Enable or Disable RSAT Tools on Windows 10 (Install/Uninstall)

Uninstalling RSAT on Windows 10: Quick GuideRemote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) let IT professionals manage Windows Server roles and features from a Windows 10 PC. If you no longer need RSAT or want to free disk space, remove unused tools, or troubleshoot problems caused by RSAT components, uninstalling is straightforward — but the exact steps depend on your Windows 10 build. This guide covers each method, checks to run before and after removal, and troubleshooting tips.

Which Windows 10 version do you have?

Before you begin, determine your Windows 10 edition and build:

• Open Settings > System > About.
• Note Edition and OS Build.

Why it matters: On Windows 10 versions 1809 and later, RSAT is delivered as “Features on Demand” (optional features) and is removed via Settings or DISM. On older releases (pre‑1809) RSAT was installed via an MSI package and removed through Programs and Features.

Method A — Windows 10 1809 and later (Recommended)

1. Open Settings > Apps > Optional features.
2. Click “View features” (or “Add a feature”) to see installed optional features.
3. Scroll the list to find RSAT components (names begin with RSAT:, e.g., RSAT: Active Directory Domain Services and Lightweight Directory Services Tools).
4. Click the RSAT component you want to remove, then click Remove. Repeat for each installed RSAT feature you wish to uninstall.
5. Restart the PC if prompted.

Notes:

• You can remove individual RSAT tools (AD, DNS, Group Policy, etc.) rather than the entire RSAT suite.
• If you prefer PowerShell, use the commands in Method C below.

Method B — Windows 10 pre‑1809 (MSI installer)

If you installed RSAT using the downloadable MSI package (common on older builds):

1. Open Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features.
2. Find the RSAT entry (e.g., “Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 10”), select it, and choose Uninstall.
3. Follow the on‑screen prompts and restart if required.

If no RSAT entry appears, RSAT components may be listed individually in the installed updates or as Windows Features; use the Control Panel’s “Turn Windows features on or off” to remove specific tools.

Method C — PowerShell (all supported builds)

PowerShell provides a quick way to list and remove RSAT optional features.

1. Open PowerShell as Administrator.
2. To list installed RSAT features:

   
   Get-WindowsCapability -Online | Where-Object { $_.Name -like 'Rsat*' } | Select-Object Name, State 

3. To uninstall a specific RSAT component (example: Active Directory tools):

   
   Remove-WindowsCapability -Online -Name Rsat.ActiveDirectory.DS-LDS.Tools~~~~0.0.1.0 

4. To remove all RSAT capabilities at once:

   
   Get-WindowsCapability -Online | Where-Object { $_.Name -like 'Rsat*' -and $_.State -eq 'Installed' } | ForEach-Object { Remove-WindowsCapability -Online -Name $_.Name } 

5. Restart if prompted.

Tips:

• Use the list command to copy exact capability names; they must match for removal.
• Some RSAT pieces have long capability names — copy/paste reduces errors.

Method D — DISM (advanced)

For scripted or offline scenarios, DISM can remove packages:

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
2. List RSAT packages:

   
   dism /online /get-packages | findstr /i rsat 

3. Remove a package by its package name:

   
   dism /online /remove-package /packagename:<package-name> 

4. Restart when complete.

Verifying RSAT is removed

• Check Settings > Apps > Optional features for RSAT entries.
• In PowerShell:

  
  Get-WindowsCapability -Online | Where-Object { $_.Name -like 'Rsat*' } | Select-Object Name, State 

  All RSAT entries should show State : NotPresent or be absent.

Troubleshooting

• Removal fails with errors:
  • Ensure you run Settings/PowerShell/DISM as Administrator.
  • If using PowerShell/DISM, make sure no Windows Update activity or pending restart is blocking changes — restart and try again.
• Some RSAT tools still appear in Start menu after removal:
  • Right-click the app and choose Uninstall if available; otherwise restart and allow Windows to refresh icons.
• If uninstall leaves broken features or system instability:
  • Run SFC and DISM repair:

    
    sfc /scannow DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth 

    Then restart and re-check RSAT state.

Reinstalling RSAT later

To reinstall on Windows 10 1809+ use Settings > Apps > Optional features > Add a feature, or reinstall via PowerShell:

Add-WindowsCapability -Online -Name Rsat.ActiveDirectory.DS-LDS.Tools~~~~0.0.1.0 

Quick checklist before you start

• Confirm Windows 10 build (Settings > System > About).
• Backup any scripts or custom RSAT configs.
• Run as Administrator for Settings, PowerShell, or DISM.
• Restart if prompted and recheck RSAT state.

If you want, tell me your Windows 10 build (from Settings > About) and I’ll give the exact commands or steps tailored to your system.