Open Administrative Tools in Windows 10  

    Open Administrative Tools in Windows 10

    Open Administrative Tools in Windows 10

    How to Open Administrative Tools in Windows 10
    Published by Category: General Tips
    12 Apr 2021
    Designer Media Ltd

    How to Open Administrative Tools in Windows 10


    Administrative Tools is a folder in Control Panel that contains tools for system administrators and advanced users. The tools in the folder might vary depending on which edition of Windows you are using.

    Starting in Windows 10 build 21343, Microsoft changed the name of the Windows Administrative Tools folder in Start to Windows Tools as part of an effort to better organize all the admin and system tools in Windows 10.

    Starting in Windows 10 build 21354, the Windows Accessories, Windows Administrative Tools, Windows PowerShell, and Windows System folders have now been removed from Start and the apps within these folders can now be accessed via the Windows Tools entry point that directs to the full apps list in File Explorer. All these apps will still appear in via search, launch via any method, can be pinned to Start or taskbar, and any customized shortcuts in the folder paths will remain intact. Also, File Explorer has been moved into its own place in the Start menu as part of this work.

    This tutorial will show you different ways for how to open Administrative Tools in Windows 10.

    Some common administrative tools in this folder include:

    Administrative Tool Description
    Component Services Configure and administer Component Object Model (COM) components. Component Services is designed for use by developers and administrators.
    Computer Management Manage local or remote computers by using a single, consolidated desktop tool. Using Computer Management, you can perform many tasks, such as monitoring system events, configuring hard disks, and managing system performance.
    Defragment and Optimize Drives Use Defragment and Optimize drives to help your computer run more efficiently. Windows automatically defragments and optimizes drives as part of regular maintenance.
    Disk Cleanup Reduce the number of unnecessary files on your computer's drives. It deletes temporary files, empties the Recycle Bin, and removes many other items that you might no longer need. Windows automatically runs Disk Cleanup as part of regular maintenance.
    Event Viewer View information about significant events, such as a program starting or stopping, or a security error, which are recorded in event logs.
    Hyper-V Manager Provides management access to your virtualization platform.
    iSCSI Initiator Configure advanced connections between storage devices on a network.
    Local Security Policy View and edit Group Policy security settings.
    ODBC Data Sources Use Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) to move data from one type of database (a data source) to another.
    Performance Monitor View advanced system information about the central processing unit (CPU), memory, hard disk, and network performance.
    Print Management Manage printers and print servers on a network and perform other administrative tasks.
    Resource Monitor See how your system resources are being used by processes and services. Resource Monitor can help you analyze unresponsive processes, identify which apps are using files, and manage processes and services.
    Services Manage the different services that run in the background on your computer.
    System Configuration Identify problems that might be preventing Windows from running correctly.
    System Information View details about your computer, operating system, hardware, and software, including drivers—also known as msinfo32.exe.
    Task Scheduler Schedule programs or other tasks to run automatically.
    Windows Firewall with Advanced Security Configure advanced firewall settings on both this computer and remote computers on your network.
    Windows Memory Diagnostic Check your computer's memory to see if it's functioning properly.


    Contents




    EXAMPLE: Administrative Tools
    Open Administrative Tools in Windows 10-administrative_tools.png

    EXAMPLE: Windows Tools
    Open Administrative Tools in Windows 10-windows_tools.png






    OPTION ONE

    Open Administrative Tools from All Apps


    1 Open All apps in your Start menu .

    2 Scroll down and click/tap on Windows Tools (build 21343 and later) OR expand open Windows Administrative Tools (before build 21343), and click/tap on the administrative tool you want to open. (see screenshot below)

    Open Administrative Tools in Windows 10-administrative_tools_start_menu.jpg






    OPTION TWO

    Open Administrative Tools from Control Panel


    1 Open the Control Panel (icons view).

    2 Click/tap on the Administrative Tools (before build 21343) or Windows Tools (build 21343 and later) icon. (see screenshot below)

    Open Administrative Tools in Windows 10-administrative_tools_control_panel.png






    OPTION THREE

    Open Administrative Tools in File Explorer


    1 Open File Explorer (Win+E).

    2 Copy and paste the path below into the address bar in File Explorer, and press Enter. (see screenshots below)

    Windows Administrative Tools (before build 21343)
    %ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Windows Administrative Tools

    OR

    Windows Tools (build 21343 and later)
    %ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Windows Tools

    Open Administrative Tools in Windows 10-administrative_tools-file_explorer-1.png
    Open Administrative Tools in Windows 10-administrative_tools-file_explorer-2.png


    That's it,
    Shawn






  1. Posts : 519
    Win7 Pro X64, Win10 Pro x640
       #1

    Hi Brink

    Do you have a handy reg file to add Administrative Tools to This PC right-click menu? Thanks!
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 68,672
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #2

    bamajon1974 said:
    Hi Brink

    Do you have a handy reg file to add Administrative Tools to This PC right-click menu? Thanks!
    Hello,

    There are too many items in Administrative Tools to fit in a normal context menu, but you could add the Administrative Tools folder as a toolbar on your taskbar to open as a menu from there if you like.

    Add Toolbars to Taskbar in Windows 10


    ...or you could create an Administrative Tools folder shortcut in the This PC context menu to open instead.
      My Computers


  3. Posts : 519
    Win7 Pro X64, Win10 Pro x640
       #3

    Got it. There is a limit of 16 items in a normal context menu, correct?
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 68,672
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #4

    bamajon1974 said:
    Got it. There is a limit of 16 items in a normal context menu, correct?
    I believe so, yes.
      My Computers


  5. Posts : 519
    Win7 Pro X64, Win10 Pro x640
       #5

    Ok. How about this? I borrowed from a tutorial you wrote for Win7 to create a sample reg file with 4 representative submenus (that could be extended up to 16 items) for admin tools.

    Question, when launching *.msc files, do I need the mmc.exe /s prefix? Thanks!

    Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

    ; Administrative Tools

    [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\shell\AdministrativeTools]
    "MUIVerb"="Administrative Tools"
    "SubCommands"=""
    "Icon"="imageres.dll,-114"
    "Position"="Bottom"


    ; Computer Management

    [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\shell\ComputerManagement\shell\01menu]
    "MUIVerb"="Computer Management"
    "Icon"="Mycomput.dll,-204"

    [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\shell\ComputerManagement\shell\01menu\command]
    @="CompMgmtLauncher.exe"

    ; Event Viewer

    [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\shell\EventViewer\shell\02menu]
    "MUIVerb"="Event Viewer"
    "icon"="miguiresource.dll"

    [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\shell\EventViewer\shell\02menu\command]
    @="eventvwr.exe"

    ; Local Group Policy

    [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\shell\LocalGroupPolicy\shell\03menu]
    "MUIVerb"="Local Group Policy Editor"
    "Icon"="gpedit.dll"

    [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\shell\LocalGroupPolicy\shell\03menu\command]
    @="mmc.exe /s gpedit.msc"

    ; Local Security Policy

    [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\shell\LocalSecurityPolicy\shell\04menu]
    "MUIVerb"="Local Security Policy"
    "Icon"="wsecedit.dll"

    [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\shell\LocalSecurityPolicy\shell\04menu\command]
    @="mmc.exe /s secpol.msc"
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 68,672
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #6

    That would work.

    You don't need the mmc.exe /s prefix, but it won't hurt to have it.
      My Computers


  7. Posts : 519
    Win7 Pro X64, Win10 Pro x640
       #7

    Got it! Thank you!
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 68,672
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #8

      My Computers


 

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