -eliminating a double Active Directory schema update, reducing downtime, and maintaining complete data integrity.

Also Check Out: Exchange Server to Exchange Online Migration: Complete Guide

Exchange 2010 vs. Exchange 2019: Why Should You Migrate?

Migrate Exchange 2010 to 2019

Exchange Server 2010 officially reached its end of life in October 2020. Hence, staying on Exchange Server 2010 leaves enterprise networks unprotected against unpatched vulnerabilities, non-compliance penalties, and hardware issues.

And moving to Exchange 2019 provides a highly secure, performance-driven architecture. Including featuring Windows Server Core support, enhanced search capabilities, and the ability to utilise modern high-capacity hardware.

Here’s a quick comparison between Exchange Server 2010 and Exchange Server 2019:

Feature/Capability	Exchange Server 2010	Exchange Server 2019
Lifecycle Status	Reached end of life in October 2020.	Actively supported with modern security patches.
Supported Operating System	Typically stays on Windows Server 2008 R2 or 2012.	Mandates a minimum of Windows Server 2019.
Server Core Support	Not supported (requires complete GUI).	Fully supported (significantly reduces the security attack surface).
Hardware Utilisation	Legacy Architecture (limited memory and CPU utilisation).	Optimized for modern enterprise hardware (supports up to 356 GB RAM and 48 CPU cores).
Search & Performance	Legacy search indexing (slower, vulnerable to corruption).	Powered by Bing search technology and MetaCache Database (MCDB) using SSDs.
Security & Compliance	Lacks modern, default encryption standards; non-compliant.	Enforces TLS 1.2 / TLS 1.3 for strict regulatory compliance.
Native Direct Migration	Cannot migrate directly to 2019; requires a “double hop”.	Incompatible for co-existence in the same DAG as 2010. Needs tools like FreeViewer to bypass native limits.

The Big Takeaway: Migrating from Exchange 2010 to 2019 is more than an infrastructure upgrade. It is a critical security requirement.

Why is Native Migration Painful?

Microsoft’s strict n-2 support policy prohibits the direct Exchange 2010 to 2019 migration natively. If Microsoft’s built-in migration batch architecture, the process will involve 5 stages:

Deploy an Exchange 2016 server into the existing 2010 environment.
Migrate all mailboxes, public folders, and configurations to 2016.
Decommission Exchange 2010.
Deploy an Exchange 2019 server into the 2016 environment.
Migrate everything again from 2016 to 2019.

Important Note: Double hopping (migrating from 2010 to 2016, and then from 2016 to 2019) extends the Active Directory schema twice. Resulting in unnecessary registry bloat, doubling the exposure to Exchange Web Services throttling. This drastically increases the rollback complexity if the first hop fails.

The Champion, Direct Solution for Professionals: FreeViewer Exchange Migrator

FreeViewer Exchange Migration tool is the best, direct method to migrate Exchange 2010 to 2019. It is an ISO verified, enterprise-grade Exchange migration utility that extracts mailbox data directly from the 2010 server via admin credentials and maps it effortlessly to the 2019 server.

Download Now Purchase Now

This expert’s favourite software excels in migrating all types of Exchange mailboxes (Regular, Shared & Archive) between servers (Exchange 2010, 2013, 2016, or 2019).

But what makes it the industry standard when it comes to migrating between Exchange Servers?

Zero Double Hop: Migrate directly from Exchange Server 2010 to 2019.
Concurrent User Migration: Allows you to run concurrent migrations to migrate all emails, contacts, and calendars at once.
Delta Sync: Provides a delta sync feature to transfer only new emails or retry just failed items.
Granular Migration: Features date & category filters for selective migration.
Live Dashboard: Integrates an intuitive dashboard for status updates.
Priority Migration: Enables you to set priority to migrate important/VIP accounts before others.

Pre-Migration Checklist

Critical Configuration Warning: Refrain from migrating Microsoft Exchange 2010 to 2019 before completing the following checklist.

Unable to establish appropriate RABC permissions or pre-provision the target mailboxes will cause the migration tool to fail connection validation. Resulting in the migration stopping immediately.

Hence, to ensure a smooth Exchange 2010 to 2019 migration, acknowledge the pre-migration checklist.

#1: Assign RBAC Permissions

The admin account performing the Exchange 2010 to 2019 migration must be assigned ApplicationImpersonation and View-Only Configuration roles on both the source (Exchange 2010) and destination (Exchange 2019) servers.
To confirm the admin account is explicitly listed on both servers, run the following command in the Exchange Management Shell: Get-ManagementRoleAssignment -Role “ApplicationImpersonation” -GetEffectiveUsers

#2: Validate EWS Connectivity

If the migration path crosses different domains, ensure that the Exchange Web Services (EWS) is enabled and externally resolvable.
To verify the EWS connectivity, go to the EWS endpoint URL (such as https://mail.yourdomain.com/EWS/Exchange.asmx) in a web browser. A successful authentication prompt without an SSL/TLS certificate error clearly indicates proper connectivity.

#3: Pre-Provision Target Mailboxes

All the target mailboxes need to be pre-provisioned on the destination Exchange 2019 server. The mailboxes do not need to be completely active or licensed at this stage. However, the mailbox still must exist for the migration utility to map the incoming data.
To make certain of this, log into the Exchange Admin Center (EAC) on the 2019 server. And make sure the destination user mailboxes populate in the recipients list.

People Also Explored: How to Migrate Office 365 to Exchange Server?

How to Migrate Exchange 2010 to 2019: Step by Step

Here are the straightforward steps to migrate Exchange 2010 to 2019 directly:

Step #1: Download and Set Up the Migration Environment

Install the FreeViewer Exchange Migrator on a dedicated migration machine. (A strong Windows server with high network throughput).

Download Now Purchase Now

Open the application >> select “Exchange” as both “Source” and “Destination” endpoints.

enter source and destination users

Step #2: Choose the Workloads

In the setup screen, under the workload selection, check the workloads (Email, Contacts, Calendar, Task) box to migrate.

workload screen

Apply the “Date Filter” to perform selective migration.
Click the “Next” button.

Step #3: Authenticate the Source (Exchange 2010)

In the “Source” window, click the “Exchange Server Version” dropdown menu.
Select “Exchange 2010”.

Source screen

Provide all the required Exchange Server details:
Admin Email, Admin Password, Active Directory IP, and Exchange Server IP.

Source screen

Check the “Include Sub Domain” box to migrate the data from the Exchange Server’s subdomain.
Click the “Validate” button (on the right) to validate the permissions.
Press the “Next” button.

Step #4: Authenticate the Destination (Exchange 2019)

In the “Destination” window, click the “Exchange Server Version” dropdown menu >> select “Exchange 2019”.

Exchange as destination

Enter all the mandatory Exchange Server details: Admin Email, Admin Password, Active Directory IP, and Exchange Server IP.
Check the “Include Sub Domain” box to transfer the data from the Exchange Server’s subdomain.
Press “Validate” >> click the “Next” button.

Exchange Data Validated

Step #5: Fetch and Map Users

On the “Users” window, select one of the options to add and map users:
- Fetch Users
- Import Users
- Download Template

users

Enter the destination email address.
Click on “Validate” to authorize.

Step #6: Initiate the Exchange 2010 to 2019 Migration

Once the source and destination permissions are authorized, click the “Start Migration” button (at the top).

validate users

In the small pop-up window, click “Start”.

Validation Completed

To check the migration status, click on the “Completed” tab (in the Migration screen).
To generate the migration report, click on the “Download Report” button (on the top right).

Download report

Certain items failed to migrate, or want to migrate only the newly arrived data during the migration process? Use the Re-Run Migration option (on the top right, next to the Download Report button):

Retry Failed Items: To migrate the items that failed to move.
Re-Run Full Migration: To perform the complete migration process again.
Delta Migration: To migrate only the new data that arrived in between the migration process.

migration options

Post-Migration Checklist

To guarantee a seamless cutover and zero data loss after the initial bulk Exchange 2010 to 2019 migration, complete the following post-migration checklist:

Mail Routing During Propagation: Do not decommission or wipe the 2010 server until the DNS cutover is fully propagated and the delta sync is complete. During the DNS propagation, certain incoming emails may still point to the old Exchange 2010 server.

#1: Update External DNS Records

Update the external DNS settings (specifically the MX records and Autodiscover) to redirect to the new Exchange 2019 server.
To confirm that the MX record correctly resolves to the public IP address of the Exchange 2019 environment, utilize external DNS backup tools (such as MXToolbox or nslookup)

#2: Execute a Delta Migration

Leverage the Delta migration feature in the Freeviewer Exchange Migrator.
It scans both the source and destination to determine and migrate only the new items that arrived on the 2010 server during the DNS Switch.
To verify, check the intuitive dashboard. It will display a successful final pass with no remaining unsynced items, ensuring zero data loss.

#3: Restart Outlook Clients

Direct users to perform a brief restart of their Outlook desktop clients once the DNS cutover (MX record update).
This is because when using a third-party migration method, users remain connected to Exchange 2010 while data is copied in the background.
Also, restarting Outlook clients is the only required end-user action.
Instruct users to open Outlook >> verify the “Connected to Microsoft Exchange” status (in the bottom right corner). Including sending and receiving a test email on the new server.

Readers Also Find Helpful:

Most Asked Questions

Q.1 Can I migrate directly from Exchange 2010 to Exchange 2019?

Unfortunately No! Exchange 2010 and Exchange 2019 cannot co-exist in the same Active Directory forest. Microsoft’s n-2 support policy strictly prohibits it. To migrate from Exchange 2010 to 2019 using Microsoft’s native tools, you are required to perform a “double-hop”. First migrate to Exchange 2013 or 2016, and then to 2019. Also, the only way to migrate directly is by utilising a third-party, corporate-grade migration tool.

Q.2 What happens to my Active Directory if I do the native double-hop migration?

The native double-hop migration requires Active Directory twice (once for the 2016 middleman server, and again for the 2019 server). This results in significant administrative effort. Also, leaves permanent architectural footprint changes in the AD forest.

Q.3 What happens to Unified Messaging (voicemail) when moving to Exchange 2019?

The Unified Messaging (UM) role in Exchange Server 2019 was officially discontinued by Microsoft. So, if your enterprise operates UM for voicemail via Lync or Skype for Business, you will not be able to use this feature; you need to move to Azure Cloud Voicemail.

Q.4 Do I need to upgrade my Windows Server OS to run Exchange 2019?

Yes, Exchange Server 2019 mandates a minimum operating system of Windows Server 2019. So, if your current Exchange 2010 environment runs on Windows Server 2008 R2 or 2012, you will need to provision completely new hardware or virtual machines for the Exchange Server 2019 installation.

Q.5 What are the security risks of staying on Exchange 2010?

Since Exchange Server 2010 reached its official End of Life on October 13, 2020, Microsoft no longer rolls out security patches, bug fixes, or technical support for this version. Hence, staying on Exchange 2010 leaves the network highly vulnerable to zero-day attacks, compliance violations, and exploits.

Q.6 Does using a third-party migration tool require double licensing for the cross-tenant jump?

No, most professional, third-party migration tools charge a flat rate per mailbox instead of per server hop. By connecting directly to the source (2010) and destination (2019) endpoints, you can bypass the need to license and deploy an intermediate 2016 server.