RSAT 101: The complete beginner's guide

What is Remote Server Administration Tools?

Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) is a collection of snap-ins, such as Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS), DNS Server, DHCP Server, and File Services, that helps IT admins remotely manage Windows Server roles and features from a client computer. This tool enables administrators to easily perform administrative tasks from a Windows workstation itself instead of requiring them to log in directly to the server they need to manage.

What snap-ins are included in RSAT?

RSAT includes various tools:

• AD DS tools
• Active Directory Certificate Services tools
• Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services tools
• File Services tools
• DNS Server tools
• DHCP Server tools
• Remote Desktop Services
• Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration Services tools
• BitLocker Drive Encryption tools
• Storage Manager for SANs tools
• Group Policy Management tools
• Network Load Balancing tools

Prerequisites for installing RSAT

• RSAT can only be installed on computers running the Pro, Enterprise, or Education edition of Windows 11 or 10.
• To install RSAT features, your computer must have access to the internet because Windows may download required files from Microsoft servers during installation.
• Administrator privileges are required to install and enable RSAT features on both Windows 10 and Windows 11.

How to install RSAT on Windows 11 or 10

Installing RSAT on Windows 11 or 10 is quite easy when compared to earlier Windows versions as RSAT is now part of the operating system (OS) and can be installed from Windows Settings and PowerShell.

How to turn off tools that are not needed in RSAT

For Windows 11 and Windows 10 (version 1809 and later)

In these modern versions of Windows, RSAT can be managed easily from Windows Settings or using PowerShell.

Using Windows Settings

1. Navigate to Settings > Apps > Optional features.
2. Scroll through the list under Installed features or use the search bar to find the specific RSAT tool you want to remove. They will typically start with RSAT:.
3. You will see various RSAT tools listed. Check the box next to each specific RSAT component you wish to uninstall and click the Uninstall button that appears.

Using PowerShell

1. Launch PowerShell as an administrator.
2. To see all the currently installed RSAT components and their exact names, run the following:
   Click to copy script

   Get-WindowsCapability -Name "RSAT*" -Online | Where-Object {$_.State -eq "Installed"} | Select-Object DisplayName, Name
3. Use the Remove-WindowsCapability cmdlet with the exact name of the tool to uninstall a specific RSAT component:
   Click to copy script

   Remove-WindowsCapability -Online -Name Rsat.ActiveDirectory.DS-LDS.Tools~~~~0.0.1.0

For Windows 8.1 and 8

For these older OS versions, RSAT is installed as a package, and individual components are managed in the Control Panel.

1. Open the Control Panel and navigate to Programs > Programs and Features.
2. On the left-hand side, click Turn Windows features on or off.
3. In the Windows Features dialog box, scroll down and expand Remote Server Administration Tools.
4. Uncheck the boxes next to the specific RSAT tools you wish to turn off.
5. Click OK to apply the changes.

Known issues

Here are some common problems that you may encounter when working with RSAT:

• RSAT Features on Demand (FoDs) installation fails with error 0x800f0954: In Windows 10, version 1809, RSAT FoDs may fail to install due to Group Policy restrictions. Administrators must modify Group Policy settings to enable downloads from Windows Update or use a local source.
• The installation status or progress is not shown: In Windows 10, version 1809, the Settings app may not show the RSAT installation progress. You may need to navigate back to the Manage optional features page to view status updates.
• RSAT FoDs uninstallation may fail or leave tools installed: In Windows 10, version 1809, uninstalling RSAT components through the Settings app may fail due to dependency requirements that must be handled manually. For example, if one RSAT tool relies on another, you must manually remove the dependent component first. In some cases, tools may remain visible or partially functional until the system is restarted.
• RSAT FoDs uninstallation appears successful, but the tool remains installed: After an RSAT tool is uninstalled using the Settings app, it may still appear installed or continue to function. You can restart the computer to complete the removal process and ensure the tool is fully uninstalled.
• RSAT is missing after a Windows feature update: Upon Windows 10 upgrades or version changes, RSAT tools installed using older MSU installers may be removed. You must reinstall RSAT after feature upgrades to solve this issue.