If you’re an IT administrator at an organization, there’s a good chance you’ve heard about RSAT. Short for Remote Server Administration Tools, RSAT offers a suite of features that allows you to manage servers remotely, being critical to maintaining operations. RSAT isn’t installed in Windows by default, but you can enable it relatively easy through a few methods.
It’s worth noting that RSAT isn’t a single tool, but rather a collection of tools that can be installed individually, though we’ll also show you a way to install them all at once. One last note: RSAT is only available on Windows 11 Pro and higher SKUs. Home edition users won’t see it.
Windows 11: Everything you need to know
Windows 11 is the latest and greatest operating system from Microsoft, and it packs a ton of changes. Here’s what you need to know.
How to install RSAT in Windows 11 using the Settings app
The standard method for installing RSAT on Windows 11 is to use the Settings app. Here’s how it works:
- Open the Settings app.
- Click the System section on the sidebar.
- Scroll down and choose Optional features.
In earlier versions of Windows 11, this page can be found in the Apps section instead.
- Click View features next to Add an optional feature.
- Use the search bar to search for RSAT and select all the features you want to install.
- Click Next and then Install.
The RSAT features you selected will be installed on your PC, and you can verify this with the list of installed features on this page. You may need to restart your computer afterward.
How to install RSAT using Windows Terminal (Windows PowerShell)
If you prefer getting things done using the command line, you have the option to use Windows Terminal or Windows PowerShell. Terminal is usually the way to go, but you’ll have to make sure you’re running the PowerShell profile (which is the default). Follow these steps:
- Press Windows + X or right-click the Start button and then choose Terminal (Admin).
- To check the RSAT features that are available, enter this command (you can copy and paste it) and then press Enter:
Get-WindowsCapability -Name RSAT* -Online | Select-Object -Property DisplayName, State
- To install a single feature, use the following command, replacing DisplayName with the name shown on the list:
Add-WindowsCapability -Online -Name DisplayName
- To install all the RSAT features at once, use the following command:
Get-WindowsCapability -Name RSAT* -Online | Add-WindowsCapability -Online
This will install all the features whose name starts with RSAT.
- To install a single feature, use the following command, replacing DisplayName with the name shown on the list:
- To verify that the features have been installed, you can enter the command in step 2 again.
RSAT is just one of many important Windows tools
Thankfully, installing RSAT on Windows 11 is relatively easy as long as you have a compatible edition. As mentioned above, you’ll need to have Windows 11 Pro or higher to see these features, since they’re only meant for professional users. That’s also the case with features like Hyper-V (though you can enable it on Windows 11 Home), Windows Sandbox, and more.
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Windows 11 Home vs Windows 11 Pro: Here are the differences
Trying to choose between Windows 11 Home vs Pro? These are the main differences between the two editions you should be aware of.