Install XProtect VMS

The XProtect VMS installer installs all server and client components on your Milestone Husky unit. The recording server is authorized, so you are ready to use the system after installation.

You can install a free version of XProtect Essential+. This version provides you with limited capabilities of the XProtect for a limited number of cameras. You must have internet connection to install XProtect Essential+.

The recording server scans your network for hardware. Discovered devices are added automatically to your system. Cameras are preconfigured in views, and a default operator role is created. After installation, XProtect Smart Client opens s

You may be prompted to restart the computer. After restarting your computer, depending on the security settings, one or more Windows security warnings may appear. Accept these and the installation completes.

  1. Download the software from the internet (https://www.milestonesys.com/downloads/) and run the Milestone XProtect VMS Products 2024 R2 System Installer.exe file.
  2. The installation files unpack. Depending on the security settings, one or more Windows® security warnings appear. Accept these and the unpacking continues.
  3. When done, the Milestone XProtect VMS installation wizard appears.
    1. Select the Language to use during the installation (this is not the language that your system uses once installed; this is selected later). Click Continue.
    2. Read the Milestone End-user License Agreement. Select the I accept the terms in the license agreement check box and click Continue.
    3. On the Privacy settings page, select whether you want to share usage data, and click Continue.

      4. You must not enable data collection if you want the system to have an EU GDPR-compliant installation. For more information about data protection and the usage data collection, see the GDPR privacy guide.

      You can always change your privacy setting later. See also System settings (Options dialog box).

    4. In the Enter or browse to the location of the license file, enter your license file from your XProtect provider. Alternatively, browse to locate it or click the XProtect Essential+ link to download a free license file. The system verifies your license file before you can continue. Click Continue.

      If you do not have a valid license file you can get one for free. Click the XProtect Essential+ link to download a free license file. The free license file is downloaded and appears in the Enter or browse to the location of the license file field.

  4. Select Single computer.

    A list of components to install appears (you cannot edit this list). Click Continue.

  5. In the Specify recording server encryption window, you can secure communication by encrypting the connections from clients and services that retrieve data streams from the recording server.

    Select a valid certificate in the list to prepare your system for secure communication using recording server data encryption. For more information, see the administrator manual for XProtect VMS.

    You can also enable encryption after this installation from the Recording Server Manager tray icon in the notification area.

  6. In the Specify recording server settings window:
    1. In the Recording server name field, enter the name of the recording server. The default is the name of the computer.
    2. The Management server address field shows the address and port number of the management server: localhost:80.
    3. In the Select your media database location field, select the location where you want to save your video recording. Milestone recommends that you save your video recordings in a separate location from where you install the software and not on the system drive. The default location is the drive with the most space available.
    4. In Retention time for video recordings, define for how long you want to save the video recordings for. You can enter from between 1 and 999 days, where 7 days is the default retention time.
    5. Click Continue.
  7. In the Select file location and product language window:
    1. In the File location field, select the location where you want to install the software.
    2. In Product language, select the language in which your XProtect product should be installed.

    3. Click Install.

      The software now installs.

  8. When the installation completes, a list shows the components that are installed on the computer.

    Click Continue to add hardware and users to the system.

    If you click Close now, you bypass the configuration wizard and the XProtect Management Client opens. You can make configurations, such as add hardware and users to the system in the Management Client.

  9. In the Enter user names and passwords for hardware window, enter the user names and passwords for the hardware that you have changed from the manufacturer defaults.

    The installation program will scan the network for hardware with specified credentials and hardware with manufacturer default credentials.

    Click Continue.

  10. In the Select the hardware to add to the system window, select the hardware that you want to add to the system. Click Continue.
  11. In the Configure the devices window, you can give the hardware descriptive names by clicking the edit icon next to the hardware name. This name is then prefixed to the hardware devices.

    Expand the hardware node to enable or disable hardware devices, such as cameras, speakers and microphones.

    Cameras are enabled by default, and speakers and microphones are disabled by default.

    Click Continue.

  12. In the Add users window, you can add Windows users and basic users. These users can have either the Administrators role or the Operators role.

    Define the user and click Add.

    When you are done adding users, click Continue.

When the installation and initial configuration are done, the Configuration is complete window appears, where you see:

  • A list of cameras and devices that are added to the system
  • A list of users who are added to the system
  • Addresses to the XProtect Web Client and XProtect Mobile client, which you can copy and share with your users

When you click Close, the XProtect Smart Client opens and is ready to use.

Finally, when the Husky Assistant completes the setup process, click Finish.

Install a recording server

If you chose to use your Milestone Husky unit as a recording server in the Husky Assistant wizard, the recording server installation starts automatically while the Husky Assistant wizard runs in the background. When prompted:

  1. Select the language that you want to use during the installation. Click Continue.

  2. Select:

    • Typical to install a recording server with default values
    • Failover to install a recording server as a failover recording server, complete the steps described in Install a failover recording server
    • Custom to install a recording server with custom values

  3. Specify the recording server settings:

    • Recording server name
    • Management server address
    • Media database location for saving recordings

    Click Continue.

  4. If you selected Custom:
    1. Specify the number of recording servers that you want to install on this computer. Click Continue.

    2. Specify the service account. If needed, enter a password and confirm it. Click Continue.

  5. In the Specify recording server encryption window, you can secure communication by encrypting the connections from clients and services that retrieve data streams from the recording server.

    Select a valid certificate in the list. For more information about preparing your system for secure communication using recording server data encryption, download the XProtect VMS manual from the Milestone website (https://www.milestonesys.com/support/help-yourself/manuals-and-guides/).

    You can also enable encryption after this installation from the Recording Server Manager tray icon in the notification area.

  6. Select File location for the program file. In Product language, select the language in which you want to install the server. Click Install.

  7. The software is now installed. When the installer is complete, you see a list of successfully installed components. Click Close.

    You can check the state of the recording server from the Recording Server Manager tray icon.

  8. When the Husky Assistant completes the setup process, click Finish.

Install a failover recording server

After you have selected Failover in the recording server installation wizard, you continue installation as follows:

  1. Specify failover recording server properties. Click Continue.
  2. When installing a failover recording server, you must use the particular user account named This account. This creates the failover user account. If needed, enter a password and confirm it. Click Continue.

  3. In the Specify recording server encryption window, you can secure communication by encrypting the connections from clients and services that retrieve data streams from the recording server.

    Milestone recommends that you make the same selections as on the recording server from which this failover recording server takes over. If a certificate is selected for encryption, then the administrator must grant read access permission to the failover user on the selected certificate private key.

    For more information about preparing your system for secure communication, see:

    You can also enable encryption after this installation from the Failover Recording Server Manager tray icon in the notification area.

  4. Select File location for the program file. In Product language, select the language in which you want to install the server. Click Install.

  5. The software now installs. When the installation completes, you see a list of successfully installed components. Click Close.

    You can check the state of the failover recording server from the Failover Recording Server Manager tray icon.

  6. When the Husky Assistant completes the setup process, click Finish.