1. Exchange server does have some dependencies. You will have to install the following Windows Components (I did forget these once home, but a quick look on this very helpful site did indeed refresh my memory:
- .Net Framework
- ASP.net
- IIS
- World Wide Web Publishing Service
- SMTP
- NNTP
2. We installed Exchange in three steps, forestprep, domainprep, and setup.
3. There is a handly log file that is created on the root of the drive where Exchange is installed called Exchange Server Setup Progress.log for troubleshooting.
4. You have to be logged into the server as an administrator for the domain for this to all work as it should, and yes, you should definitely make sure your DCs are up and running.
