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🖥️ Endpoint Central Install

ManageEngine Endpoint Central Installation Step by Step Guide

One server, one agent, and every computer in your office becomes visible in a single console. This is the complete installation walkthrough, from picking the server to pushing the first agent.

✍️ Technical Anshu🪟 Windows Server⏱️ 30 to 45 minutes
🎥 Watch the full installation in the video, then follow the same steps below

Endpoint Central (earlier called Desktop Central) is ManageEngine's tool for managing all office computers from one place — patching, software deployment, inventory and remote control. The setup has three parts: install the server, define your scope (domain or workgroup), and push the agent to client computers. Most installation problems happen because one small preparation step was skipped, so read Step 1 before you double-click the installer.

browser — http://servername:8020
Web consoleOpens after install
Default port8020
Agent service on clientsInstalled in Step 5
What you should see once the server is up — the web console on port 8020
1

Prepare the Server Before Installing

For up to about 250 computers, ManageEngine's baseline is modest: a Core i3 class processor, 4 GB RAM and around 10 GB free disk reserved for the Endpoint Central server, on a supported Windows Server OS with a 1 Gbps network card. Requirements grow with the number of endpoints, so size the machine for next year, not today.

  1. Give the server a static IP address and a proper DNS name — agents reach the server by this address
  2. Add Windows Firewall exceptions on the server for ports 8020 (agent communication and console) and 8027 (on-demand tasks like scans and remote control)
  3. If the server has extra virtual network adapters, disable the unused ones — multiple IPs on the server are a known cause of scan timeouts later
2

Run the Installer and Pick the Database

The download is a single EXE. Run it as administrator and follow the wizard — it installs the required web server and database components by itself.

  1. Accept the default install path unless your system drive is short on space
  2. Keep the default web console port 8020 unless something else on the server already uses it
  3. For the database, the wizard installs the bundled PostgreSQL by default. That is the right choice for most small and mid-size setups. Choose MS SQL Server (2016 or later) only if your organisation already runs and backs up SQL Server
  4. Finish the wizard and let the Endpoint Central service start
3

Open the Console and Log In

  1. Open a browser on the server and go to http://localhost:8020 (from another PC, use the server name instead of localhost)
  2. Log in with the default admin account the installer created, and change the password immediately
  3. If the page does not open, check that the Endpoint Central service is running in services.msc and that port 8020 is not blocked
4

Define the Scope of Management

The Scope of Management (SoM) tells Endpoint Central which computers it may manage and which admin credential to use on them.

  1. Go to Admin tab → Scope of Management
  2. Add your Active Directory domain, or your workgroup if you have no domain
  3. Save an admin credential that has local administrator rights on the client computers — a wrong or expired credential here is the number one reason agent pushes fail
  4. Computers from the domain or workgroup will now be listed for agent installation
5

Push the Agent to the First Computers ⭐

Start with two or three test computers, not the whole office.

  1. In Scope of Management, select the test computers and click Install Agent
  2. The push uses ports 135 and 445 on the client side, so File and Printer Sharing must be allowed on those PCs
  3. Watch the remarks column — success means the computer appears under Agent → Computers with a live status
  4. Run a first patch scan and an inventory scan on the test machines to confirm scans complete, then roll the agent out to everyone

Honest note: the free edition covers 25 endpoints and one technician with all features. Install and test freely, but plan licensing before you promise the whole office coverage.

⚠️ Console not opening after install? In almost every case it is one of three things — the service is stopped, port 8020 is used by another application, or the firewall exception was never added. Check them in that order before reinstalling.

🎥 Watch the Complete Installation

Every screen of the installer, the console and the first agent push, shown live in the video.

▶️ Watch Full Video
❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Can I install Endpoint Central on a normal Windows PC instead of a server?

For a small test lab, yes, it installs and runs. For production, ManageEngine recommends a Windows Server OS, a static IP and hardware sized for your endpoint count, because every agent talks to this one machine all day.

Which database should I select during installation?

Keep the bundled PostgreSQL unless you already operate MS SQL Server. PostgreSQL needs no extra licence or separate install, and it handles small and mid-size networks well. Large environments move to SQL Server for easier backup and reporting.

How many computers can I manage free after installation?

The 30-day trial gives the full feature set. After the trial, the product continues as the Free Edition, which covers up to 25 endpoints and one admin user with all features. Paid plans start at 50 endpoints.

This guide is based on the Technical Anshu video on Endpoint Central installation • Stuck on a step? Ask in the video comments and you will get a reply 🙏