How to Enable RSAT for Active Directory in Windows 10 (3 Methods)

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By Victor Ashiedu

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This guide shows you three methods to enable Active Directory in Windows 10. It is not exactly enabling “Active Directory” in Windows 10.

You cannot install AD in Windows 10. You can only enable RSAT for Active Directory in Windows 10.

RSAT (Remote Server Administration Tool) is a set of tools that enable you to manage Windows server roles right from Windows 10. For a full list of RSAT Tools available in Windows 10 and what they do read RSAT Tools in Windows 10 Explained.
To install RSAT for Active Directory you require internet connection. If your PC does not have access to the internet, the installation will fail.

Options to Install Active Directory in Windows 10

The 3 options discussed in this guide are (Install RSAT for AD):

  1. From Manage optional features
  2. Using DISM
  3. With PowerShell

Install RSAT for Active Directory in Windows 10 with Manage Optional Features

Install RSAT for Active Directory in Windows 10 with Manage Optional Features

To enable Active Directory with this method:

  • Type Optional Features in the search bar. Then select Manage Optional Features.
Options to Enable RSAT in Windows 10
  • Then click Add features.
Options to Enable RSAT in Windows 10
  • Scroll to RSAT: Active Directory Domain Services and Lighweight Directory Services Tools. Then click it.
Options to Enable RSAT in Windows 10
  • Click Install.
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  • To confirm that the feature is installed, click the back button beside Settings.
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  • Then click see optional feature history. The feature installation progress bar will be displayed.
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  • When the installation is completed, scroll down the Optional features list. RSAT: Active Directory Domain Services and Lighweight Directory Services Tools will be listed.
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  • To confirm that this feature is installed, search for Active Directory. You should find all the AD tools.
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Install RSAT for Active Directory in Windows 10 with DISM

Install Active Directory in Windows 10 with DISM

Another method to install Active Directory is to use DISM Command.

Here are the steps:

  • Type cmd in search bar. Then right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
  • Then at User Account Control prompt, click Yes.
  • Finally, at command prompt, type this command. Then press enter.
DISM.exe /Online /Get-Capabilities | find "Rsat.Active"

The command will display the feature name for RSAT for Active Directory….

DISM.exe /Online /Get-Capabilities | find "Rsat.Active"
  • To install Active Directory RSAT tools, type this command. Then press enter.
DISM /Online /Add-Capability /CapabilityName:Rsat.ActiveDirectory.DS-LDS.Tools~~~~0.0.1.0

Ensure to copy the capability name from the /Get-Capabilities command. When you press Enter the feature installation will begin…

If the installation appears to be hanging, wait. It will eventually progress to
100%
  • When the installation is completed, you can confirm the installation with the command below:
DISM.exe /Online /Get-CapabilityInfo /CapabilityName:Rsat.ActiveDirectory.DS-LDS.Tools~~~~0.0.1.0

Here is the result of the command. The State is displayed as Installed.

Install RSAT for Active Directory in Windows 10 with PowerShell

Install Active Directory in Windows 10 with PowerShell

You can also enable RSAT for Active Directory in Windows 10 with PowerShell.

Here are the steps:

  • Search PowerShell. Then right-click Windows PowerShell and select Run as Administrator.
Install RSAT in Windows 10 with PowerShell
  • At powershell command prompt, type the command below. Then press enter.
Get-WindowsCapability -Online | Where-Object {$_.Name -like "RSAT.Active*"}

The command will display the feature name of RSAT for Active Directory.

  • To install the feature with PowerShell, type this command then press enter. Copy the name of the feature from the result of the previous command.
Add-WindowsCapability -Online -Name Rsat.ActiveDirectory.DS-LDS.Tools~~~~0.0.1.0

PowerShell will start installing the feature…it may take a while to complete…

  • When the installation is completed, it will return a result similar to the one below. If you need to restart your computer, RestartNeeded will display True.
  • Finally, to confirm successful install, type this command. Then press enter.
 Get-WindowsCapability -Online | Where-Object {$_.Name -like "RSAT.Active*"} 

The State now shows Installed.

With one of the 3 methods discussed in this guide, you should be able to install RSAT for Active Directory in Windows 10.

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About the Author

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Victor Ashiedu

Victor is the founder of InfoPress Media, publishers of Ilifeguides and Itechguides. With 20+ years of experience in IT infrastructure, his expertise spans Windows, Linux, and DevOps. Explore his contributions on Itechguides.com for insightful how-to guides and product reviews.

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2 thoughts on “How to Enable RSAT for Active Directory in Windows 10 (3 Methods)”

  1. All of these methods failed for me. I get the message
    Add-WindowsCapability : The system cannot find the file specified.
    for the last one.

    Reply
    • Hi Sam,

      Did you run Add-WindowsCapability from PowerShell? What version of Windows 10 are you running? If you are running Windows 10 Home, you may not be able to install RSAT.

      To check your version of Windows 10, search for and open winver

      Reply

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