How to install "Active Directory Users and Computers" on your Windows 7 Workstation

Posted by Dylan Beattie on 11 June 2011 • permalink

This one stumped me until I hit upon the magical combination that makes it work.

  1. Install Windows 7 Service Pack 1.
  2. Download the Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows® 7 with SP1
  3. Install them.
  4. Reboot
  5. Go into Start -> Control Panel -> Programs and Features, and go to "Turn Windows features on or off" - because the installer will download and install the admin tools, but won't actually switch them on. Helpful.
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What makes it fun is that it just fails silently until you get it right. No error messages, no warnings... installer didn't even tell me I was missing SP1 - which I thought I already had.