Windows .msc files overview - gHacks Tech News
By Martin Brinkmann
Published: 2017-06-10 · Archived: 2026-04-05 20:28:56 UTC
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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
Source: https://www.ghacks.net/2017/06/10/windows-msc-files-overview/
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