Exports selected Windows features and operating system settings from the local computer, and stores them in a migration store.
Windows Server · Risk: High · Documentation Verified
Last verified: 2026-10-26
Microsoft Microsoft.Windows.ServerManager.Migration reference: Exports selected Windows features and operating system settings from the local computer, and stores them in a migration store. The syntax and selected example below are adapted from the pinned Windows Server 2025 reference. Module availability, target configuration and delegated permissions determine whether it can run in your environment. Documentation and parameter text: Microsoft, CC BY 4.0; formatting adapted by Cmdlet World. No execution testing is claimed.
Use an account with the target resource permissions documented for Export-SmigServerSetting. Modifying administrative cmdlets may require elevation or delegated administration. This catalog does not assert that ordinary users can execute the command.
Supported environments
Windows / Microsoft.Windows.ServerManager.Migration · Windows Server 2025 documentation; feature/module prerequisites apply
Parameters
-Feature
Specifies the Windows features to be exported from the source computer. Not all Windows features can be migrated by using migration cmdlets. You can use the Get-SmigServerFeature cmdlet to retrieve a list of Windows features that can be migrated from the local server, and pass the resulting list to the Export-SmigServerSetting cmdlet, either by piping the results to the cmdlet, or by storing the results in a variable and then using the variable to represent the results in your command.
-FeatureId
Specifies the IDs of the Windows features to be exported from the source computer. Not all Windows features are supported for migration. You can use the Get-SmigServerFeature cmdlet to retrieve a list of Windows features, along with their feature IDs, that can be migrated from the local server. Separate multiple feature IDs by using commas. Standard PowerShell wildcard characters are supported.
-Group
Exports the source server's local groups.
-IPConfig
Exports the source server's basic IP configuration settings, including network interface card (NIC) settings such as connection-specific suffix, IPv4 settings, registry key to disable IPv6 components, and global Windows IP configuration settings. IP configuration for a NIC can only be exported if the NIC is enabled and connected to the network. See IP Configuration Migration Guide for more information.
-Password (required)
Specifies the migration store encryption password as a secure string. The secure string can be obtained by entering the command Read-Host -AsSecureString or ConvertTo-SecureString. Because the *Password* parameter is required, if it is not added to your command, you are prompted to create a password after entering your command. The password length must be a minimum of six characters and a maximum of 260 characters.
-Path (required)
Specifies the path to store the exported migration data. The specified migration store location must be empty. The path must be a valid local or Universal Naming Convention (UNC) path; if it is a share on a remote computer, the share must be notated as a drive letter on the local computer. The path length cannot be longer than 246 characters. Wildcard characters are not supported.
-User
Specifies the type of user accounts to export to the migration store. The following are acceptable values for this parameter: - Enabled - Disabled - All User passwords are not migrated. Users must create a password the first time they log on to the server. Only the "User Name" and "Account is Disabled" properties are migrated.
Prerequisites
Windows with the Microsoft.Windows.ServerManager.Migration module and the Windows feature or management tools that provide it. Confirm target connectivity and version compatibility using the linked Microsoft reference.
Security considerations
This cmdlet changes system state. Review every target and parameter in the official reference, test outside production, and prepare an appropriate backup or rollback. Do not execute the example automatically.
Examples
Example 1: Export the DHCP server
Export-SmigServerSetting -Feature "DHCP" -User All -Group -Path "c:\temp\store" -Verbose
This sample command exports the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server and all other Windows Server features that are required by the DHCP server. The command also exports local user accounts, local groups, and group memberships to the location c:\temp\store that is specified in the *Path* parameter. Creating a password to encrypt the migration store is required. Because a password is not provided in this sample command, after you enter the command, the user is prompted to enter a password for encrypting the migrated data. Password characters are displayed as asterisks (*). When the password is entered, the value is passed to the command as a SecureString. By using the *Verbose* parameter, the command also displays detailed information about the migration operation. Source: Microsoft, CC BY 4.0; transcript prompt/output removed. This example was not executed.