Windows Admin Center provides a convenient method for IT admins to investigate and manage their Windows Servers. 2410 was made generally available in December 2024, and refreshed to respond to customer feedback in February 2025. This 2511 release comes with new additions to core tools like the virtual machines tool, the security tool, and bug fixes. Additionally, we have heard your feedback on the installer and have updated it.
As always, thank you to our customers, partners, and fans. Your continued support of Windows Admin Center has been critical to its continued success.
We’ve been working behind the scenes to ensure that Windows Admin Center is up-to-date, secure, and reliable. Read on to learn about the new features and updates!
Platform updates
Installer
The Windows Admin Center installer in version 2410 had some gaps. We’ve heard ample feedback about the installer experience and have worked to address several of these in 2511.
Silent install commands
In Windows Admin Center version 2410, we did not include many command line install operations. We know that many of you install Windows Admin Center through the command line because you’re using Server Core or would like to automate your Windows Admin Center deployments. With this release, we’ve restored command line silent installation support and added a few extra arguments as well. The following arguments can now be used:
- /Silent
- /VerySilent
- /HTTPSPortNumber
- /CertificateThumbprint
Here’s an example of how you’d run the installer from the command line:
.\WindowsAdminCenterSetup.exe /HTTPSPortNumber=1234 /CertificateThumbprint=“1234abcd4567efgh”
In addition to the command line installation, your WIndows Admin Center configuration can always be modified with the PowerShell Configuration script module, which can be found at the following file path:
%Program Files%\WindowsAdminCenter\PowerShellModules\Microsoft.WindowsAdminCenter.Configuration
Cert troubleshooting
The management of software certificates is a necessary component to product lifecycle management, but it isn’t always easy. When we upgraded the Windows Admin Center backend with version 2410, we also changed the way certificates are handled by Windows Admin Center. We’ve created new documentation that can assist in the process of updating your Windows Admin Center certificate or troubleshooting certificate issues.
Localization
In this release, we’ve addressed an issue where users upgrading to Windows Admin Center versions 2410 or later were unable to migrate to the new backend successfully. This issue was due to certificates being improperly processed because of a localization error in one of the Windows Admin Center scripts. After updating, users were unable to launch the latest version of Windows Admin Center successfully.
There is still a potential known issue with connections not transferring to new Windows Admin Center builds on update with the Japanese language specifically. We are working to address this prior to the generally available release.
Logging
We have heard your feedback, and the WAC installer now supports enterprise-ready logging by writing installation details to the Windows Event Log. This provides centralized visibility for IT teams, improves compliance, and simplifies troubleshooting.
Updates to Extensions
Virtual machine tool
The VM management tool has been updated with improved import/export workflows that polish the destination dialog and file location handling. The host settings have enhanced configuration options and backend validation to prevent user misconfiguration. There is now an improved creation and configuration workflow for virtual switches, along with network controller integration. There’s better rule management, validation for affinity rules to avoid any potential conflicts.
Performance is still top of mind and one of the highest priorities for our team. With that said, the VM list is loading faster, there are now clearer error messages, and the UI is now more responsive.
Virtual machine conversion tool
As organizations update their infrastructure, a growing number are seeking adaptable, Microsoft-supported solutions that address current requirements while laying the path for future cloud and AI adoption. Azure provides an agile, scalable, cost-effective platform for infrastructure and innovation. Whether by modernizing to cloud technologies like Windows or Linux VMs, containers, Azure VMware Solution or PaaS services, Azure offers a world-class cloud experience. However, we recognize that some organizations must retain workloads on-premises due to data compliance, governance, or other regulatory requirements. For customers wanting to adopt Windows Server and Hyper-V for this use case, we are excited to provide a new option within Windows Admin Center, the VM Conversion tool, in public preview as of last month. Read the announcement and explore the documentation.
Remote desktop tool
The Remote Desktop (RDP) tool has long been one of the most relied-upon features in Windows Admin Center, enabling IT professionals to manage servers remotely with ease. In this latest update, we’ve focused on two critical areas: global accessibility and rock-solid reliability.
First, we’ve significantly expanded international keyboard support. Remote management often spans multiple regions and languages, and incorrect keyboard mappings have been a pain point for many users. To solve this, we introduced advanced detection methods that combine timezone and language heuristics with physical keyboard pattern analysis. We also added a new utility method, streamlined language-to-layout mapping, and implemented fallback strategies to ensure accuracy in diverse environments. With these improvements, the RDP tool now supports over thirty international keyboard layouts, including Japanese, German, and French, making it a truly global solution for distributed teams and traveling administrators.
Second, we addressed a critical reliability issue that affected version 4.30.2, where the tool sometimes stalled during loading. This bug has been fully resolved in the latest in-box version, delivering faster startup times and consistent connectivity. Whether you’re managing a single server or an entire cluster, you can now rely on the RDP tool to perform without interruptions.
These enhancements aren’t just technical upgrades. They’re about creating a smoother, more inclusive experience for IT professionals everywhere. By improving keyboard detection and eliminating loading issues, we’re making remote administration more efficient, more reliable, and ready for the demands of modern infrastructure management.
Security tools
Windows Admin Center introduces powerful security tools for Windows Server 2025 to help organizations stay ahead of evolving cyber threats. Key features include Silicon Assisted Security, which consolidates secured-core requirements and hardware recommendations into a streamlined view for configuring protections like VBS, Secure Boot, and TPM 2.0; the Security Baseline tool, enabling enforcement of Microsoft-recommended settings and industry standards such as CIS, DISA STIG, and FIPS through OSConfig and drift control; and Windows LAPS, which automates local administrator password management and integrates with Admin Center for bulk password resets and expiration tracking. Together, these tools simplify security management, strengthen infrastructure resilience, and ensure compliance with best practices. Learn more.
SDN management
In this release, we’ve updated the SDN management extension to add X509 client authentication support for FC NC environments. This is a requirement for some Azure Local configurations. Additionally, we’ve updated SDN deployment to include an option to specify the OU path of the infrastructure VMs.
Known issues
Azure Gov Cloud
This version of Windows Admin Center cannot be registered in Azure Government sovereign cloud.
High Availability
Any users utilizing a high availability (HA) setup should not install this version with the intent to use HA. HA is not currently supported in our .NET 8 backend implementation, nor in the 2410 release. HA installation support will be restored with our 2511 generally available release.
New NDA group!
We are migrating our NDA group from Viva Engage to a private GitHub group. If you are a part of our existing NDA group, have an existing NDA with us, or are a Microsoft MVP, please fill out this survey to request access to the group.
Download today!
If you made it this far in the blog post, thank you so much for reading along! We hope you enjoy this new version of Windows Admin Center and the various new functionality and new extensions now available.
As always, thanks for your ongoing support, adoption, and feedback. Your contributions through user feedback continue to be vital and valuable to us, helping us prioritize and sequence our investments.
Windows Admin Center is continuously evolving and growing as a tool and a platform, and we are beyond thrilled to have you part of our journey.
Thank you,
Windows Admin Center Team (@servermgmt)
Microsoft