Administer a Server Core server

Applies to: Windows Server (Semi-Annual Channel) and Windows Server 2016

Because Server Core doesn't have a UI, you need to use Windows PowerShell cmdlets, command line tools, or remote tools to perform basic administration tasks. The following sections outline the PowerShell cmdlets and commands used for basic tasks. You can also use Windows Admin Center, a unified management portal currently in public preview, to administer your installation.

First from the cmd prompt start PowerShell

C:\Users\Administrator> powershell

PS C:\Users\Administrator> 

Administrative tasks using PowerShell cmdlets

Use the following information to perform basic administrative tasks with Windows PowerShell cmdlets.

Set a static IP address

When you install a Server Core server, by default it has A DHCP address. If you need a static IP address, you can set it using the following steps.

To view your current network configuration, use Get-NetIPConfiguration.

To view the IP addresses you're already using, use Get-NetIPAddress.

To set a static IP address, do the following:

  1. Run Get-NetIPInterface.

  2. Note the number in the IfIndex column for your IP interface or the InterfaceDescription string. If you have more than one network adapter, note the number or string corresponding to the interface you want to set the static IP address for.

  3. Run the following cmdlet to set the static IP address:

    PowerShell

    New-NetIPaddress -InterfaceIndex 12 -IPAddress 192.0.2.2 -PrefixLength 24 -DefaultGateway 192.0.2.1
    

    where:

    • InterfaceIndex is the value of IfIndex from step 2. (In our example, 12)
    • IPAddress is the static IP address you want to set. (In our example, 191.0.2.2)
    • PrefixLength is the prefix length (another form of subnet mask) for the IP address you're setting. (For our example, 24)
    • DefaultGateway is the IP address to the default gateway. (For our example, 192.0.2.1)
  4. Run the following cmdlet to set the DNS client server address:

    PowerShell

    Set-DNSClientServerAddress –InterfaceIndex 12 -ServerAddresses 192.0.2.4
    

    where:

    • InterfaceIndex is the value of IfIndex from step 2.
    • ServerAddresses is the IP address of your DNS server.
  5. To add multiple DNS servers, run the following cmdlet:

    PowerShell

    Set-DNSClientServerAddress –InterfaceIndex 12 -ServerAddresses 192.0.2.4,192.0.2.5
    

    where, in this example, 192.0.2.4 and 192.0.2.5 are both IP addresses of DNS servers.

If you need to switch to using DHCP, run Set-DnsClientServerAddress –InterfaceIndex 12 –ResetServerAddresses.

Join a domain

Use the following cmdlets to join a computer to a domain.

  1. Run Add-Computer. You'll be prompted for both credentials to join the domain and the domain name.

  2. If you need to add a domain user account to the local Administrators group, run the following command at a command prompt (not in the PowerShell window):

    net localgroup administrators /add <DomainName>\<UserName>

  3. Restart the computer. You can do this by running Restart-Computer.

Rename the server

Use the following steps to rename the server.

  1. Determine the current name of the server with the hostname or ipconfig command.
  2. Run Rename-Computer -ComputerName <new_name>.
  3. Restart the computer.

Activate the server

Run slmgr.vbs –ipk<productkey>. Then run slmgr.vbs –ato. If activation succeeds, you won't get a message.

 Note

You can also activate the server by phone, using a Key Management Service (KMS) server, or remotely. To activate remotely, run the following cmdlet from a remote computer:

PowerShell

**cscript windows\system32\slmgr.vbs <ServerName> <UserName> <password>:-ato**

Configure Windows Firewall

You can configure Windows Firewall locally on the Server Core computer using Windows PowerShell cmdlets and scripts. See NetSecurity for the cmdlets you can use to configure Windows Firewall.

Enable Windows PowerShell remoting

You can enable Windows PowerShell Remoting, in which commands typed in Windows PowerShell on one computer run on another computer. Enable Windows PowerShell Remoting with Enable-PSRemoting.

For more information, see About Remote FAQ.

Administrative tasks from the command line

Use the following reference information to perform administrative tasks from the command line.

Configuration and installation

Task Command
Set the local administrative password net user administrator *
Join a computer to a domain netdom join %computername% /domain:<domain> /userd:<domain\username> /passwordd:
Restart the computer.
Confirm that the domain has changed set
Remove a computer from a domain netdom remove <computername>
Add a user to the local Administrators group net localgroup Administrators /add <domain\username>
Remove a user from the local Administrators group net localgroup Administrators /delete <domain\username>
Add a user to the local computer net user <domain\username> * /add
Add a group to the local computer net localgroup <group name> /add
Change the name of a domain-joined computer netdom renamecomputer %computername% /NewName:<new computer name> /userd:<domain\username> /passwordd: *
Confirm the new computer name set
Change the name of a computer in a work group netdom renamecomputer <currentcomputername> /NewName:<newcomputername> 
Restart the computer.
Disable paging file management wmic computersystem where name="<computername>" set AutomaticManagedPagefile=False
Configure the paging file wmic pagefileset where name=”<path/filename>” set InitialSize=<initialsize>,MaximumSize=<maxsize> 
Where path/filename is the path to and name of the paging file, initialsize is the starting size of the paging file, in bytes, and maxsize is the maximum size of the page file, in bytes.
Change to a static IP address ipconfig /all 
Record the relevant information or redirect it to a text file (ipconfig /all >ipconfig.txt).
netsh interface ipv4 show interfaces
Verify that there is an interface list.
netsh interface ipv4 set address name <ID from interface list> source=static address=<preferred IP address> gateway=<gateway address>
Run ipconfig /all to verify that DHCP enabled is set to No.
Set a static DNS address. netsh interface ipv4 add dnsserver name=<name or ID of the network interface card> address=<IP address of the primary DNS server> index=1 
netsh interface ipv4 add dnsserver name=<name of secondary DNS server> address=<IP address of the secondary DNS server> index=2** 
Repeat as appropriate to add additional servers.
Run ipconfig /all to verify that the addresses are correct.
Change to a DHCP-provided IP address from a static IP address netsh interface ipv4 set address name=<IP address of local system> source=DHCP 
Run ipconfig /all to verify that DCHP enabled is set to Yes.
Enter a product key slmgr.vbs –ipk <product key>
Activate the server locally slmgr.vbs -ato
Activate the server remotely cscript slmgr.vbs –ipk <product key><server name><username><password> 
cscript slmgr.vbs -ato <servername> <username> <password> 
Get the GUID of the computer by running cscript slmgr.vbs -did 
Run cscript slmgr.vbs -dli <GUID> 
Verify that License status is set to Licensed (activated).

Networking and firewall

Task Command
Configure your server to use a proxy server netsh Winhttp set proxy <servername>:<port number> 
Note: Server Core installations can't access the Internet through a proxy that requires a password to allow connections.
Configure your server to bypass the proxy for Internet addresses netsh winttp set proxy <servername>:<port number> bypass-list="<local>"
Display or modify IPSEC configuration netsh ipsec
Display or modify NAP configuration netsh nap
Display or modify IP to physical address translation arp
Display or configure the local routing table route
View or configure DNS server settings nslookup
Display protocol statistics and current TCP/IP network connections netstat
Display protocol statistics and current TCP/IP connections using NetBIOS over TCP/IP (NBT) nbtstat
Display hops for network connections pathping
Trace hops for network connections tracert
Display the configuration of the multicast router mrinfo
Enable remote administration of the firewall netsh advfirewall firewall set rule group=”Windows Firewall Remote Management” new enable=yes

Updates, error reporting, and feedback

Task Command
Install an update wusa <update>.msu /quiet
List installed updates systeminfo
Remove an update expand /f:* <update>.msu c:\test 
Navigate to c:\test\ and open <update>.xml in a text editor.
Replace Install with Remove and save the file.
pkgmgr /n:<update>.xml
Configure automatic updates To verify the current setting: cscript %systemroot%\system32\scregedit.wsf /AU /v **
To enable automatic updates: **cscript scregedit.wsf /AU 4
 
To disable automatic updates: cscript %systemroot%\system32\scregedit.wsf /AU 1
Enable error reporting To verify the current setting: serverWerOptin /query 
To automatically send detailed reports: serverWerOptin /detailed 
To automatically send summary reports: serverWerOptin /summary 
To disable error reporting: serverWerOptin /disable
Participate in the Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP) To verify the current setting: serverCEIPOptin /query 
To enable CEIP: serverCEIPOptin /enable 
To disable CEIP: serverCEIPOptin /disable

Services, processes, and performance

Task Command
List the running services sc query or net start
Start a service sc start <service name> or net start <service name>
Stop a service sc stop <service name> or net stop <service name>
Retrieve a list of running applications and associated processes tasklist
Start Task Manager taskmgr
Create and manage event trace session and performance logs To create a counter, trace, configuration data collection or API: logman ceate 
To query data collector properties: logman query 
To start or stop data collection: logman start|stop 
To delete a collector: logman delete 
To update the properties of a collector: logman update 
To import a data collector set from an XML file or export it to an XML file: logman import|export

Event logs

Task Command
List event logs wevtutil el
Query events in a specified log wevtutil qe /f:text <log name>
Export an event log wevtutil epl <log name>
Clear an event log wevtutil cl <log name>

Disk and file system

Task Command
Manage disk partitions For a complete list of commands, run diskpart /?
Manage software RAID For a complete list of commands, run diskraid /?
Manage volume mount points For a complete list of commands, run mountvol /?
Defragment a volume For a complete list of commands, run defrag /?
Convert a volume to the NTFS file system convert <volume letter> /FS:NTFS
Compact a file For a complete list of commands, run compact /?
Administer open files For a complete list of commands, run openfiles /?
Administer VSS folders For a complete list of commands, run vssadmin /?
Administer the file system For a complete list of commands, run fsutil /?
Take ownership of a file or folder For a complete list of commands, run icacls /?

Hardware

Task Command
Add a driver for a new hardware device Copy the driver to a folder at %homedrive%\<driver folder>. Run pnputil -i -a %homedrive%\<driver folder>\<driver>.inf
Remove a driver for a hardware device For a list of loaded drivers, run sc query type= driver. Then run sc delete <service_name>

 

Manage a Server Core server

You can manage a Server Core server in the following ways:

You can also add hardware and manage drivers locally, as long as you do that from the command line.

There are some important limitations and tips to keep in mind when you work with Server Core:

Managing Server Core with Windows Admin Center

Windows Admin Center is a browser-based management app that enables on-premises administration of Windows Servers with no Azure or cloud dependency. Windows Admin Center gives you full control over all aspects of your server infrastructure and is particularly useful for management on private networks that are not connected to the Internet. You can install Windows Admin Center on Windows 10, on a gateway server, or on an installation of Windows Server with Desktop Experience, and then connect to the Server Core system that you want to manage.

Managing Server Core remotely with Server Manager

Server Manager is a management console in Windows Server that helps you provision and manage both local and remote Windows-based servers from your desktops, without requiring either physical access to servers, or the need to enable Remote Desktop protocol (RDP) connections to each server. Server Manager supports remote, multi-server management.

To enable your local server to be managed by Server Manager running on a remote server, run the Windows PowerShell cmdlet Configure-SMRemoting.exe –Enable.

Managing with Microsoft Management Console

You can use many snap-ins for Microsoft Management Console (MMC) remotely to manage your Server Core server.

To use an MMC snap-in to manage a Server Core server that is a domain member:

To use an MMC snap-in to manage a Server Core server that is not a domain member:

To configure Windows Firewall to allow MMC snap-in(s) to connect

To allow all MMC snap-ins to connect, run the following command:

Enable-NetFirewallRule -DisplayGroup "Remote Administration"

To allow only specific MMC snap-ins to connect, run the following:

 

Enable-NetFirewallRule -DisplayGroup "<rulegroup>"

Where rulegroup is one of the following, depending on which snap-in you want to connect:

MMC snap-in Rule group
Event Viewer Remote Event Log Management
Services Remote Service Management
Shared Folders File and Printer Sharing
Task Scheduler Performance Logs and Alerts, File and Printer Sharing
Disk Management Remote Volume Management
Windows Firewall and Advanced Security Windows Firewall Remote Management

 Note

Some MMC snap-ins don't have a corresponding rule group that allows them to connect through the firewall. However, enabling the rule groups for Event Viewer, Services, or Shared Folders will allow most other snap-ins to connect.

Additionally, certain snap-ins require further configuration before they can connect through Windows Firewall:

Managing with Remote Desktop Services

You can use Remote Desktop to manage a Server Core server from remote computers.

Before you can access Server Core, you'll need to run the following command:

cscript C:\Windows\System32\Scregedit.wsf /ar 0

This enables the Remote Desktop for Administration mode to accept connections.

Add hardware and manage drivers locally

To add hardware to a Server Core server, follow the instructions provided by the hardware vendor for installing new hardware.

If the hardware is not plug and play, you'll need to manually install the driver. To do that, copy the driver files to a temporary location on the server, and then run the following command:

pnputil –i –a <driverinf>

Where driverinf is the file name of the .inf file for the driver.

If prompted, restart the computer.

To see what drivers are installed, run the following command:

sc query type= driver

 Note

You must include the space after the equal sign for the command to complete successfully.

To disable a device driver, run the following:

sc delete <service_name>

Where service_name is the name of the service that you got when you ran sc query type= driver.

  • Using Windows Admin Center
  • Using Remote Server Administration Tools running on Windows 10
  • Locally and remotely using Windows PowerShell
  • Remotely using Server Manager
  • Remotely using an MMC snap-in
  • Remotely with Remote Desktop Services
  • If you close all command prompt windows and want to open a new Command Prompt window, you can do that from the Task Manager. Press CTRL+ALT+DELETE, click Start Task Manager, click More Details > File > Run, and then type cmd.exe. (Type Powershell.exe to open a PowerShell command windows.) Alternatively, you can sign out and then sign back in.
  • Any command or tool that attempts to start Windows Explorer will not work. For example, running start . from a command prompt won't work.
  • There is no support for HTML rendering or HTML help in Server Core.
  • Server Core supports Windows Installer in quiet mode so that you can install tools and utilities from Windows Installer files. When installing Windows Installer packages on Server Core, use the /qb option to display the basic user interface.
  • To change the time zone, run Set-Date.
  • To change international settings, run control intl.cpl.
  • Control.exe won't run on its own. You must run it with either Timedate.cpl or Intl.cpl.
  • Winver.exe isn't available in Server Core. To obtain version information use Systeminfo.exe.
  1. Start an MMC snap-in, such as Computer Management.
  2. Right-click the snap-in, and then click Connect to another computer.
  3. Type the computer name of the Server Core server, and then click OK. You can now use the MMC snap-in to manage the Server Core server as you would any other PC or server.
  4. Establish alternate credentials to use to connect to the Server Core computer by typing the following command at a command prompt on the remote computer:

  5. cmdkey /add:<ServerName> /user:<UserName> /pass:<password>

    If you want to be prompted for a password, omit the /pass option.

  6. When prompted, type the password for the user name you specified. If the firewall on the Server Core server is not already configured to allow MMC snap-ins to connect, follow the steps below to configure Windows Firewall to allow MMC snap-in. Then continue with step 3.

  7. On a different computer, start an MMC snap-in, such as Computer Management.

  8. In the left pane, right-click the snap-in, and then click Connect to another computer. (For example, in the Computer Management example, you would right-click Computer Management (Local).)

  9. In Another computer, type the computer name of the Server Core server, and then click OK. You can now use the MMC snap-in to manage the Server Core server as you would any other computer running a Windows Server operating system.

  • Disk Management. You must first start the Virtual Disk Service (VDS) on the Server Core computer. You must also configure the Disk Management rules appropriately on the computer that is running the MMC snap-in.
  • IP Security Monitor. You must first enable remote management of this snap-in. To do this, at a command prompt, type Cscript \windows\system32\scregedit.wsf /im 1
  • Reliability and Performance. The snap-in does not require any further configuration, but when you use it to monitor a Server Core computer, you can only monitor performance data. Reliability data is not available.

Patch a Server Core installation

 

You can patch a server running Server Core installation in the following ways:

View the updates installed on your Server Core server

Before you add a new update to Server Core, it's a good idea to see what updates have already been installed.

To view updates by using Windows PowerShell, run Get-Hotfix.

To view updates by running a command, run systeminfo.exe. There might be a short delay while the tool inspects your system.

You can also run wmic qfe list from the command line.

Patch Server Core automatically with Windows Update

Use the following steps to patch the server automatically with Windows Update:

If the server is a member of a domain, you can also configure Windows Update using Group Policy. For more information, see https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=192470. However, when you use this method, only option 4 ("Auto download and schedule the install") is relevant to Server Core installations because of the lack of a graphical interface. For more control over which updates are installed and when, you can use a script which provides a command-line equivalent of most of the Windows Update graphical interface. For information about the script, see https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=192471.

To force Windows Update to immediately detect and install any available updates, run the following command:

Wuauclt /detectnow 

Depending on the updates that are installed, you may need to restart the computer, although the system will not notify you of this. To determine if the installation process has completed, use Task Manager to verify that the Wuauclt or Trusted Installerprocesses are not actively running. You can also use the methods in View the updates installed on your Server Core server to check the list of installed updates.

Patch the server with WSUS

If the Server Core server is a member of a domain, you can configure it to use a WSUS server with Group Policy. For more information, download the Group Policy reference information. You can also review Configure Group Policy Settings for Automatic Updates

Patch the server manually

Download the update and make it available to the Server Core installation. At a command prompt, run the following command:

Wusa <update>.msu /quiet 

Depending on the updates that are installed, you may need to restart the computer, although the system will not notify you of this.

To uninstall an update manually, run the following command:

Wusa /uninstall <update>.msu /quiet 
  • Using Windows Update automatically or with Windows Server Update Services (WSUS). By using Windows Update, either automatically or with command-line tools, or Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), you can service servers running a Server Core installation.

  • Manually. Even in organizations that do not use Windows update or WSUS, you can apply updates manually.

  1. Verify the current Windows Update setting:

    %systemroot%\system32\Cscript scregedit.wsf /AU /v 
    
  2. To enable automatic updates:

    Net stop wuauserv 
    %systemroot%\system32\Cscript scregedit.wsf /AU 4 
    Net start wuauserv
    
  3. To disable automatic updates, run:

    Net stop wuauserv 
    %systemroot%\system32\Cscript scregedit.wsf /AU 1 
    Net start wuauserv 
    

 

Server Manager

Server Manager is a management console in Windows Server that helps IT professionals provision and manage both local and remote Windows-based servers from their desktops, without requiring either physical access to servers, or the need to enable Remote Desktop protocol (rdP) connections to each server. Although Server Manager is available in Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows Server 2008, Server Manager was updated in Windows Server 2012 to support remote, multi-server management, and help increase the number of servers an administrator can manage.

In our tests, Server Manager in Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2012 R2, and Windows Server 2012 can be used to manage up to 100 servers, depending on the workloads that the servers are running. The number of servers that you can manage by using a single Server Manager console can vary depending on the amount of data that you request from managed servers, and hardware and network resources available to the computer running Server Manager. As the amount of data you want to display approaches that computer's resource capacity, you can experience slow responses from Server Manager, and delays in the completion of refreshes. To help increase the number of servers that you can manage by using Server Manager, we recommend limiting the event data that Server Manager gets from your managed servers, by using settings in the Configure Event Data dialog box. Configure Event Data can be opened from the Tasks menu in the Events tile. If you need to manage an enterprise-level number of servers in your organization, we recommend evaluating products in the Microsoft System Center suite.

This topic and its subtopics provide information about how to use features in the Server Manager console. This topic contains the following sections.

Review initial considerations and system requirements

The following sections list some initial considerations that you need to review, as well as hardware and software requirements for Server Manager.

Hardware requirements

Server Manager is installed by default with all editions of Windows Server 2016. No additional hardware requirements exist for Server Manager.

Software and configuration requirements

Server Manager is installed by default with all editions of Windows Server 2016. You can use Server Manager in Windows Server 2016 to manage Server Core installation options of Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2012 , and Windows Server 2008 R2 that are running on remote computers. Server Manager does run on the Server Core installation option of Windows Server 2016.

Server Manager runs in the Minimal Server Graphical Interface; that is, when the Server Graphical Shell feature is not installed. The Server Graphical Shell feature is not installed by default on Windows Server 2016. If you are not running Server Graphical Shell, the Server Manager console runs, but some applications or tools available from the console are not available. Internet browsers cannot run without Server Graphical Shell, so webpages and applications such as HTML help (The mmc F1 help, for example) cannot be opened. You cannot open dialog boxes for configuring Windows automatic updating and feedback when Server Graphical Shell is not installed; commands that open these dialog boxes in the Server Manager console are redirected to run sconfig.cmd.

To manage servers that are running Windows Server releases older than Windows Server 2016, install the following software and updates to make the older releases of Windows Server manageable by using Server Manager in Windows Server 2016.

Operating System Required Software
Windows Server 2012 R2 or Windows Server 2012 .NET Framework 4.6
Windows Management Framework 5.0. The Windows Management Framework 5.0 download package updates Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) providers on Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows Server 2012 . The updated WMI providers let Server Manager collect information about roles and features that are installed on the managed servers. Until the update is applied, servers that are running Windows Server 2012 R2 or Windows Server 2012 have a manageability status of Not accessible.
- The performance update associated with Knowledge Base article 2682011 is no longer necessary on servers that are running Windows Server 2012 R2 or Windows Server 2012 .
Windows Server 2008 R2 .NET Framework 4.5
Windows Management Framework 4.0. The Windows Management Framework 4.0 download package updates Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) providers on Windows Server 2008 R2 . The updated WMI providers let Server Manager collect information about roles and features that are installed on the managed servers. Until the update is applied, servers that are running Windows Server 2008 R2 have a manageability status of Not accessible.
- The performance update associated with Knowledge Base article 2682011 lets Server Manager collect performance data from Windows Server 2008 R2 .
Windows Server 2008 .NET Framework 4
Windows Management Framework 3.0 The Windows Management Framework 3.0 download package updates Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) providers on Windows Server 2008 . The updated WMI providers let Server Manager collect information about roles and features that are installed on the managed servers. Until the update is applied, servers that are running Windows Server 2008 have a manageability status of Not accessible - verify earlier versions run Windows Management Framework 3.0.
- The performance update associated with Knowledge Base article 2682011 lets Server Manager collect performance data from Windows Server 2008 .

Manage remote computers from a client computer

The Server Manager console is included with Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 10. Note that when Remote Server Administration Tools is installed on a client computer, you cannot manage the local computer by using Server Manager; Server Manager cannot be used to manage computers or devices that are running a Windows client operating system. You can only use Server Manager to manage Windows-based servers.

Server Manager Source Operating System Targeted at Windows Server 2016 Targeted at Windows Server 2012 R2 Targeted at Windows Server 2012 Targeted at Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows Server 2008 Targeted at Windows Server 2003
Windows 10 or Windows Server 2016 Full support Full support Full support After Software and configuration requirements are satisfied, can perform most management tasks, but no role or feature installation or uninstallation Not supported
Windows 8.1 or Windows Server 2012 R2 Not supported Full support Full support After Software and configuration requirements are satisfied, can perform most management tasks, but no role or feature installation or uninstallation Limited support; online and offline status only
Windows 8 or Windows Server 2012 Not supported Not supported Full support After Software and configuration requirements are satisfied, can perform most management tasks, but no role or feature installation or uninstallation Limited support; online and offline status only
To start Server Manager on a client computer

for more information about running Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 10 to manage remote servers, see Remote Server Administration Tools on the TechNet Wiki.

Configure remote management on servers that you want to manage

 Important

By default, Server Manager and Windows PowerShell remote management is enabled in Windows Server 2016.

To perform management tasks on remote servers by using Server Manager, remote servers that you want to manage must be configured to allow remote management by using Server Manager and Windows PowerShell. If remote management has been disabled on Windows Server 2012 R2 or Windows Server 2012 , and you want to enable it again, perform the following steps.

To configure Server Manager remote management on Windows Server 2012 R2 or Windows Server 2012 by using the Windows interface
To enable Server Manager remote management on Windows Server 2012 R2 or Windows Server 2012 by using Windows PowerShell
To enable Server Manager and Windows PowerShell remote management on older operating systems

Tasks that you can perform in Server Manager

Server Manager makes server administration more efficient by allowing administrators to do tasks in the following table by using a single tool. In Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows Server 2012 , both standard users of a server and members of the Administrators group can perform management tasks in Server Manager, but by default, standard users are prevented from performing some tasks, as shown in the following table.

Administrators can use two Windows PowerShell cmdlets in the Server Manager cmdlet module, Enable-ServerManagerStandardUserremoting and Disable-ServerManagerStandardUserremoting, to further control standard user access to some additional data. The Enable-ServerManagerStandardUserremoting cmdlet can provide one or more standard, non-Administrator users access to event, service, performance counter, and role and feature inventory data.

 Important

Server Manager cannot be used to manage a newer release of the Windows Server operating system. Server Manager running on Windows Server 2012 or Windows 8 cannot be used to manage servers that are running Windows Server 2012 R2 .

Task Description Administrators (including the built-in Administrator account) Standard Server Users
add remote servers to a pool of servers that Server Manager can be used to manage. Yes No
create and edit custom groups of servers, such as servers that are in a specific geographic location or serve a specific purpose. Yes Yes
Install or uninstall roles, role services, and features on the local or on remote servers that are running Windows Server 2012 R2 or Windows Server 2012 . For definitions of roles, role services, and features, see Roles, Role Services, and Features. Yes No
View and make changes to server roles and features that are installed on either local or remote servers. Note: In Server Manager, role and feature data is displayed in the base language of the system, also called the system default GUI language, or the language selected during installation of the operating system. Yes Standard users can view and manage roles and features, and perform tasks such as viewing role events, but cannot add or remove role services.
start management tools such as Windows PowerShell or mmc snap-ins. You can start a Windows PowerShell session targeted at a remote server by right-clicking the server in the Servers tile, and then clicking Windows PowerShell. You can start mmc snap-ins from the Tools menu of the Server Manager console, and then point the mmc toward a remote computer after the snap-in is open. Yes Yes
Manage remote servers with different credentials by right-clicking a server in the Servers tile, and then clicking Manage As. You can use Manage As for general server and File and Storage Services management tasks. Yes No
Perform management tasks associated with the operational lifecycle of servers, such as starting or stopping services; and start other tools that allow you to configure a server's network settings, users and groups, and Remote Desktop connections. Yes Standard users cannot start or stop services. They can change the local server's name, workgroup, or domain membership and Remote Desktop settings, but are prompted by User Account Control to provide Administrator credentials before they can complete these tasks. They cannot change remote management settings.
Perform management tasks associated with the operational lifecycle of roles that are installed on servers, including scanning roles for compliance with best practices. Yes Standard users cannot run Best Practices Analyzer scans.
Determine server status, identify critical events, and analyze and troubleshoot configuration issues or failures. Yes Yes
Customize the events, performance data, services, and Best Practices Analyzer results about which you want to be alerted on the Server Manager dashboard. Yes Yes
Restart servers. Yes No
Refresh data that is displayed in the Server Manager console about managed servers. Yes No

 Note

Server Manager cannot be used to add roles and features to servers that are running Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows Server 2008 .

start Server Manager

Server Manager starts automatically by default on servers that are running Windows Server 2016 when a member of the Administrators group logs on to a server. If you close Server Manager, restart it in one of the following ways. This section also contains steps for changing the default behavior, and preventing Server Manager from starting automatically.

To start Server Manager from the start screen

To start Server Manager from the Windows desktop

To prevent Server Manager from starting automatically

Restart remote servers

You can restart a remote server from the Servers tile of a role or group page in Server Manager.

 Important

Restarting a remote server forces the server to restart, even if users are still logged on to the remote server, and even if programs with unsaved data are still open. This behavior is different from shutting down or restarting the local computer, on which you would be prompted to save unsaved program data, and verify that you wanted to force logged-on users to log off. Be sure that you can force other users to log off of remote servers, and that you can discard unsaved data in programs that are running on the remote servers.

if an automatic refresh occurs in Server Manager while a managed server is shutting down and restarting, refresh and manageability status errors can occur for the managed server, because Server Manager cannot connect to the remote server until it is finished restarting.

To restart remote servers in Server Manager

Export Server Manager settings to other computers

In Server Manager, your list of managed servers, changes to Server Manager console settings, and custom groups that you have created are stored in the following two files. You can reuse these settings on other computers that are running the same release of Server Manager (or Windows 10 with Remote Server Administration Tools installed). Remote Server Administration Tools must be running on Windows client-based computers to export Server Manager settings to those computers.

 Note

You can export Server Manager settings, make Server Manager settings portable, or use them on other computers in one of the following two ways.

To export Server Manager settings to other domain-joined computers

To export Server Manager settings to computers in workgroups

  1. Follow instructions in Remote Server Administration Tools to install Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 10.

  2. On the start screen, click Server Manager. The Server Manager tile is available after you install Remote Server Administration Tools.

  3. if neither the Administrative Tools nor the Server Manager tiles are displayed on the start screen after installing Remote Server Administration Tools, and searching for Server Manager on the start screen does not display results, verify that the Show administrative tools setting is turned on. To view this setting, hover the mouse cursor over the upper right corner of the start screen, and then click Settings. If Show administrative tools is turned off, turn the setting on to display tools that you have installed as part of Remote Server Administration Tools.

  4.  Note

    The settings that are controlled by the Configure remote Management dialog box do not affect parts of Server Manager that use DCOM for remote communications.

    Do one of the following to open Server Manager if it is not already open.

    • On the Windows taskbar, click the Server Manager button.

    • On the start screen, click Server Manager.

  5. In the Properties area of the Local Servers page, click the hyperlinked value for the remote management property.

  6. Do one of the following, and then click OK.

    • To prevent this computer from being managed remotely by using Server Manager (or Windows PowerShell if it is installed), clear the Enable remote management of this server from other computers check box.

    • To let this computer be managed remotely by using Server Manager or Windows PowerShell, select Enable remote management of this server from other computers.

  7. Do one of the following.

    • To run Windows PowerShell as an administrator from the start screen, right-click the Windows PowerShell tile, and then click Run as Administrator.

    • To run Windows PowerShell as an administrator from the desktop, right-click the Windows PowerShell shortcut in the taskbar, and then click Run as Administrator.

  8. type the following, and then press Enter to enable all required firewall rule exceptions.

    Configure-SMremoting.exe -Enable

     Note

    This command also works in a command prompt that has been opened with elevated user rights (Run as Administrator).

    if enabling remote management fails, see about_remote_Troubleshooting on Microsoft TechNet for troubleshooting tips and best practices.

  1. In the Server Manager console, on the Manage menu, click Server Manager Properties.

  2. In the Server Manager Properties dialog box, fill the check box for Do not start Server Manager automatically at logon. Click OK.

  3. Alternatively, you can prevent Server Manager from starting automatically by enabling the Group Policy setting, Do not start Server Manager automatically at logon. The path to this policy setting, in the Local Group Policy editor console, is computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\System\Server Manager.

  4. Open a role or server group home page in Server Manager.

  5. select one or more remote servers that you have added to Server Manager. Press and hold Ctrl as you click to select multiple servers at one time. For more information about how to add servers to the Server Manager server pool, see add Servers to Server Manager.

  6. Right-click selected servers, and then click Restart Server.

  • %appdata%\Microsoft\Windows\ServerManager\Serverlist.xml

  • %appdata%\Local\Microsoft_Corporation\ServerManager.exe_StrongName_GUID\6.2.0.0\user.config

  • Manage As (or alternate) credentials for servers in your server pool are not stored in the roaming profile. Server Manager users must add them on each computer from which they want to manage.
  • The network share roaming profile is not created until a user logs on to the network, and then logs off for the first time. The Serverlist.xml file is created at this time.
  • To export settings to another domain-joined computer, configure the Server Manager user to have a roaming profile in active directory Users and computers. You must be a Domain Administrator to change user properties in active directory Users and computers.

  • To export settings to another computer in a workgroup, copy the preceding two files to the same location on the computer from which you want to manage by using Server Manager.

  1. In active directory Users and computers, open the Properties dialog box for a Server Manager user.

  2. On the Profile tab, add a path to a network share to store the user's profile.

  3. Do one of the following.

    • On U.S. English (en-us) builds, changes to the Serverlist.xml file are automatically saved to the profile. Go on to the next step.

    • On other builds, copy the following two files from the computer that is running Server Manager to the network share that is part of the user's roaming profile.

      • %appdata%\Microsoft\Windows\ServerManager\Serverlist.xml

      • %localappdata%\Microsoft_Corporation\ServerManager.exe_StrongName_GUID\6.2.0.0\user.config

  4. Click OK to save your changes and close the Properties dialog box.

  • On a computer from which you want to manage remote servers, overwrite the following two files with the same files from another computer that is running Server Manager, and that has the settings you want.

    • %appdata%\Microsoft\Windows\ServerManager\Serverlist.xml

    • %localappdata%\Microsoft_Corporation\ServerManager.exe_StrongName_GUID\6.2.0.0\user.config

Remote Server Administration Tools

This topic supports Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 10.

 Important

Starting with Windows 10 October 2018 Update, RSAT is included as a set of Features on Demand in Windows 10 itself. See When to use which RSAT version below for installation instructions.

RSAT lets IT admins manage Windows Server roles and features from a Windows 10 PC.

Remote Server Administration Tools includes Server Manager, Microsoft Management Console (mmc) snap-ins, consoles, Windows PowerShell cmdlets and providers, and some command-line tools for managing roles and features that run on Windows Server.

Remote Server Administration Tools includes Windows PowerShell cmdlet modules that can be used to manage roles and features that are running on Remote servers. Although Windows PowerShell remote management is enabled by default on Windows Server 2016, it is not enabled by default on Windows 10. To run cmdlets that are part of Remote Server Administration Tools against a Remote server, run Enable-PSremoting in a Windows PowerShell session that has been opened with elevated user rights (that is, Run as Administrator) on your Windows client computer after installing Remote Server Administration Tools.

Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 10

Use Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 10 to manage specific technologies on computers that are running Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2012 R2, and in limited cases, Windows Server 2012 , or Windows Server 2008 R2 .

Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 10 includes support for remote management of computers that are running the Server Core installation option or the Minimal Server Interface configuration of Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2012 R2 , and in limited cases, the Server Core installation options of Windows Server 2012. However, Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 10 cannot be installed on any versions of the Windows Server operating system.

Tools available in this release

for a list of the tools available in Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 10, see the table in Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) for Windows operating systems.

System requirements

Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 10 can be installed only on computers that are running Windows 10. Remote Server Administration Tools cannot be installed on computers that are running Windows RT 8.1, or other system-on-chip devices.

Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 10 runs on both x86-based and x64-based editions of Windows 10.

 Important

Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 10 should not be installed on a computer that is running administration tools packs for Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003 or Windows 2000 Server. Remove all older versions of Administration Tools Pack or Remote Server Administration Tools, including earlier prerelease versions, and releases of the tools for different languages or locales from the computer before you install Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 10.

To use this release of Server Manager to access and manage Remote servers that are running Windows Server 2012 R2 , Windows Server 2012 , or Windows Server 2008 R2 , you must install several updates to make the older Windows Server operating systems manageable by using Server Manager. For detailed information about how to prepare Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2012, and Windows Server 2008 R2 for management by using Server Manager in Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 10, see Manage Multiple, Remote Servers with Server Manager.

Windows PowerShell and Server Manager remote management must be enabled on remote servers to manage them by using tools that are part of Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 10. Remote management is enabled by default on servers that are running Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2012 R2, and Windows Server 2012. For more information about how to enable remote management if it has been disabled, see Manage multiple, remote servers with Server Manager.

Install, uninstall and turn off/on RSAT tools

Use Features on Demand (FoD) to install specific RSAT tools on Windows 10 October 2018 Update, or later

Starting with Windows 10 October 2018 Update, RSAT is included as a set of Features on Demand right from Windows 10. Now, instead of downloading an RSAT package you can just go to Manage optional features in Settings and click Add a feature to see the list of available RSAT tools. Select and install the specific RSAT tools you need. To see installation progress, click the Back button to view status on the Manage optional features page.

See the list of RSAT tools available via Features on Demand. In addition to installing via the graphical Settings app, you can also install specific RSAT tools via command line or automation using DISM /Add-Capability.

One benefit of Features on Demand is that installed features persist across Windows 10 version upgrades!

To uninstall specific RSAT tools on Windows 10 October 2018 Update or later (after installing with FoD)

On Windows 10, open the Settings app, go to Manage optional features, select and uninstall the specific RSAT tools you wish to remove. Note that in some cases, you will need to manually uninstall dependencies. Specifically, if RSAT tool A is needed by RSAT tool B, then choosing to uninstall RSAT tool A will fail if RSAT tool B is still installed. In this case, uninstall RSAT tool B first, and then uninstall RSAT tool A. Also note that in some cases, uninstalling an RSAT tool may appear to succeed even though the tool is still installed. In this case, restarting the PC will complete the removal of the tool.

See the list of RSAT tools including dependencies. In addition to uninstalling via the graphical Settings app, you can also uninstall specific RSAT tools via command line or automation using DISM /Remove-Capability.

When to use which RSAT version

If you have a version of Windows 10 prior to the October 2018 Update (1809), you will not be able to use Features on Demand. You will need to download and install the RSAT package.

Download the RSAT package to install Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 10

To uninstall Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 10 (after RSAT package install)

Run Remote Server Administration Tools

 Note

After installing Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 10, the Administrative Tools folder is displayed on the Start menu. You can access the tools from the following locations.

The tools installed as part of Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 10 cannot be used to manage the local client computer. Regardless of the tool you run, you must specify a remote server, or multiple remote servers, on which to run the tool. Because most tools are integrated with Server Manager, you add remote servers that you want to manage to the Server Manager server pool before managing the server by using the tools in the Tools menu. For more information about how to add servers to your server pool, and create custom groups of servers, see Add servers to Server Manager and Create and manage server groups.

In Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 10, all GUI-based server management tools, such as mmc snap-ins and dialog boxes, are accessed from the Tools menu of the Server Manager console. Although the computer that runs Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 10 runs a client-based operating system, after installing the tools, Server Manager, included with Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 10, opens automatically by default on the client computer. Note that there is no Local Server page in the Server Manager console that runs on a client computer.

To start Server Manager on a client computer

Although they are not listed in the Server Manager console Tools menu, Windows PowerShell cmdlets and Command prompt management tools are also installed for roles and features as part of Remote Server Administration Tools. For example, if you open a Windows PowerShell session with elevated user rights (Run as Administrator), and run the cmdlet Get-Command -Module RDManagement, the results include a list of remote Desktop Services cmdlets that are now available to run on the local computer after installing Remote Server Administration Tools, as long as the cmdlets are targeted at a remote server that is running all or part of the remote Desktop Services role.

To start Windows PowerShell with elevated user rights (Run as administrator)

 Note

You can also start a Windows PowerShell session that is targeted at a specific server by right-clicking a managed server in a role or group page in Server Manager, and then clicking Windows PowerShell.

Known issues

Issue: RSAT FOD installation fails with error code 0x800f0954

Impact: RSAT FODs on Windows 10 1809 (October 2018 Update) in WSUS/SCCM environments

Resolution: To install FODs on a domain-joined PC which receives updates through WSUS or SCCM, you will need to change a Group Policy setting to enable downloading FODs directly from Windows Update or a local share. For more details and instructions on how to change that setting, see How to make Features on Demand and language packs available when you're using WSUS/SCCM.

  • Install RSAT FODs directly from Windows 10, as outlined above: When installing on Windows 10 October 2018 Update (1809) or later, for managing Windows Server 2019 or previous versions.

  • Download and install WS_1803 RSAT package, as outlined below: When installing on Windows 10 April 2018 Update (1803) or earlier, for managing Windows Server, version 1803 or Windows Server, version 1709.

  • Download and install WS2016 RSAT package, as outlined below: When installing on Windows 10 April 2018 Update (1803) or earlier, for managing Windows Server 2016 or previous versions.

  1. Download the Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 10 package from the Microsoft Download Center. You can either run the installer from the Download Center website, or save the download package to a local computer or share.

     Important

    You can only install Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 10 on computers that are running Windows 10. Remote Server Administration Tools cannot be installed on computers that are running Windows RT 8.1 or other system-on-chip devices.

  2. If you save the download package to a local computer or share, double-click the installer program, WindowsTH-KB2693643-x64.msu or WindowsTH-KB2693643-x86.msu, depending on the architecture of the computer on which you want to install the tools.

  3. When you are prompted by the Windows Update Standalone Installer dialog box to install the update, click Yes.

  4. Read and accept the license terms. Click I accept.

  5. Installation requires a few minutes to finish.

  6. On the desktop, click Start, click All Apps, click Windows System, and then click Control Panel.

  7. Under Programs, click Uninstall a program.

  8. Click View installed updates.

  9. Right-click Update for Microsoft Windows (KB2693643), and then click Uninstall.

  10. When you are asked if you are sure you want to uninstall the update, click Yes. S

    To turn off specific tools (after RSAT package install)
  11. On the desktop, click Start, click All Apps, click Windows System, and then click Control Panel.

  12. Click Programs, and then in Programs and Features click Turn Windows features on or off.

  13. In the Windows Features dialog box, expand Remote Server Administration Tools, and then expand either Role Administration Tools or Feature Administration Tools.

  14. Clear the check boxes for any tools that you want to turn off.

     Note

    If you turn off Server Manager, the computer must be restarted, and tools that were accessible from the Tools menu of Server Manager must be opened from the Administrative Tools folder.

  15. When you are finished turning off tools that you do not want to use, click OK.

  • The Tools menu in the Server Manager console.
  • Control Panel\System and Security\Administrative Tools.
  • A shortcut saved to the desktop from the Administrative Tools folder (to do this, right click the Control Panel\System and Security\Administrative Tools link, and then click Create Shortcut).
  1. On the Start menu, click All Apps, and then click Administrative Tools.

  2. In the Administrative Tools folder, click Server Manager.

  3. On the Start menu, click All Apps, click Windows System, and then click Windows PowerShell.

  4. To run Windows PowerShell as an administrator from the desktop, right-click the Windows PowerShell shortcut, and then click Run as Administrator.