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Installing Remote Server Administration Tools for AD DS

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Applies To: Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2

When you install Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) on a computer to create a domain controller, the administrative tools that you use to manage AD DS on the domain controller are installed automatically. If you want to manage domain controllers remotely from a computer that is not a domain controller, you can install Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) on a member server that is running Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2. You can also install RSAT on a computer that is running Windows Vista with Service Pack 1 (SP1) or on a computer that is running Windows 7. The RSAT component that you use to manage AD DS is Active Directory Domain Services Tools.

Installing Active Directory Domain Services Tools on a member server that is running Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2

You can use the following procedure to add the Active Directory Domain Services Tools component of RSAT to a member server.

Membership in Administrators, or equivalent, is the minimum required to complete this procedure. Review details about default group memberships at Active Directory Local and Domain Default Groups (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=150761).

To install Active Directory Domain Services Tools on a member server

  1. Open Server Manager. To open Server Manager, on the Start menu, click Administrative Tools, and then click Server Manager.

  2. In the console tree, right-click Features, and then click Add Features.

  3. In Features, expand Remote Service Administration Tools and Role Administration Tools:

    1. On a Windows Server 2008 member server, expand Active Directory Domain Services Tools, and then click Active Directory Domain Controllers Tools.

    2. On a Windows Server 2008 R2 member server, expand AD DS and AD LDS Tools, expand AD DS Tools, and then click AD DS Snap-Ins and Command-Line Tools.

  4. Click Next, review the installation information, and then click Install.

  5. If you are prompted to restart the computer, restart it before you continue with the next step. Click Yes to restart the server, or click No to restart the server later.

  6. After the server restarts, on the Installation Results page of the Resume Configuration Wizard, click Close. The Active Directory Domain Services Administration Tools are available on the Administrative Tools menu.

Installing Active Directory Domain Services Tools on a computer that is running Windows Vista with SP1

Windows Vista with SP1 does not ship with the RSAT installation file. You must first download the appropriate RSAT installation file. For instructions and links to the download locations for the tools, see article 931314 in the Microsoft Knowledge Base (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=116179).

Installing Active Directory Domain Services Tools on a computer that is running Windows 7

Windows 7 does not ship with RSAT installation files. You must first download the RSAT installation file. For instructions and links to the download locations for the tools, see Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 7 (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=167131).