What Is Hyper-V Manager and How Does It Work?
Hyper-V Manager has an intuitive user interface and offers basic yet powerful functionality, which makes it a feasible option for small and medium-sized enterprises. If you wanted to find answers to certain questions about Hyper-V Manager, in this blog post we are going to cover the following:
- What is Hyper-V Manager? – Hyper-V Manager is a free GUI management tool used for administration and configuration of Hyper-V hosts and virtual machines, both locally and remotely.
- How does Hyper-V Manager work? – Hyper-V Manager allows you to create, modify, and delete virtual machines, VM checkpoints, virtual switches, and virtual hard disks in addition to letting you manage Hyper-V hosts both locally and remotely.
- How to install Hyper-V Manager? – Hyper-V Manager can be installed automatically when enabling the Hyper-V role on a computer, or manually when you need to remotely manage a Windows Server with the Hyper-V role. There are three ways to open Hyper-V Manager: enabling Windows features, running PowerShell cmdlets, and using Server Manager.
What Is Hyper-V Manager?
Hyper-V Manager is an administrative tool which allows you to manage Hyper-V hosts and virtual machines (VMs) both locally and remotely. Hyper-V Manager provides a graphical user interface (GUI) for centralized management of Hyper-V virtual environments. Basically, Hyper-V Manager is Microsoft’s Management Console snap-in (.msc file), which is used by Microsoft Windows to simplify the configuration and administration of Hyper-V systems.
Using Hyper-V Manager, you can create, configure and delete VMs, VM checkpoints, virtual disks, virtual switches, and network adapters, as well as modify various Hyper-V settings. To see a full list of actions and operations available in Hyper-V Manager, please read our blog post on how to install and configure Hyper-V Manager.
Hyper-V Manager Requirements and Capabilities
Microsoft Hyper-V Manager was first introduced with Windows Server 2008. Currently, it can be enabled on any Windows operating system (OS), including Windows Server 2008 and later which has the Hyper-V role running on it. over, you can open Hyper-V Manager in Windows 7 where it functions as one of the Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT). Note that RSAT need to be installed in order to use Hyper-V Tools.
Hyper-V Manager is free of charge; you only have to pay when purchasing a fully licensed copy of Windows OS. Hyper-V Manager can be enabled on any Windows operating system, including Windows Server 2008 and later versions, which has the Hyper-V role running on it. When you install the Hyper-V role on a Windows machine, Hyper-V Manager is enabled by default.
With Hyper-V Manager, you can remotely manage Windows Server Core or Hyper-V Server, which don’t have a GUI. When you remotely manage a Hyper-V host, there might be times when the Hyper-V Manager version and the Hyper-V host version are not compatible. In such cases, you can only use the feature set available for the Hyper-V host version that you’re managing. Generally, it is recommended that you manage a Hyper-V host with the same OS, or at least one which runs a similar Windows Server version.
However, now in Windows Server 2016 and Windows 10, you can manage computers running earlier Windows Server versions (Windows Server 2012, Windows 8, Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows 8.1). Apart from that, when you connect to another Windows Server 2016 or Windows 10 host remotely, you can also provide an alternate set of credentials in Hyper-V Manager and save them for later to make the process of logging in easier.
Hyper-V Manager vs. System Center Virtual Machine Manager: Which One to Choose?
When describing how Hyper-V Manager works, it is also important to mention the System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM), which is another popular administrative tool used for managing Hyper-V environments. The following table demonstrates how Hyper-V Manager differs from SCVMM and what benefits each of them can offer:
| Hyper-V Manager | System Center Virtual Machine Manager |
| Hyper-V Manager is a part of Windows OS. | SCVMM is a stand-alone product. |
| Hyper-V Manager can be used for free; no licensing is required. | SCVMM must be purchased; core-based licensing is provided. |
| Suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises | Suitable for large enterprises |
| Provides a limited feature set | Has a rich feature set and more advanced functionality |
| Stable performance | May experience fluctuations in performance |
| Easy-to-use and has an intuitive interface | Might be more difficult to use due to complex functionality |
| Tracks changes within seconds due to the use of native WMI event tracing | Takes a lot of time to track changes because it relies on the agent component to gather the required information from hosts and VMs |
| When you delete VMs, virtual hard disks are not deleted as well | When you delete VMs, all of the associated components are deleted altogether |
| Allows you to manage and monitor Hyper-V hosts only | Allows you to manage and monitor not only Hyper-V hosts, but also VMware ESXi hosts and Citrix XenServer hosts |
| Hyper-V Manager allows you to manage a limited number of infrastructure components, namely Hyper-V hosts and VMs, in addition to virtual hard disks, virtual switches and VM checkpoints. | SCVMM allows you to manage a big number of infrastructure components including hosts, VMs, and storage spaces, as well as hosts’ features like Hyper-V Network Virtualization, Live Migration, Hot Add/Hot Remove, etc. |
| Automated VM creation is not possible | Automated VM creation is enabled with the help of VM templates |
How to Open Hyper-V Manager
Below, we will discuss how to open Hyper-V Manager. This process can be done through one of the following ways:
Let’s describe each approach step by step.
Enabling Windows Features
This approach is most suitable for any Windows OS that includes a Hyper-V component (e.g., Windows 10). In this case, we are going to demonstrate how to open Hyper-V Manager on Windows 10. For this purpose, follow the steps below:
- Type Turn Windows features on or off in the search bar below and press Enter.
- Expand the Hyper-V line.
- Check the Hyper-V Management Tools box to install Hyper-V Manager.
- Click OK to start the installation operation.
- Click Restart Now to implement all required changes or click Don’t Restart to postpone the restart of your computer.
Running PowerShell cmdlets
Running PowerShell scripts allows you to open Hyper-V Manager even more quickly and easily. To open Hyper-V Manager on Windows 10, run PowerShell as Administrator and insert the following cmdlet:
The installation should start automatically and you should see the following screen.
After the installation operation is complete, reboot the system to adopt all changes.
If you want to open Hyper-V Manager on Windows Server 2016, run the following PowerShell command as Administrator:
If the installation operation has been successfully completed, you should see the following:
Using Server Manager
If you want to open Hyper-V Manager, you can also use Server Manager, which is an administration console available for managing Windows Servers. For this purpose, take the following steps:
- Open Server Manager
- Click Manage and then select Add Roles and Features.
- Click Next until you reach Features.
- Expand Remote Server Administration Tools.
- Expand Role Administration Tools.
- Check the Hyper-V Management Tools
- As you can see, I have already installed Hyper-V Manager; due to this, I can’t continue with the installation operation. If you are installing Hyper-V Manager for the first time, you need to click Install and confirm the changes.
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You can also create and maintain replicas of source Hyper-V VMs. These replicas are stored in a powered-off state in a remote location and can be used for failover during an actual DR event.
Another exclusive functionality of NAKIVO Backup Replication is Site Recovery, which allows you to create site recovery workflows by combining various actions and conditions into an automated algorithm. You can create multiple site recovery workflows, which address various DR scenarios (power outage, ransomware attack, failed update, etc.) and serve specific purposes (disaster recovery, disaster avoidance, planned migration, etc.). Therefore, you can orchestrate the entire DR process from start to finish as well as verify efficiency of site recovery jobs by performing non-disruptive recovery testing at the time most convenient for you.
How to Install Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) for Windows 10
As Microsoft is moving Windows Server closer to a GUI-less operating system is important to know how to remotely manage servers and common server applications such as Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, and so forth.
Microsoft created Remote Server Administration Tools (commonly referred to as RSAT) to enable you to do just that.
RSAT is a remote admin pack for Windows 10 [and below] that includes Server Manager, Microsoft Management Console (mmc) snap-ins, consoles, Windows PowerShell cmdlets, and command-line tools for managing roles and features that run on Windows Server 2019 and below.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves, first we need to download RSAT for Windows 10 and install it.
How to Download Windows 10 RSAT
- To download RSAT you just need to head over to https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?ID=45520, select your language, and click the red Download button.
You then need to choose the correct Windows version that you’re installing to, in my case it’s 64-bit Windows 10 1803, and click Next
This will begin the download of the WindowsTH-RSAT_WS_1803-x64.msu file to your default download directory.
How to Install RSAT on Windows 10
- Now that you have your RSAT.msu file, you need to run it.
- A Windows Update Standalone Installer will open asking you to install KB2693643 (at the time of this writing). This is RSAT. Click Yes.
You’ll need to read the license terms and click I Accept.
How to Verify RSAT was Installed on Windows 10
- Open the start menu and scroll to Windows Administrative Tools and expand the folder.
Don’t Leave Yet! Enable PSremoting
RSAT includes Windows PowerShell cmdlet modules that you can use to remotely manage roles and features on your Windows Servers. Before you can use these tools you need to enable Windows PowerShell Remote Management. To do this:
- Open Windows PowerShell as an Administrator.
- Run the command Enable-PSremoting
Remote Management is enable by default on Windows Server 2019 so you only need to do this on your Windows 10 machine.
That’s it! Now you can open Server Manager on your Windows 10 workstation or virtual desktop, add some servers to the pool, and start managing them. Please note that you won’t find Server Manager in the start menu. You’ll have to access it from Control Panel. Administrative Tools.
If you fancy yourself to be old-school, you can open the start menu and launch the various tools like Active Directory Users and Computers, DHCP, DNS, etc… from there.
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I am a Network Engineer III who has spent the last decade elbow deep in enterprise system administration and networking. I can usually be found trying to warm up behind the storage in the datacenter.
Windows Server Admin Tools Pack: What It Is Free Guide on How to Install and Best Practices
Windows server administration tools allow network administrators to effectively manage features and roles from a computer running a supported version of Windows. These tools are provided in a Windows Server component called Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT). To take advantage of these tools, I’ll cover in this guide what they are, how to install them, and discuss how to get started using them more effectively with the support of a Windows server monitoring tool like my pick SolarWinds Server Application Monitor.
What Are Remote Server Administration Tools?
RSAT was initially introduced with Windows 2008 R2 and it includes the following tools to help network admins:
- Command-line tools to manage roles and features on a Windows Server
- Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-ins
- Server Manager
- Consoles
- Windows PowerShell cmdlets and providers
RSAT is supported for computers running:
This guide will review the benefits of using the above Windows server admin tools and how to install and use RSAT if you have a compatible operating system.
Why Use Windows Server Admin Tools
These Windows server admin tools provide many benefits to both IT teams and companies as a whole:
INSTALL SERVER MANAGER Windows 10 2021 ️ RSAT
Network Administrator Benefits
Using Windows server tools offers network admins several benefits. With remote administration, you have flexibility in managing and monitoring the network. You can update user privileges, reset passwords, and more from any location. You don’t need to be in a specific place to perform maintenance or updates.
Another part of this flexibility is being able to use any device, as long as it can connect to the internet. This could be a desktop PC, but it could also be a tablet, a laptop, or a smartphone.
You’ll be able to manage devices on the network no matter where they are. This allows you to work with a distributed team without reducing the quality of service.
Additionally, you’ll often respond more quickly when you can address issues remotely. You won’t lose time from traveling to a specific location or waiting for a computer to be available.
By saving time in this way, you can also FOCUS more on maintenance and proactive measures to improve network operations all around.
Business Benefits
When IT teams provide faster and more effective service, this benefits the business.
End users have less downtime when they don’t need to wait as long for someone to troubleshoot and resolve their problem. This allows them to work more efficiently.
Companies can also have employees in multiple locations without needing an IT team at each site. Additionally, since remote access improves response time overall, a smaller IT team can still handle all of the business networking needs.
How to Install Windows Server Admin Tools
Once you’ve decided to use Windows server admin tools, it’s time to install.
The Windows server administration tools pack can only be installed on Enterprise or Professional versions of Windows. It’s not available for use with Home or Standard versions.
The installation instructions depend on which version of Windows you have. Starting with the release of Windows 10 v1809, RSAT needs to be installed as part of the “Features on Demand.” Prior versions required downloading the tools and then installing them.
Installing RSAT for Windows 10 v1809 Or Later
For the latest versions of Windows, installing RSAT through the “Features on Demand” is easy to do directly from the user interface.
- Open the Settings.
- Navigate to Apps Apps Features.
- Click on the link to Manage Optional Features.
- Choose the option to Add a Feature to display all the possible optional features you could install.
- Scroll down to find all the RSAT tools listed. This is a long list, and you may not need each tool.
- For each tool you want to install, click it and choose the Install option. If you installed one by mistake, you can select it and choose Uninstall.
Once you’ve selected the Install option, you can view the progress on the Manage Optional Features page. After installation is complete, you can begin using the tools.
Microsoft also provides instructions to install using the command line if you prefer.
Installing RSAT for Versions Before Windows 10 v1809
For earlier versions of Windows 10, or earlier Windows versions, you’ll need to download RSAT from the Microsoft website. The Microsoft RSAT page has download links for the following versions:
- Windows 10
- Windows 8.1
- Windows 8
- Windows 7 with SP1
- Windows Vista 32-bit (x86)
- Windows Vista 64-bit (x64)
There are five steps once you’ve completed the download:
- Go through the installation process and follow the prompts.
- Once installation finishes, go to the Start menu and then to Control Panel.
- Choose Programs and Features.
- Click Turn Windows features on or off and scroll down to the RSAT options.
- If you’re running Windows 10, Windows 8.1, or Windows 8, you’ll see all the tools are enabled by default. If you don’t want to use them all, you can choose which ones you want to disable. If you’re running Windows Vista or Windows 7, the tools are disabled by default. You’ll need to enable the ones you want to use.
After you’ve enabled the appropriate remote access tools, you can begin using them.
Using Windows Server Administration Tools
If you install the RSAT tools, you’ll have a lot of functionality available for network administration. This includes:
- Active Directory Certificate Services (AD CS) Tools
- Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services (AD LDS) Tools
- DNS Server Tools
- IP Address Management (IPAM) tools
- File Services Tools such as Distributed File System Tools and File Server Resource Manager Tools
- Best Practices Analyzer
To get the most out of your Windows server and RSAT functionality, though, it’s also important to have a tool to monitor the Windows server. This will give insight into the performance and health of server resources, services, applications running on the server, and hardware.
To help get this most out of your Windows Server, using a product like SolarWinds Server Application Monitor (SAM) can provide you with performance insights and capabilities beyond what’s possible with RSAT alone.
SAM is designed to track server metrics, identify any capacity issues with the server resources, and pinpoints processes or services impacting performance with comprehensive Windows monitoring tools.
When you add a monitoring solution to RSAT tools, you’ll be able to troubleshoot problems even faster and quickly address issues to get end users back to optimal performance.
How to Improve Remote Administration Tools
Using Windows server admin tools to provide remote administration can help IT pros and overall business function. These tools are easy to install, and once available, they provide greater flexibility in network management, improve resolution times, and support a diversified workforce.
The benefits can be even greater when you add a software to monitor server performance to support overall improved performance and help reduce downtimes, which makes for happier employees and better business. But don’t take my word for it—you can try a fully functional trial of SolarWinds SAM free for 30 days, so you can experience firsthand if Server Application Monitor can help you more easily detect and troubleshoot performance issues faster.
The main cause for this issue is Windows Server Manager corruption
Passionate about all elements related to Windows and combined with his innate curiosity, Ivan has delved deep into understanding this operating system, with a specialization in drivers and. read more
After moving away from the corporate work-style, Alex has found rewards in a lifestyle of constant analysis, team coordination and pestering his colleagues. Holding an MCSA Windows Server. read more
- If Windows Server Manager is not opening or launching, the issue may be caused by file corruption.
- Another problem might be that the executable file is broken or altered by viruses or malware.
- A quick solution for this failure is to run a few scanning processes that fix the file automatically.
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The Windows Server Manager is sort of a one-stop shop that enables the IT staff to keep a tab on all the servers hosted on a network. However, many of our readers reported that Windows Server Manager is not opening.
An alternative error connected to this issue is The procedure entry point could not be located in the dynamic link library c:\windos\system32\servermanager.exe.
Why is Windows Server Manager not opening?
This issue is pretty frustrating, and although there is not much information about the exact causes, we highlight some of the possibilities:
- A hardware failure – If you recently witnessed a hard disk drive crash or malfunction, this may have triggered a Server Manager file corruption.
- ServerManager.exe file broken – The executable file might have been altered by a virus, or it’s simply corrupted. For this part, we recommend using one of the best antiviruses for Windows Server.
Now that we know what we’re dealing with, let’s go to the actual solutions to fix the problem.
However, before starting, make sure to install the latest Windows Server updates in the Settings menu.
What do I do if Windows Server Manager is not opening?
Run DISM and SFC scans
- Click the Start button, type cmd in the Search box, and click on Run as administrator from the search result shown.
- In the Command Prompt window, type the following command and hit Enter : DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
- Now, type the following command and press Enter to run it: sfc /scannow
- This will initiate the process and might take several minutes before it is completed.
- While you are still in the Command Prompt window, type the following command and press Enter : dism /online /cleanup-image /startcomponentcleanup
- Wait until the process is completed and restart the machine.
Most of our readers managed to fix this issue by running these simple scans on their Windows Server machines.
RSAT. Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 10
Make sure you run Command Prompt with full privileges. The DISM commands will not work otherwise.
Manually delete the user.config file
- Press the Windows key E to start File Manager.
- Navigate to the following file in your system or root folder: C:\Users\YourUserName\AppData\Local\Microsoft_Corporation\ServerManager.exe_StrongName_m3xk0k0ucj0oj3ai2hibnhnv4xobnimj10.0.0.0user.config
- Delete the user.config file.
- Restart Server Manager. This recreates the file.
Deleting the user.config file will also address any issues of the file being corrupted so we strongly recommend performing this action.
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Rollback the graphics card driver
Only perform this solution if you recently update the graphics card driver prior to this issue occurring.
- Right-click the Start button and select Device Manager.
- Go to the Display adapters section, right-click the graphics driver, and select Properties.
- In the next window, click the Driver tab and hit the Rollback driver button if the option is not grayed out. If it is grayed out, that means you don’t have a previous version.
The above steps should help deal with the situation when Windows Server Manager does not open.
Also, if you’re using one of the best Windows Server backup software, this problem may be fixed by reverting the changes to an earlier moment.
If you have any other solutions or questions, don’t hesitate to leave them in the Комментарии и мнения владельцев section below.
