RSAT Tools now supported on Apple Silicon Macs with Parallels Desktop

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Great news for IT professionals and system administrators using Parallels Desktop on Apple silicon Macs: Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) are now officially supported on Windows 11 virtual machines running on Arm architecture.

This update resolves previous limitations and allows you to manage Windows Server roles and features directly from your Windows 11 running on Apple Silicon (M-series) Macs, just as you would on traditional x64-based systems.

As of February 2026, Microsoft has officially added native RSAT support for Windows 11 running on Apple Silicon (M-series) Macs. This change directly benefits Parallels Desktop customers running February 2026 Windows non-security preview update and Windows 11, version 26H1 release on Apple silicon Macs.

Microsoft has expanded RSAT availability on Apple Silicon devices: as part of the February 2026 Windows non-security preview update, five of the platform's most widely used RSAT components are now supported:

How to install and enable RSAT components on Windows 11 running on Apple Silicon (M-series) Macs

Note: RSAT is an optional component for Windows 11, versions 25H2 and 24H2.

Before proceeding, verify your Windows 11 running on Apple Silicon Macs is updated to version 24H2 or 25H2 and has installed the February 2026 non-security preview update (or later) via Settings > Windows Update.

Install RSAT components via Control Panel:

  1. Open Control Panel > Programs > Turn Windows features on or off.
  2. In the Windows Features dialog, expand Remote Server Administration Tools.
  3. Select the checkboxes for the RSAT components you need (e.g., Active Directory, DNS, Group Policy).
  4. Click OK. Windows will download and install the selected components.
  5. Once installation completes, the tools will be available in Start > Windows Administrative Tools or via PowerShell/Command Prompt.
  6. The RSAT components will then be installed and available for use on your  Windows 11 ARM virtual machine.

For more information, please refer to the article RSAT capabilities arrive on Arm-based Windows 11 PCs

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