Restore Missing Administrative Tools Shortcuts in Windows 10

The Administrative Tools folder in the Start menu contains a list of shortcuts to launch admin tools like Perfmon, Resmon, Computer Management, Registry Editor, etc. If your Administrative Tools folder is empty, use one of these ways to restore the default shortcuts.

Method 1: Restore missing shortcuts using SFC

The default Administrative Tools shortcuts can be restored by running the System File Checker.

Open an admin Command Prompt window, and then type:

sfc /scannow

After the System File Checker completes, you’ll notice the missing Administrative Tools shortcuts restored.

To restore a specific shortcut, you can use the following command instead.

For example:

sfc /scanfile="C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Administrative Tools\Active Directory Administrative Center.lnk"

admin tools shortcuts sfc.


Method 2: Download the admin tools shortcuts

Alternatively, download windows-10-admintools.zip (from Windows 10 Pro x64 v22H2 computer.)

Note that this list is from a Windows 10 Professional x64 computer. Higher editions like Windows 10 Enterprise may contain additional shortcuts.

You can either download the above zip file and place the shortcuts in the Admin Tools folder or create shortcuts manually in the following folder:

C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Administrative Tools
Name Target
Active Directory Administrative Center %windir%\system32\dsac.exe
Active Directory Domains and Trusts %SystemRoot%\system32\domain.msc
Active Directory Module for Windows PowerShell %windir%\system32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe -noexit -command import-module ActiveDirectory
Active Directory Sites and Services %SystemRoot%\system32\dssite.msc
Active Directory Users and Computers %SystemRoot%\system32\dsa.msc
ADSI Edit %SystemRoot%\system32\adsiedit.msc
Component Services %windir%\system32\comexp.msc
Computer Management %windir%\system32\compmgmt.msc /s
Defragment and Optimize Drives %windir%\system32\dfrgui.exe
Disk Cleanup %windir%\system32\cleanmgr.exe
Event Viewer %windir%\system32\eventvwr.msc /s
Group Policy Management %SystemRoot%\system32\mmc.exe %SystemRoot%\system32\gpmc.msc
iSCSI Initiator %windir%\system32\iscsicpl.exe
Local Security Policy %windir%\system32\secpol.msc /s
Microsoft Azure Services %SystemRoot%\explorer.exe “http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=401298”
ODBC Data Sources (32-bit) %windir%\syswow64\odbcad32.exe
ODBC Data Sources (64-bit) %windir%\system32\odbcad32.exe
Performance Monitor %windir%\system32\perfmon.msc /s
Print Management %systemroot%\system32\printmanagement.msc
Recovery Drive %windir%\system32\RecoveryDrive.exe
Registry Editor %windir%\regedit.exe
Resource Monitor %windir%\system32\perfmon.exe /res
Server Manager %SystemRoot%\system32\ServerManager.exe
Services %windir%\system32\services.msc
System Configuration %windir%\system32\msconfig.exe
System Information %windir%\system32\msinfo32.exe
Task Scheduler %windir%\system32\taskschd.msc /s
Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security %windir%\system32\WF.msc
Windows Memory Diagnostic %windir%\system32\MdSched.exe

In addition to the above (commonly used) shortcuts, there may be many more, depending upon the version and edition of Windows 10 you’re using.


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Ramesh Srinivasan is passionate about Microsoft technologies and he has been a consecutive ten-time recipient of the Microsoft Most Valuable Professional award in the Windows Shell/Desktop Experience category, from 2003 to 2012. He loves to troubleshoot and write about Windows. Ramesh founded Winhelponline.com in 2005.

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