Windows .msc files overview
MSC files are snap-in control files that are associated with the Microsoft Management Console on Windows machines to run administrative tasks.
You may run some msc files like services.msc or gpedit.msc regularly, but there are plenty more that you can run or create on Windows client and server machines to speed up administrative processes.
Microsoft Windows ships with native .msc files integrated in the operating system, and support for the creation or importing of custom snap-in control files.
The Microsoft Management Console (MMC) was released originally with the Windows 98 Resource Kit, but Microsoft did integrate it in all versions of Windows released afterwards.
MMC is a framework for administrative tools in which these tools operate. It comes with a graphical user interface, and supports the creation, running, and saving of administrative jobs.
The framework hosts tools, and displays them in its interface by using so-called snap-ins and extension snap-ins. What makes the Microsoft Management Console that flexible is that administrators may create and assign tools to specific user groups, computer systems, or users.
Note: This is a second part of our series about Windows administrative tools. We covered the Windows Control Panel, and the administrative files that you could run to launch various Control Panel applets directly in the first.
List of Windows .msc files
The default location of .msc files is Windows\System32. You can run any of the files with the shortcut Windows-R, typing the msc file name and extension, and hitting the Enter-key on the keyboard.
| Msc File | Console | Description |
| azman.msc | Authorization Manager | Manage Authorization Stores |
| certlm.msc | Certificates Local Computer | Loads the list of certificates of the local computer. |
| certmgr.msc | Certificates | Loads the list of certificates of the user |
| comexp.msc | Component Services | Loads Component Services, Event Viewer, and Services. |
| compmgmt.msc | Computer Management | Includes System Tools (Task Scheduler, Event Viewer, Shared Folders, Local Users and Groups, Performance and Device Manager), Storage (Disk Management), and Services and Applications (Services and WMI Control) |
| devmgmt.msc | Device Manager | Opens the Device Manager to manage hardware and devices. |
| devmoderunasuserconfig.msc | ||
| diskmgmt.msc | Disk Management | Opens Disk Management to administrate connected storage devices. |
| eventvwr.msc | Event Viewer | Opens the Event Viewer which displays operating system, software, and hardware events. |
| fsmgmt.msc | Shared Folders | Loads the list of shared folders, sessions, and open files |
| gpedit.msc | Group Policy Editor | Loads the Group Policy Editor to manage system policies |
| lusrmgr.msc | Local Users and Groups | Interface to manage local users and user groups. |
| perfmon.msc | Performance Monitor | Loads the Windows Performance Monitor |
| printmanagement.msc | Print Management | Manage printers. |
| rsop.msc | Resultant Set of Policies | List policies, full results only available through command line tool gpresult |
| secpol.msc | Local Security Policy | Loads policies such as account policies, public key policies, or advanced audit policy configuration |
| services.msc | Services Manager | Loads the list of installed services to manage them. |
| taskschd.msc | Task Scheduler | Loads the Task Scheduler to manage tasks |
| tpm.msc | Trusted Platform Module Management | Manage the TPM on the local device. |
| wf.msc | Windows Firewall | Starts Windows Firewall with Advanced Security. |
| wmimgmt.msc | WMI Management | Configure and Control the Windows Management Instrumentation Service. |
List of Windows Server MMC Files
| Msc File | Console |
| adfs.msc | Active Directory Federation Services |
| AdRmsAdmin.msc | Active Directory Rights Management Services |
| adsiedit.msc | ADSI Edit |
| certim.msc | Local Computer Certificates |
| certsrv.msc | Certification Authority |
| certtmpl.msc | Certification Templates |
| ciadv.msc | Indexing Service |
| cluadmin.msc | Failover Cluster Manager |
| da6to4.msc | Network Interfaces Performance Monitor |
| daihttps.msc | HTTPS Traffic Performance Monitor |
| daipsecdos.msc | IPSec Performance Monitor |
| daisatapmsc | ISATAP Performance Monitor |
| dfsmgmt.msc | DFS Management |
| dhcpmgmt.msc | DHCP Management |
| dnsmgmt.msc | DNS Manager |
| domain.msc | Active Directory Domains and Trust |
| dsa.msc | Active Directory Users and Computers. |
| dssite.msc | Active Directory Sites and Services |
| fsrm.msc | File Server Resource Manager |
| fxsadmin.msc | Microsoft Fax Service Manager |
| gpmc.msc | Group Policy Management |
| gpme.msc | Group Policy Mangement Editor |
| gptedit.msc | Group Policy Starter GPO Editor |
| hcscfg.msc | Health Registration Authority |
| idmumgmt.msc | Microsoft Identity Management for Unix |
| iis.msc | Internet Information Services Manager |
| iis6.msc | Internet Information Services Manager 6.0 |
| lsdiag.msc | RD Licensing Diagnoser |
| napclcfg.msc | NAP Client Configuration |
| mfsmgmt.msc | Services for Network File System |
| nps.msc | Network Policy Server |
| ocsp.msc | Online Responder |
| pkiview.msc | Enterprise PKI |
| remoteprograms.msc | RemoteApp Manager |
| rrasmgmt.msc | Routing and Remote Access |
| sanmmc.msc | Storage Manager for SANs |
| sbmgr.msc | Remote Desktop Connection Manager |
| scanmanagement.msc | Scan Management |
| servermanager.msc | Server Manager |
| storagemgmt.msc | Share and Storage Management |
| storexpl.msc | Storage Explorer |
| tapimgmt.msc | Telephony |
| tsadmin.msc | Remote Desktop Services Manager |
| tsconfig.msc | Remote Desktop Session Host Configuration |
| tsgateway.msc | RD Gateway Manager |
| tsmmc.msc | Remote Desktops |
| virtmgmt.msc | Hyper-V Manager |
| wbadmin.msc | Windows Server Backup |
| Wdsmgmt-msc | Windows Deployment Services |
| winsmgmt.msc | WINS |
| wbiadmin.msc | Windows Server Backup |
| wsrm.msc | Windows System Resource Manager |
| wsus.msc | Update Services |
Resources
- Microsoft Management Console -- Wikipedia
- Microsoft Management Console Overview -- Microsoft MSDN
- Step-by-Step Guide to the Microsoft Management Console -- Microsoft MSDN
What mental age of reader are you targeting with the first sentence? 10?
Why not write an article on how to *avoid* upgrading from W10 to W11. Analogous to those like me who avoided upgrading from 7 to 10 for as long as possible.
If your paymaster Microsoft permits it, of course.
5. Rufus
6. Ventoy
PS. I hate reading these “SEO optimized” articles.
I used Rufus to create an installer for a 6th gen intel i5 that had MBR. It upgraded using Setup. No issues except for Win 11 always prompting me to replace my local account. Still using Win 10 Pro on all my other PCs to avoid the bullying.
bit pointless to upgrade for the sake of upgrading as you never know when you’ll get locked out because ms might suddenly not provide updates to unsupported systems.
ps…. time travelling?
written. Jan 15, 2023
Updated • Jan 13, 2023
This happens when you schedule a post in WordPress and update it before setting the publication date.
Anyone willing to downgrade to this awful OS must like inflicting themselves with harm.
I have become convinced now that anybody who has no qualms with using Windows 11/10 must fit into one of the following brackets:
1) Too young to remember a time before W10 and W11 (doesn’t know better)
2) Wants to play the latest games on their PC above anything else (or deeply needs some software which already dropped W7 support)
3) Doesn’t know too much about how computers work, worried that they’d be absolutely lost and in trouble without the “”latest security””
4) Microsoft apologist that tries to justify that the latest “features” and “changes” are actually a good thing, that improve Windows
5) Uses their computer to do a bare minimum of like 3 different things, browse web, check emails, etc, so really doesn’t fuss
Obviously that doesn’t cover everyone, there’s also the category that:
6) Actually liked W7 more than 10, and held out as long as possible before switching, begrudgingly uses 10 now
Have I missed any group off this list?
You have missed in this group just about any professional user that uses business software like CAD programs or ERP Programs which are 99% of all professional users from this list.
Linux doesn’t help anyone who is not a linux kid and apple is just a fancy facebook machine.
Microsoft has removed KB5029351 update
only from windows update though
KB5029351 is still available from the ms update catalog site
1. This update is labaled as PREVIEW if it causes issues to unintelligent people, then they shouldn’t have allowed Preview updates ot install.
2. I have installed it in a 11 years old computer, and no problems at all.
3. Making a big drama over a bluescreen for an updated labeled as preview is ridiculous.
This is probably another BS internet drama where people ran programs and scripts that modified the registry until they broke Windows, just for removing stuff that they weren’t even using just for the sake of it.
Maybe people should stop playing geeks and actually either use Windows 10 or Windows 11, but don’t try to modify things just for the sake of it.
Sometimes removing or stopping things (like defender is a perfect example) only need intelligence, not scripts or 3rd party programs that might mess with windows.
Windows 11 was a pointless release, it was just created because some of the Windows team wanted to boost sales with some sort of new and improved Windows 10. Instead, Microsoft cannot support one version well let alone two.
Windows 11 is the worst ugly shame by Microsoft ever. They should release with every new W11 version a complete free version of Starallback inside just to make this sh** OS functionally again.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released a statement regarding the “unsupported processor” blue screen error for their boards using Intel 600/700 series chipsets & to avoid the KB5029351 Win11 update:
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/MSI-On–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–Error-Message-of-Windows-11-Update-KB5029351-Preview-142215
check out the following recent articles:
Neowin – Microsoft puts little blame on its Windows update after UNSUPPORTED PROCESSOR BSOD bug:
https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-puts-little-blame-on-its-windows-update-after-unsupported-processor-bsod-bug/
BleepingComputer – Microsoft blames ‘unsupported processor’ blue screens on OEM vendors:
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-blames-unsupported-processor-blue-screens-on-oem-vendors/
While there may be changes or updates to the Windows 10 Store for Business and Education in the future, it is premature to conclude that it will be discontinued based solely on rumors.
My advice, I left win 15 years ago. Now I’m a happy linux user (linuxmint) but there is Centos, Fedora, Ubuntu depending on your needs.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released new BIOS/firmware updates for their Intel 600 & 700 series motherboards to fix the “UNSUPPORTED_PROCESSOR” problem (Sept. 6):
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/Updated-BIOS-fixes-Error-Message–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–caused-BSOD-on-MSI-s-Intel-700-and-600-Series-Motherboards-142277