Where is RSAT?

[Pete Gomersall]

This is now an urgent issue - where is the RSAT pack?
Now SP1 is released and users are installing it gpmc is removed and we can
nolonger manage GPO's.
Pete

 

[Ronnie Vernon MVP]

Pete

In case you haven't seen this information yet, from the SP1 Deployment
Guide.

After you install SP1, you will be temporarily unable to manage domain-based
Group Policy from that computer because of the following changes:
" The Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) will be uninstalled.
" Gpedit.msc will default to the Local Group Policy Editor.
Because of these changes, use Remote Desktop to connect to another computer
to manage Group Policy. Shortly after the release of Windows Server 2008, an
updated GPMC with greater functionality will be released as part of the
Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT). The updated GPMC will include the
ability to use Starter Group Policy objects (GPOs), which enable you to
configure common scenarios more easily. It will also include more powerful
search and filter capabilities to make it easier to find and edit settings
and add comments about the settings (or the GPO itself), as well as Group
Policy Preferences (also known as PolicyMaker) to further enhance the
manageability of Group Policy. For more information about Group Policy
Preferences, see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=103735.
For more information about these changes, see the release notes
(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=107076) and the Windows Vista
Service Pack 1 Overview (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=100279).

Here is an excerpt from an article that discusses the reason that the GPMC
was removed from the OS installation.

<quote>
Its funny because this probably falls into one of those "you're damned if
you do and you're damned if you don't" categories for Microsoft. Back when
GPMC first shipped, out-of-band of the OS, I'm sure Microsoft heard
complaints that it should be in the OS, since it became such a crucial part
of managing GP for many shops. So, they went and did the most logical
thing--they put it in the box in Vista. But to do that resulted in GPMC
having to become part of the behemoth that is the Operating System release
cycle at MS. This has obvious limitations if you know how glacially things
move within MS when it comes to OS revs. Once inside the OS, they could no
longer rev the GPMC and make enhancements to it on their own schedule.
Everything had to be tied to the OS releases, which aren't exactly snappy if
you hadn't noticed .

In addition, I'm sure more than a few large customers pointed out that
having GPMC on every Vista install presented some...er...uncomfortable
risks. Namely, in order for a normal user to process GPO's, they have to be
able to read them. No biggie--its not like they can edit them. But, with
GPMC installed on every desktop, any joe user with normal non-administrative
rights in the domain can open GPMC and view the settings on any GPO they
have read access to! Further, they can also backup all GPOs that they have
read permissions on, to, say, their USB keys, and then take those backups to
their friendly neighborhood hacker, who now has a pretty good picture of the
security configuration of their AD environment (in the worst case scenario,
that is).

So bottom line is that I think its a good idea, for the reasons I've
mentioned and probably a few others, that GPMC will not ship in the OS and
will require some kind of separate administrative install.
</quote>
The GPOGUY-- Group Policy Blog: GPMC not part of Vista, SP1:
http://sdmsoftware.com/blog/2007/08/gpmc_not_part_of_vista_sp1.html

There is no 'official' release date for the RSAT tools, but they have stated
that it will 'any day now'.

Keep an eye on this webpage for the latest info.

Windows Server Division WebLog:
http://blogs.technet.com/windowsserver/default.aspx

 

[Pete Gomersall]

Ronnie,
Thanks for your time to reply. I understand all this.
What I don't understand is Microsofts attitude to sys admins who work on
Vista over the last year and the inability of them to synchronize releases
of important tools with the appropriate OS/SP release.
Pete Gomersall

 

[markm75]

Where is the final release of rsat?

 

[scottdsauer]

Amen - I have a RTM Windows 2008 Enterprise CD in my machine right now
and I cannot find RSAT on it anywhere.

All references on the web and MS imply its still in some kind of closed
beta and I have to be a Technet subscriber or something in order to get
the beta version.

The other fun part is the new RSAT is supposed to have the VMConnect
tool to allow you to connect to a VM running on Windows 2008.  Since
RSAT cannot be found, I had to resort to Terminal Server into the 2008
machine and then run VMConnect from there.  This leads you down a rabbit
hole as when you click in a machine your into the process of building,
the mouse becomes unusable due to some glitch between HyperV and TS.  In
researching this issue all I could find was a note somewhere that said
running VMConnect over TS is not supported by MS.

So not only have they screwed their existing admins who took on the
challenge of living with Vista in their daily lives, they have
effectively made it impossible to play with HyperV in 2008 without being
ON the console of the server.

Nice work MS.

RSAT
x86

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=9FF6E897-23CE-4A36-B7FC-D52065DE9960

x64
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=D647A60B-63FD-4AC5-9243-BD3C497D2BC5

 

[Ronnie Vernon MVP]

Casper42

The link should be working now. The KB article ( KB941314) is still not
available, at this time.

The downloaded file ( Windows6.0-KB941314-x86.msu ) will access Windows
Update and install the RSAT from there. Validation is required to get the WU
file and you will need to agree to the license terms when the RSAT installs.

The announcement is here:

Windows Server Division WebLog:
http://blogs.technet.com/windowsserver/default.aspx

The 'Group Policy Client Side Extensions' (KB943729) are also available on
Windows Update.

Information about new Group Policy preferences in Windows Server 2008:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/943729

Have fun.

 

[scottdsauer]

Casper42

The link should be working now. The KB article ( KB941314) is still not
available, at this time.

The downloaded file ( Windows6.0-KB941314-x86.msu ) will access Windows
Update and install the RSAT from there. Validation is required to get the WU
file and you will need to agree to the license terms when the RSAT installs.

The announcement is here:

Windows Server Division WebLog:http://blogs.technet.com/windowsserver/default.aspx

The 'Group Policy Client Side Extensions' (KB943729) are also available on
Windows Update.

Information about new Group Policy preferences in Windows Server 2008:http://support.microsoft.com/kb/943729

Have fun.

--

Ronnie Vernon
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience









- Show quoted text -

I installed RSAT from the link I provided earlier (the 32 bit
version). It's not working for me. I see "remote server
administration tools help" under Administrative tools, but no actual
tools. Interestingly I found the installed tools under c:\windows
\winsxs, but non launch when I try manually. Anyone else having this
issue?

 

[Ronnie Vernon MVP]

Scott

You missed a step.

From the 'remote server administration tools help'

Click Start, click Control Panel, and then click Programs.

In the Programs and Features area, click Turn Windows features on or off.

If you are prompted by User Account Control to allow the Windows Features
dialog box to open, click Continue.

In the Windows Features dialog box, expand Remote Server Administration
Tools.

Select the remote management tools that you want to install.

Click OK.


--

Ronnie Vernon
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience

Casper42

The link should be working now. The KB article ( KB941314) is still not
available, at this time.

The downloaded file ( Windows6.0-KB941314-x86.msu ) will access Windows
Update and install the RSAT from there. Validation is required to get the
WU
file and you will need to agree to the license terms when the RSAT
installs.

The announcement is here:

Windows Server Division
WebLog:http://blogs.technet.com/windowsserver/default.aspx

The 'Group Policy Client Side Extensions' (KB943729) are also available on
Windows Update.

Information about new Group Policy preferences in Windows Server
2008:http://support.microsoft.com/kb/943729

Have fun.

--

Ronnie Vernon
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience









- Show quoted text -

I installed RSAT from the link I provided earlier (the 32 bit
version). It's not working for me. I see "remote server
administration tools help" under Administrative tools, but no actual
tools. Interestingly I found the installed tools under c:\windows
\winsxs, but non launch when I try manually. Anyone else having this
issue?

 

[scottdsauer]

Scott

You missed a step.

From the 'remote server administration tools help'

Click Start, click Control Panel, and then click Programs.

In the Programs and Features area, click Turn Windows features on or off.

If you are prompted by User Account Control to allow the Windows Features
dialog box to open, click Continue.

In the Windows Features dialog box, expand Remote Server Administration
Tools.

Select the remote management tools that you want to install.

Click OK.

--

Ronnie Vernon
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience













I installed RSAT from the link I provided earlier (the 32 bit
version).  It's not working for me.  I see "remote server
administration tools help" under Administrative tools, but no actual
tools.  Interestingly I found the installed tools under c:\windows
\winsxs, but non launch when I try manually.  Anyone else having this
issue?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Ronnie,
Thanks. Just another case of RTFM.
Scott