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This might be an overly broad question, but I can't find a good answer when using search engines...

I have a few servers that will be providing web-based services via apps that are not IIS. While I can disable IIS, I wondered if I could (should?) remove it so that there are fewer components to worry about from a security and maintenance standpoint.

Are there any management or operational side effects from removing IIS from a Windows 2008 R2 server?

Will I lose any ability to manage the server using standard Microsoft tools if I do this?

Matthew Bakaitis
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3 Answers3

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If you're not using IIS, you absolutely should remove it, for the reasons you mentioned - maintenance and security.

The only effect of removing IIS is an inability to use IIS. No management or operational side effects - it hasn't been entrenched into the operating system like Internet Explorer has.

Of the over 250 Windows servers I manage, less than 10 have any IIS components installed, if that helps put your mind at ease. If you're still worried, you can always stop the IIS service and verify that nothing on the server breaks, before you go about removing IIS.

HopelessN00b
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  • I'd like to add that the installation of IIS and the subsequent removal of IIS uses independent modules for each package. These modules are not used by anything other than IIS and IIS dependent applications, so the chances of breaking anything by uninstalling IIS is negligible. – Reaces Jan 14 '15 at 14:11
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IIS is not required on any Windows system, unless you want to host web sites; the only exception is if you are using any server role which runs on web services (such as WSUS) or offers them (such as Certificate Services).

However, if you actually have any dependency on IIS, Windows itself will warn you about this when you try to remove the role; if this is not the case, you can safely remove it (and you indeed should, if it's not needed).

Massimo
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Be carefull when you unistall IIS from a WindowsServer2008R2 :

Management Console". What if: Performing operation "Remove-WindowsFeature" on Target "[.NET Framework 3.5.1 Features] 

import-module servermanager
PS C:\Users\****> remove-windowsfeature web-server -whatif
What if: Checking if running in 'WhatIf' Mode.
What if: Performing operation "Remove-WindowsFeature" on Target "[Web Server (IIS)] IIS 6 Management Console".
What if: Performing operation "Remove-WindowsFeature" on Target "[Web Server (IIS)] Tracing".
What if: Performing operation "Remove-WindowsFeature" on Target "[Web Server (IIS)] Windows Authentication".
What if: Performing operation "Remove-WindowsFeature" on Target "[Web Server (IIS)] CGI".
What if: Performing operation "Remove-WindowsFeature" on Target "[Web Server (IIS)] ISAPI Extensions".
What if: Performing operation "Remove-WindowsFeature" on Target "[Web Server (IIS)] ISAPI Filters".
What if: Performing operation "Remove-WindowsFeature" on Target "[Web Server (IIS)] IIS 6 Metabase Compatibility".
What if: Performing operation "Remove-WindowsFeature" on Target "[Web Server (IIS)] IIS 6 WMI Compatibility".
What if: Performing operation "Remove-WindowsFeature" on Target "[Web Server (IIS)] IIS 6 Scripting Tools".
What if: Performing operation "Remove-WindowsFeature" on Target "[Web Server (IIS)] Request Filtering".
What if: Performing operation "Remove-WindowsFeature" on Target "[Web Server (IIS)] Static Content Compression".
What if: Performing operation "Remove-WindowsFeature" on Target "[Web Server (IIS)] Dynamic Content Compression".
What if: Performing operation "Remove-WindowsFeature" on Target "[Web Server (IIS)] Directory Browsing".
What if: Performing operation "Remove-WindowsFeature" on Target "[Web Server (IIS)] HTTP Errors".
What if: Performing operation "Remove-WindowsFeature" on Target "[Web Server (IIS)] Default Document".
What if: Performing operation "Remove-WindowsFeature" on Target "[Web Server (IIS)] HTTP Logging".
What if: Performing operation "Remove-WindowsFeature" on Target "[Web Server (IIS)] Static Content".
What if: Performing operation "Remove-WindowsFeature" on Target "[Web Server (IIS)] HTTP Redirection".
What if: Performing operation "Remove-WindowsFeature" on Target "[Web Server (IIS)] .NET Extensibility".
What if: Performing operation "Remove-WindowsFeature" on Target "[Web Server (IIS)] ASP.NET".
What if: Performing operation "Remove-WindowsFeature" on Target "[Web Server (IIS)] ASP".
What if: Performing operation "Remove-WindowsFeature" on Target "[Web Server (IIS)] IIS Management Scripts and Tools".
What if: Performing operation "Remove-WindowsFeature" on Target "[Web Server (IIS)] Management Service".
What if: Performing operation "Remove-WindowsFeature" on Target "[Web Server (IIS)] IIS Management Console".
What if: Performing operation "Remove-WindowsFeature" on Target "[.NET Framework 3.5.1 Features] HTTP Activation".
What if: This server may need to be restarted after the removal completes.

Success Restart Needed Exit Code Feature Result
------- -------------- --------- --------------
True    Maybe          Success   {}
ward coysman
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    All of these modules are actual IIS dependant-packages that add functionality to IIS but can not be run without IIS. In other words, you're uninstalling features you added to IIS, not features that are running independently from IIS. You're not uninstalling Windows Authentication, you're uninstalling Windows Authentication for IIS. You're not uninstalling ASP you're uninstalling the ASP module of IIS. – Reaces Jan 14 '15 at 13:38