All systems
Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows Server Technical Preview, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2008 R2
Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) enables IT administrators to remotely manage roles and features in Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2 from a computer that is running Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows Vista, or Windows 7.
RSAT cannot be installed on computers that are running Home, Standard, or Education editions of Windows. You can only install RSAT on Professional or Enterprise editions of the Windows client operating system. Unless the download page specifically states that RSAT applies to a Beta or Preview or other prerelease version of Windows, you must be running a full (RTM) release of the Windows operating system to install and use RSAT. Although some users have found ways of manually cracking or hacking the RSAT MSU to install RSAT on unsupported releases or editions of Windows, this is a violation of the Windows end-user license agreement.
This is similar to installing the adminpak.msi on Windows 2000 or Windows XP client computers. There is one major difference: in Windows Vista and Windows 7, the tools are not automatically available after RSAT is downloaded and installed . You must enable the tools that you want to use by using the Control Panel. To do so, click Start, click Control Panel, click Programs and then click Turn Windows features on or off (as shown in the following figure).
However, in the RSAT releases for Windows 10, Windows 8.1, and Windows 8, tools are once again all enabled by default. You can open Turn Windows on or off to disable tools that you don't want to use. In RSAT for Windows 10, Windows 8.1, and Windows 8, GUI-based tools are accessed from within the Server Manager console, on the Tools menu.
For RSAT that runs on Windows Vista and Windows 7, after running the downloaded installation package, you must enable the tools for the roles and features that you want to manage (as shown in the following figure). You don't need to do this for RSAT for Windows 8 or later.
If you need to install management tools in Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2012 R2, or Windows Server 2016 Technical Preview for specific roles or features running on remote servers, there's no need to install additional software. Open the Add Features Wizard in Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2, or the Add Roles and Features Wizard in Windows Server 2012 and later releases, and on the Select Features page, expand Remote Server Administration Tools and select the tools that you want to install. Complete the wizard to install your management tools. See the following figure.
Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) and Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services (AD LDS) Tools includes Active Directory Administrative Center; Active Directory Domains and Trusts; Active Directory Sites and Services; Active Directory Users and Computers; ADSI Edit; Active Directory module for Windows PowerShell; and tools such as DCPromo.exe; LDP.exe; NetDom.exe; NTDSUtil.exe; RepAdmin.exe; DCDiag.exe; DSACLs.exe; DSAdd.exe; DSDBUtil.exe; DSMgmt.exe; DSMod.exe; DSMove.exe; DSQuery.exe; DSRm.exe; GPFixup.exe; KSetup.exe; KtPass.exe; NlTest.exe; NSLookup.exe; W32tm.exe.
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Best Practices Analyzer
Best Practices Analyzer cmdlets for Windows PowerShell
BitLocker Drive Encryption Administration Utilities
Manage-bde; Windows PowerShell cmdlets for BitLocker; BitLocker Recovery Password Viewer for Active Directory
DHCP Server Tools
DHCP Server Tools includes the DHCP Management Console, the DHCP Server cmdlet module for Windows Powershell, and the Netsh command-line tool.
DirectAccess, Routing and Remote Access
Routing and Remote Access management console; Connection Manager Administration Kit console; Remote Access provider for Windows PowerShell; Web Application Proxy
DNS Server Tools
DNS Server Tools include the DNS Manager snap-in, the DNS module for Windows PowerShell, and the Ddnscmd.exe command-line tool.
Failover Clustering Tools
Failover Clustering Tools include Failover Cluster Manager, Failover Clusters (Windows PowerShell Cmdlets), MSClus, Cluster.exe, Cluster-Aware Updating management console, Cluster-Aware Updating cmdlets for Windows PowerShell
GUI tools support Windows Server 2016 Technical Preview and Windows Server 2012 R2. Only PowerShell tools work on Windows Server 2012.
File Services Tools
File Services Tools include the following: Share and Storage Management Tools; Distributed File System Tools; File Server Resource Manager Tools; Services for NFS Administration Tools; iSCSI management cmdlets for Windows PowerShell; Work Folders Management Tools - Distributed File System Tools include the DFS Management snap-in, and the Dfsradmin.exe, Dfsrdiag.exe, Dfscmd.exe, Dfsdiag.exe, and Dfsutil.exe command-line tools and PowerShell modules for DFSN and DFSR - File Server Resource Manager tools include the File Server Resource Manager snap-in, and the Dirquota.exe, Filescrn.exe, and Storrept.exe command line tools.
The Share and Storage Management snap-in is deprecated after the release of Windows Server 2016.
Storage Replica is new in Windows Server 2016 Technical Preview, and won't work on WS12 R2 and WS12.
Group Policy Management Tools
Group Policy Management Tools include Group Policy Management Console, Group Policy Management Editor, and Group Policy Starter GPO Editor.
Group Policy has some new features in Windows Server 2016 Technical Preview which are not available on older operating systems.
Hyper-V Tools
Hyper-V Tools include the Hyper-V Manager snap-in and the Virtual Machine Connection remote access tool.
Hyper-V tools are not part of Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 10. These tools are available as part of Windows 10; there is no need to install RSAT to use them. The Hyper-V Manager console for Windows Server 2016 Technical Preview doesn’t support managing Hyper-V servers running Server 2008 or Server 2008 R2.
Hyper-V in Windows 10 can manage Hyper-V in Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows Server 2012.
IP Address Management (IPAM) Management Tools
IP Address Management client console
√ IPAM tools in Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 10 cannot be used to manage IPAM running on Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows Server 2012.
IPAM tools in Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 10 cannot be used to manage IPAM running on Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows Server 2012.
Network Adapter Teaming, or NIC Teaming
NIC Teaming management console
Network Controller
Network Controller PowerShell module
Not available
Network Load Balancing Tools
Network Load Balancing Tools include the Network Load Balancing Manager; Network Load Balancing Windows PowerShell Cmdlets; and the NLB.exe and WLBS.exe command line tools.
Remote Desktop Services Tools
Remote Desktop Services Tools include the Remote Desktop snap-ins; RD Gateway Manager, tsgateway.msc; RD Licensing Manager, licmgr.exe; RD Licensing Diagnoser, lsdiag.msc.
Use Server Manager for administration of all other RDS role services except RD Gateway and RD Licensing.
Server for NIS Tools
Server for NIS Tools includes an extension to the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in, and the Ypclear.exe command-line tool
These tools are not available in RSAT for Windows 10 and later releases.
Server Manager
Server Manager includes the Server Manager console.
Remote management with Server Manager is available in Windows Server 2016 Technical Preview, Windows Server 2012 R2, and Windows Server 2012.
SMTP Server Tools
SMTP Server Tools include the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) snap-in.
These tools are not available in RSAT for Windows 8 and later releases.
Storage Explorer Tools
Storage Explorer Tools include the Storage Explorer snap-in.
Storage Manager for Storage Area Networks (SANs) Tools
Storage Manager for SANs Tools include the Storage Manager for SANs snap-in and the Provisionstorage.exe command-line tool.
Volume Activation
Manage Volume Activation, vmw.exe
Windows System Resource Manager Tools
Windows System Resource Manager Tools include the Windows System Resource Manager snap-in and the Wsrmc.exe command-line tool.
WSRM has been deprecated in Windows Server 2012 R2, and tools for managing WSRM are not available in Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 8.1. and later releases of RSAT.
Windows Server Update Services Tools
Windows Server Update Services Tools include the Windows Server Update Services snap-in, WSUS.msc, and PowerShell cmdlets.
Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) and Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services (AD LDS) Tools includes Active Directory Administrative Center; Active Directory Domains and Trusts; Active Directory Sites and Services; Active Directory Users and Computers; ADSI Edit; DCPromo.exe; LDP.exe; NetDom.exe; NTDSUtil.exe; RepAdmin.exe; Active Directory module for Windows PowerShell; DCDiag.exe; DSACLs.exe; DSAdd.exe; DSDBUtil.exe; DSMgmt.exe; DSMod.exe; DSMove.exe; DSQuery.exe; DSRm.exe;
- Server for NIS Tools includes an extension to the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in, and the Ypclear.exe command-line tool.
Identity Management for UNIX, which includes Server for NIS, is deprecated in Windows Server 2012 R2, and tools for managing these features are no longer available in RSAT for Windows 8.1.
Windows PowerShell module does not run on WS08 and WS08 R2
Failover Cluster Manager runs only on Windows Server 2012. The Windows PowerShell cmdlet set supports Windows Server 2012 and WS08R2. MSClus and Cluster.EXE support Windows Server 2012, WS08R2 and WS08.
iSCSI cmdlets for Windows PowerShell can be used to manage iSCSI on Windows Server 2012 only.
IPAM tools in Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 8.1 cannot be used to manage IPAM running on Windows Server 2012.
Server Manager should be used for administration of all other RDS role services except RD Gateway and RD Licensing.
Remote management with Server Manager is available in Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows Server 2012.
WSRM has been deprecated in Windows Server 2012 R2, and thus tools for managing WSRM are not available in Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 8.1.
Reference: KB 858830