TL;DR: Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) let IT administrators manage Windows Server roles like Active Directory, DNS, and Group Policy from a Windows workstation instead of logging directly into servers. On Windows 10 (1809+) and Windows 11, RSAT is built into the OS and can be installed through Settings > Apps > Optional features or with PowerShell commands. Older systems like Windows 8.1 require downloading the RSAT package manually.
Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) let IT pros manage Windows Server roles remotely without logging in to each server. RSAT installation differs by Windows version. This guide explains how to install RSAT on Windows 11, Windows 10, and older systems like Windows 8.1.
What are RSAT tools?
Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) are Microsoft utilities that allow administrators to manage Windows Server roles and features from a Windows workstation. Instead of signing in to each server, administrators can manage services like Active Directory, DNS, and Group Policy remotely. If you’re more of a scripter, you can rely on the Windows Terminal command line and Windows PowerShell cmdlets in the RSAT toolbox.
Note that you can run RSAT tools only on the Professional or Enterprise version of Microsoft Windows.
How to install RSAT on Windows 11
You can install RSAT on Windows 11 through the Optional Features menu in Settings. RSAT is built into the OS and does not require a separate download.
Right-click on the Start icon, then click Settings.
In the Settings menu, click Apps, then click Optional features.
On the Optional features page, click View features.
Type RSAT into the search field.
Select the RSAT features you want to install, then click Next.
Review the feature installation overview, then click Install.
Monitor your RSAT install on the Optional features page.
To find the RSAT features once installed, enter tools into the Windows search field, then click on Windows Tools.
How to install RSAT on Windows 10 (version 1809 or later)
If you're rocking one of the latest versions of Windows 10 (October 2018 update or later), then you're in luck! As with Windows 11, the newer versions of Windows 10 come with Remote Server Administration Tools baked right into the OS. However, you still have to enable them.
Enabling RSAT features on Windows 10 is pretty similar to the Windows 11 process, with a few differences. Here's how to enable your favorite RSAT features in Windows 10.
Click the Start icon to open the Start menu.
Click the Settings icon to open the Settings menu.
Click Apps.
Click Optional features.
Click Add a feature.
Scroll down the list of optional features until you find the RSAT features. Select whichever RSAT features you want to add, then click Install.
You will see the status of each RSAT feature that's being installed.
Once the tools have finished installing, you can access them through the Start menu in the Windows Administrative Tools folder.
How to install RSAT using PowerShell
Consider yourself a PowerShell power user? Here's how to install Remote Server Administration Tools features using Windows PowerShell.
A quick note before we get started: To access RSAT via PowerShell, you need to run PowerShell as an administrator. To do that on Windows 10 or Windows 11, type powershell in the Windows search bar, right-click on the Windows PowerShell result, and click Run as administrator.
1. List all RSAT features and the installed state using PowerShell
First, we’ll use PowerShell to identify which RSAT features are currently installed. Here’s the script.
Get-WindowsCapability -Name RSAT* -Online | Select-Object -Property DisplayName, State
As you can see from this screenshot, this machine already has a few RSAT features installed.
2. Install a specific RSAT tool by name
Add-WindowsCapability -Online -Name "<tool_name>"Replace <tool_name> with the name of the Remote Server Administration Tool you want to install.
Here is a list of all the RSAT features with their proper PowerShell names.
Display name | Name |
|---|---|
Active Directory Domain Services and Lightweight Directory Services Tools | Rsat.ActiveDirectory.DS-LDS.Tools~~~~0.0.1.0 |
BitLocker Drive Encryption Administration Utilities | Rsat.BitLocker.Recovery.Tools~~~~0.0.1.0 |
Active Directory Certificate Services | Rsat.CertificateServices.Tools~~~~0.0.1.0 |
DHCP Server Tools | Rsat.DHCP.Tools~~~~0.0.1.0 |
DNS Server Tools | Rsat.Dns.Tools~~~~0.0.1.0 |
Failover Clustering Tools | Rsat.FailoverCluster.Management.Tools~~~~0.0.1.0 |
File Services Tools | Rsat.FileServices.Tools~~~~0.0.1.0 |
Group Policy Management Tools | Rsat.GroupPolicy.Management.Tools~~~~0.0.1.0 |
IP Address Management (IPAM) Client | Rsat.IPAM.Client.Tools~~~~0.0.1.0 |
Data Center Bridging LLDP Tools | Rsat.LLDP.Tools~~~~0.0.1.0 |
Network Controller Management Tools | Rsat.NetworkController.Tools~~~~0.0.1.0 |
Network Load Balancing Tools | Rsat.NetworkLoadBalancing.Tools~~~~0.0.1.0 |
Remote Access Management Tools | Rsat.RemoteAccess.Management.Tools~~~~0.0.1.0 |
Remote Desktop Services Tools | Rsat.RemoteDesktop.Services.Tools~~~~0.0.1.0 |
Server Manager | Rsat.ServerManager.Tools~~~~0.0.1.0 |
Shielded VM Tools | Rsat.Shielded.VM.Tools~~~~0.0.1.0 |
Storage Migration Service Management Tools | Rsat.StorageMigrationService.Management.Tools~~~~0.0.1.0 |
Storage Replica Module for Windows PowerShell | Rsat.StorageReplica.Tools~~~~0.0.1.0 |
System Insights Module for Windows PowerShell | Rsat.SystemInsights.Management.Tools~~~~0.0.1.0 |
Volume Activation Tools | Rsat.VolumeActivation.Tools~~~~0.0.1.0 |
Windows Server Update Services Tools | Rsat.WSUS.Tools~~~~0.0.1.0 |
For example, to install Remote Desktop Service Tools, run this command:
Add-WindowsCapability -Online -Name "Rsat.RemoteDesktop.Services.Tools~~~~0.0.1.0"3. Install all RSAT features with one PowerShell command
If you don't have the patience to install RSAT features one at a time, I don’t blame you. Instead, we can use this script to install all the available RSAT features in one go.
Get-WindowsCapability -Name RSAT* -Online | Add-WindowsCapability -OnlineIf you have the Optional features window open after running the command, you can monitor each feature as it's installed.
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How to install RSAT on Windows 8.1 or other older systems
On Windows 8.1 and older Windows 10 builds, RSAT must be downloaded as a standalone package from Microsoft instead of installing through Optional Features.
To install these RSAT packages, download the appropriate version for your OS, run the installer, and that's it. All features are enabled by default.
If you want to turn off certain features, you can select individual tools to disable by going into Control Panel > Programs > Turn Windows features on or off. In the Windows Features dialog box, expand Remote Server Administration Tools, and then expand either Role Administration Tools or Feature Administration Tools. Clear the checkboxes for any tools that you want to turn off.
As a side note, if you’re still running Windows 8.1 (a slight upgrade from one of the worst Windows operating systems), just know that I’m silently judging you from across the internet.
Remote Server Administration Tools are a great way to avoid getting out of your comfy office chair to manage server roles. They’re also great at alleviating server usage congestion. If you've got a coworker who never fails to log in to the server just before taking a three-hour lunch break (thus locking you out of the server), RSAT may be the solution you're looking for.
That, or maybe try switching their keyboard to the DVORAK layout when they aren't looking. That should keep them busy for a little while so you can get logged in before they do.
If you're looking for other tools to enhance your work life, download a free trial of PDQ Deploy & Inventory, and sit back and relax while this dynamic duo keeps your network environment up to date with the latest applications and patches. If you manage remote devices, then try out PDQ Connect. Connect helps you manage those hard-to-reach remote devices as if they’re right in front of you.
