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Install Server Core App Compatibility with PowerShell

Windows Server RolesAugust 17, 2026

Adds the App Compatibility Feature on Demand to a Server Core installation, which is what brings back MMC, Event Viewer, Performance Monitor and a handful of other tools that a stubborn application or an on-site engineer expects to find. Requires a reboot to take effect.

powershell
# Install the Application Compatibility Feature on Demand on Server Core
#-----------------------------------------------------
# Requires Administrator previlegues

$isadm = ([Security.Principal.WindowsPrincipal][Security.Principal.WindowsIdentity]::GetCurrent()).IsInRole([Security.Principal.WindowsBuiltInRole]::Administrator)
if (-not $isadm)
{
    Write-Host "<WRITE-LOG = ""*Please run this script as Administrator.*"">"
    Write-Host "<WRITE-LOG = ""*If this was a remote execution please provide Administrator credentials.*"">"
    Write-Error "Warning: Not running as Administrator."
}
else {
	Add-WindowsCapability -Online -Name "ServerCore.AppCompatibility~~~~0.0.1.0"
	# You must reboot for the installation to take effect
}

Run it across your fleet

This script runs as-is on a single host. Paste it into ServerEngine to schedule it, run it on a whole server group in parallel, and keep the credentials out of the file — see the scripts documentation and the credential store.

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