Installing Remote Server Administration Tools

Applies To: Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2012

This section describes how to install the Active Directory Domain Services Tools that are part of the Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT). These tools are required to fully manage a Windows Server 2008 domain controller from a non-domain-controller computer. You can install these tools on a Windows Server 2008 member server or a Windows Vista with SP1 member workstation. You can install different types of tools to manage different types of server roles. As a best practice, you should install tools only for the server roles that you plan to manage remotely. This procedure explains how to install the Active Directory Domain Services Tools so you can remotely manage domain controllers.

Membership in the built-in Administrators group, or equivalent, is the minimum required to complete these procedures. Review details about using the appropriate accounts and group memberships at Local and Domain Default Groups (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=83477).

To install Active Directory Domain Services Tools on a server that runs Windows Server 2008

  1. Click Start, and then double-click Server Manager.

  2. If the User Account Control dialog box appears, confirm that the action it displays is what you want, and then click Continue. If you are logged on with an account that is not a member of the built-in Administrators group, you may be required to provide administrator credentials and then click OK.

  3. Under Features Summary, click Add Features.

  4. Double-click Remote Server Administration Tools, double-click Role Administration Tools, double-click Active Directory Domain Services Tools, and then click Next.

  5. Click Install.

    Restart the server to complete the installation.

To install Active Directory Domain Services Tools on a Windows Vista SP1 domain member computer

  1. You must be running at least Windows Vista with SP1 on the member workstation. You can then download the RSAT tools from the Microsoft Web site. For download information and installation information, see article 941314 in the Microsoft Knowledge Base (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=116179).

Important

If the Windows Server 2003 Administration Tools are installed, you must uninstall them before installing RSAT.

  1. After you have downloaded and installed the appropriate RSAT package for your platform from the Microsoft Web site, click Start, click Control Panel, click Programs, and then click Turn Windows features on or off.

  2. If the User Account Control dialog box appears, confirm that the action it displays is what you want, and then click Continue. If you are logged on with an account that is not a member of the built-in Administrators group, you may be required to provide administrator credentials, and then click OK.

  3. Expand the following: Remote Server Administration Tools, Role Administration Tools, and Active Directory Domain Services Tools.

  4. Select Active Directory Domain Controller Tools, as shown in the following figure.

  5. Click OK.

Displaying Administrative Tools

If you installed RSAT on Windows Vista with SP1 and you want to access the tools from the Start menu, you may have to configure the computer to display the tools.

To configure the Start menu to display the Administrative Tools shortcut

  1. Right-click Start, and then click Properties.

  2. On the Start Menu tab, click Customize.

  3. In the Customize Start Menu dialog box, scroll down to System administrative tools, and then click Display on the All Programs menu and the Start menu.

  4. Click OK.

    The Administrative Tools shortcut on the Start menu will have links to the graphical administration tools for Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS). The command line tools, such as Dsquery and Repadmin, will also be available at a Command Prompt.