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PowerShell does not make Windows features exist that are otherwise unavailable: Windows also provides Settings and other management tools. Its advantage is making feature discovery, enabling dependencies, and servicing repeatable—especially across multiple PCs or offline images. Here are four useful workflows, with the commands and prerequisites that matter.
1. Find optional features in Windows or an offline image
Windows optional features can be easy to overlook in Settings. PowerShell lets you list them, filter the results, and check a mounted Windows image before deployment. Microsoft documents Get-WindowsOptionalFeature for both the running operating system and image targets.
List and filter features on the current PC
Get-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online
Get-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName *Hyper-V*-Online targets the Windows installation currently running. The wildcard filter is useful when you know part of a feature name but not its full identifier. Check the returned feature names and states before trying to enable anything; a display name is not necessarily the exact value expected by an enable command. See Microsoft’s Get-WindowsOptionalFeature reference.
Inspect a mounted image
For an offline image, target its mounted path with -Path instead of -Online:
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Get-WindowsOptionalFeature -Path C:MountWindowsReplace the example path with the Windows directory in your actual mount. This makes it possible to inventory features before deploying an image, without confusing the image’s contents with those of the PC running PowerShell.
2. Enable a feature and its dependencies
Once you have the exact feature identifier, Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature can turn it on. Use an elevated PowerShell session; Windows management guidance requires elevation for these operations.
- Open Start, search for PowerShell, and select Run as administrator.
- Find the exact feature name using
Get-WindowsOptionalFeature -Onlineor a suitable filter. - Enable the feature and its default dependencies:
Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName <FeatureName> -All - Follow any restart prompt. A restart may be needed for the changed state to take effect.
Replace <FeatureName> with the actual identifier returned for the target installation. The -All parameter enables parent features and default dependencies; it does not mean “enable every optional feature.” Microsoft’s Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature reference documents online and offline servicing as well as source options.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsRank #2
Restore files from a source when needed
If Windows cannot find the files needed to enable a feature, supply a source containing the required files. For example:
Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName <FeatureName> -All -Source D:sourcessxs -LimitAccessUse a source appropriate to the Windows version and feature; the path above is only an example. -LimitAccess prevents the operation from contacting Windows Update to obtain source files, so use it only when the specified source is available and suitable. The command supports offline images as well, but the target and source paths must match the image you intend to service.
3. Enable Hyper-V from PowerShell
Hyper-V is a Windows optional feature, not a separate download. Microsoft’s documented command for enabling it on the current installation is:
Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Hyper-V -AllRun it in an elevated session, then restart when prompted. Before doing so, verify that the Windows release, edition, and hardware support Hyper-V. Microsoft’s client guidance lists Windows 10 or Windows 11 Pro or Enterprise, a 64-bit CPU with virtualization support and Second Level Address Translation (SLAT), and at least 4 GB of memory. Windows Home is not supported for this client installation path. Requirements and feature availability can vary by release, so check the guidance for your specific system: Microsoft’s Hyper-V installation guide, last updated May 26, 2025.
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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →PowerShell is particularly handy here if you need to check or enable the same component consistently on more than one compatible machine. It cannot bypass edition or hardware requirements.
4. Install RSAT capabilities and service image contents
Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) illustrates why “Windows feature” is not one universal technical category. Some components are optional features; RSAT tools are installed as Windows capabilities. A command that works for one category may not apply to the other.
Find and install an RSAT capability
Microsoft documents this query for finding tools among optional features:
Get-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName *tools*For the Server Manager RSAT capability, install the full capability name with Add-WindowsCapability:
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Add-WindowsCapability -Online -Name Rsat.ServerManager.Tools~~~~0.0.1.0Keep the full name, including the tilde characters and version suffix. The command targets the running OS; Microsoft’s Add-WindowsCapability reference covers the cmdlet and its parameters. Capability availability can depend on the Windows release and configuration.
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Use DISM PowerShell for deployment work
For image preparation, repair, or administration, the DISM PowerShell module provides commands for querying and servicing Windows images, packages, drivers, features, and capabilities. It can work with mounted WIM and VHD images as well as the running installation. That is an administration and deployment workflow, rather than a separate consumer feature. Microsoft’s DISM PowerShell module reference documents the available commands.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Choose the right Windows management command
| Task | Target and feature model | PowerShell approach | Key consideration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discover optional features | Running Windows or mounted image; optional features | Get-WindowsOptionalFeature |
Use -Online for the running OS or -Path for a mounted image; filter with -FeatureName. |
| Enable a feature | Running Windows or image; optional features | Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature |
Use an elevated session; -All adds parent features and default dependencies. A restart or source files may be needed. |
| Install an RSAT tool | Running Windows; capability | Add-WindowsCapability |
Use the full capability name and confirm it is available for the Windows release. |
| Manage Windows Server roles and features | Windows Server or offline Server VHD; server roles and features | Get-WindowsFeature |
This is specifically documented for Windows Server and offline Server VHDs; it is not a substitute for client Get-WindowsOptionalFeature. |
For a one-time change on one PC, Settings may be the simpler route: Microsoft documents Settings paths for adding and removing optional features, though Windows 11 navigation varies by build. For example, the Optional features page may be under Settings > Apps on some versions; consult Microsoft’s Windows feature management guidance for the applicable route. PowerShell is the better fit when filtering, repeatability, dependency handling, or image servicing is central to the task.
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