diff --git a/ZA.CoreService.ESBCertificateManager/Services/SonicBinRestartExecutor.cs b/ZA.CoreService.ESBCertificateManager/Services/SonicBinRestartExecutor.cs
index 8c7b04c..4cfe2d0 100644
--- a/ZA.CoreService.ESBCertificateManager/Services/SonicBinRestartExecutor.cs
+++ b/ZA.CoreService.ESBCertificateManager/Services/SonicBinRestartExecutor.cs
@@ -5,10 +5,10 @@ using ZA.CoreService.ESBCertificateManager.Models;
 namespace ZA.CoreService.ESBCertificateManager.Services;
 
 /// <summary>
-/// Neustart über die offiziellen Sonic-Bin-Scripts (laut Doku):
-///   SonicHome\bin\stopcontainer.bat Domain.Container
-///   SonicHome\bin\startcontainer.bat Domain.Container
-/// Die Scripts setzen selbst JAVA_HOME – kein separates System-Java nötig.
+/// Neustart über Sonic-Server-Scripts:
+///   stopcontainer.bat / startcontainer.bat
+/// Diese liegen nur in einer vollen MQ/ESB-Server-Installation – nicht in einer
+/// reinen Sonic Management Console (SMC/Client).
 /// </summary>
 public sealed class SonicBinRestartExecutor
 {
@@ -32,16 +32,28 @@ public sealed class SonicBinRestartExecutor
             return (false, $"SonicHome existiert nicht: '{sonicHome}'", null);
         }
 
-        string stop = Path.Combine(sonicHome, "bin", "stopcontainer.bat");
-        string start = Path.Combine(sonicHome, "bin", "startcontainer.bat");
-        if (!File.Exists(stop) || !File.Exists(start))
+        (string? stop, string? start, string searchNote) = LocateContainerScripts(sonicHome);
+        if (stop is null || start is null)
         {
+            string binDir = Path.Combine(sonicHome, "bin");
+            string binListing = DescribeDirectory(binDir);
+            bool looksLikeSmcOnly = Directory.Exists(Path.Combine(sonicHome, "lib"))
+                && !File.Exists(Path.Combine(binDir, "stopcontainer.bat"));
+
+            string why = looksLikeSmcOnly
+                ? "Das sieht nach einer Sonic Management Console / Client-Installation aus "
+                  + "(lib vorhanden, aber keine Server-Scripts). "
+                  + "stopcontainer.bat gibt es nur auf dem Sonic-SERVER, nicht in der reinen SMC."
+                : "Server-Scripts wurden unter SonicHome nicht gefunden.";
+
             return (false,
-                $"stopcontainer.bat/startcontainer.bat fehlen unter '{Path.Combine(sonicHome, "bin")}'.",
-                $"stop={File.Exists(stop)}; start={File.Exists(start)}");
+                why + $" Gesucht unter '{sonicHome}'.",
+                $"{searchNote}\nInhalt von bin: {binListing}\n"
+                + "Lösung A: SonicHome auf den Server-Installationspfad setzen (dort wo stopcontainer.bat liegt).\n"
+                + "Lösung B: App lässt automatisch MfApi/SMC-Verbindung versuchen (ConnectionUrl + Login).");
         }
 
-        return (true, null, $"SonicHome={sonicHome}");
+        return (true, null, $"stop={stop}; start={start}");
     }
 
     public async Task<(bool Success, string Status, string? Detail)> RestartAsync(
@@ -56,9 +68,8 @@ public sealed class SonicBinRestartExecutor
         }
 
         string sonicHome = _connection.SonicHome.Trim();
-        string bin = Path.Combine(sonicHome, "bin");
-        string stopBat = Path.Combine(bin, "stopcontainer.bat");
-        string startBat = Path.Combine(bin, "startcontainer.bat");
+        (string? stopBat, string? startBat, _) = LocateContainerScripts(sonicHome);
+        string bin = Path.GetDirectoryName(stopBat!)!;
 
         string shortName = containerName.Contains('.')
             ? containerName[(containerName.IndexOf('.') + 1)..]
@@ -69,35 +80,33 @@ public sealed class SonicBinRestartExecutor
 
         StringBuilder log = new();
         log.AppendLine($"SonicHome={sonicHome}");
+        log.AppendLine($"stop={stopBat}");
+        log.AppendLine($"start={startBat}");
         log.AppendLine($"Container={fullName} (kurz={shortName})");
 
         (bool stopOk, string stopOut, string stopErr, int stopCode) =
-            await RunBatAsync(stopBat, fullName, bin, cancellationToken);
+            await RunBatAsync(stopBat!, fullName, bin, cancellationToken);
         log.AppendLine($"STOP ExitCode={stopCode}");
         if (stopOut.Length > 0) log.AppendLine("STOP out: " + Truncate(stopOut));
         if (stopErr.Length > 0) log.AppendLine("STOP err: " + Truncate(stopErr));
 
-        // stopcontainer kann ExitCode!=0 liefern wenn Container schon down – trotzdem starten
         await Task.Delay(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5), cancellationToken);
 
         (bool startOk, string startOut, string startErr, int startCode) =
-            await RunBatAsync(startBat, fullName, bin, cancellationToken);
+            await RunBatAsync(startBat!, fullName, bin, cancellationToken);
         log.AppendLine($"START ExitCode={startCode}");
         if (startOut.Length > 0) log.AppendLine("START out: " + Truncate(startOut));
         if (startErr.Length > 0) log.AppendLine("START err: " + Truncate(startErr));
 
-        if (!startOk || startCode != 0)
+        if (startCode != 0
+            && !string.Equals(shortName, fullName, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
         {
-            // Fallback: Kurzname ohne Domain
-            if (!string.Equals(shortName, fullName, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
-            {
-                log.AppendLine($"Retry START mit Kurzname '{shortName}'…");
-                (startOk, startOut, startErr, startCode) =
-                    await RunBatAsync(startBat, shortName, bin, cancellationToken);
-                log.AppendLine($"START(short) ExitCode={startCode}");
-                if (startOut.Length > 0) log.AppendLine("START out: " + Truncate(startOut));
-                if (startErr.Length > 0) log.AppendLine("START err: " + Truncate(startErr));
-            }
+            log.AppendLine($"Retry START mit Kurzname '{shortName}'…");
+            (_, startOut, startErr, startCode) =
+                await RunBatAsync(startBat!, shortName, bin, cancellationToken);
+            log.AppendLine($"START(short) ExitCode={startCode}");
+            if (startOut.Length > 0) log.AppendLine("START out: " + Truncate(startOut));
+            if (startErr.Length > 0) log.AppendLine("START err: " + Truncate(startErr));
         }
 
         await Task.Delay(
@@ -113,6 +122,92 @@ public sealed class SonicBinRestartExecutor
         return (true, $"Container '{fullName}' neugestartet (SonicBin)", log.ToString());
     }
 
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Sucht stop/startcontainer.bat unter SonicHome\bin und rekursiv (max. Tiefe 4).
+    /// </summary>
+    public static (string? StopBat, string? StartBat, string Note) LocateContainerScripts(string sonicHome)
+    {
+        List<string> candidates = [];
+
+        void AddDir(string? dir)
+        {
+            if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(dir) && Directory.Exists(dir) && !candidates.Contains(dir))
+            {
+                candidates.Add(dir);
+            }
+        }
+
+        AddDir(Path.Combine(sonicHome, "bin"));
+        AddDir(Path.Combine(sonicHome, "MQ_HOME", "bin"));
+        AddDir(Path.Combine(sonicHome, "MQ", "bin"));
+
+        try
+        {
+            string? parent = Directory.GetParent(sonicHome)?.FullName;
+            if (parent is not null)
+            {
+                foreach (string child in Directory.EnumerateDirectories(parent))
+                {
+                    AddDir(Path.Combine(child, "bin"));
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        catch
+        {
+            // ignore
+        }
+
+        // Rekursiv nach Dateinamen suchen
+        try
+        {
+            foreach (string file in Directory.EnumerateFiles(sonicHome, "stopcontainer.bat", SearchOption.AllDirectories)
+                         .Take(20))
+            {
+                AddDir(Path.GetDirectoryName(file));
+            }
+        }
+        catch
+        {
+            // ignore permission issues
+        }
+
+        foreach (string dir in candidates)
+        {
+            string stop = Path.Combine(dir, "stopcontainer.bat");
+            string start = Path.Combine(dir, "startcontainer.bat");
+            if (File.Exists(stop) && File.Exists(start))
+            {
+                return (stop, start, $"Scripts gefunden in '{dir}'");
+            }
+        }
+
+        return (null, null, $"Keine Scripts in {candidates.Count} geprüften bin-Ordnern.");
+    }
+
+    private static string DescribeDirectory(string dir)
+    {
+        if (!Directory.Exists(dir))
+        {
+            return "(Ordner existiert nicht)";
+        }
+
+        try
+        {
+            string[] names = Directory.GetFileSystemEntries(dir)
+                .Select(Path.GetFileName)
+                .Where(n => n is not null)
+                .Cast<string>()
+                .OrderBy(n => n)
+                .Take(25)
+                .ToArray();
+            return names.Length == 0 ? "(leer)" : string.Join(", ", names);
+        }
+        catch (Exception ex)
+        {
+            return $"(nicht lesbar: {ex.Message})";
+        }
+    }
+
     private static async Task<(bool Started, string StdOut, string StdErr, int ExitCode)> RunBatAsync(
         string batPath,
         string argument,
diff --git a/ZA.CoreService.ESBCertificateManager/Services/SonicManagementClient.cs b/ZA.CoreService.ESBCertificateManager/Services/SonicManagementClient.cs
index 6144902..1c2bcbe 100644
--- a/ZA.CoreService.ESBCertificateManager/Services/SonicManagementClient.cs
+++ b/ZA.CoreService.ESBCertificateManager/Services/SonicManagementClient.cs
@@ -200,11 +200,49 @@ public sealed class SonicManagementClient : IDisposable
 
         if (UsesScripts)
         {
-            // LocalCmd / WinRm: bevorzugter Doku-Weg über die .bat-Dateien (ohne extra Java-Suche).
             if (Mode == SonicManagementMode.LocalCmd)
             {
-                return await new SonicBinRestartExecutor(_connection)
-                    .RestartAsync(containerName, cancellationToken);
+                (bool binOk, string binStatus, string? binDetail) =
+                    await new SonicBinRestartExecutor(_connection)
+                        .RestartAsync(containerName, cancellationToken);
+
+                if (binOk)
+                {
+                    return (true, binStatus, binDetail);
+                }
+
+                // Reine SMC/Client-Installation ohne Server-bin → wie die Console selbst
+                // über ConnectionUrl + SMC-Login (MfApi) neu starten.
+                bool batsMissing = binDetail?.Contains("stopcontainer", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase) == true
+                    || binStatus.Contains("SonicBin", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
+
+                if (batsMissing)
+                {
+                    SonicMfApiExecutor mf = new(_connection);
+                    (bool mfOk, string? mfOut, string? mfErr) =
+                        await mf.RestartAsync(containerName, cancellationToken);
+                    if (mfOk)
+                    {
+                        await Task.Delay(
+                            TimeSpan.FromSeconds(Math.Clamp(_connection.PostRestartDelaySeconds, 0, 120)),
+                            cancellationToken);
+                        return (true, $"Container '{containerName}' neugestartet (SMC/MfApi)",
+                            $"Kein stopcontainer.bat unter SonicHome – SMC-Verbindung genutzt.\n{mfOut}");
+                    }
+
+                    return (false, "Neustart fehlgeschlagen",
+                        "Ursache: Unter SonicHome fehlen stopcontainer.bat/startcontainer.bat.\n" +
+                        "Das ist typisch, wenn nur die Sonic Management Console (Client) installiert ist –\n" +
+                        "die Scripts liegen auf dem Sonic-SERVER.\n\n" +
+                        $"SonicBin: {binDetail}\n\n" +
+                        $"SMC/MfApi-Fallback: {mfErr}\n{mfOut}\n\n" +
+                        "Was tun:\n" +
+                        "1) SonicHome auf den Server-Pfad setzen (Ordner mit bin\\stopcontainer.bat), ODER\n" +
+                        "2) Java + Client-JARs unter SonicHome\\lib bereitstellen (wie SMC),\n" +
+                        "   ConnectionUrl/User/Pass = dieselben Werte wie beim SMC-Login.");
+                }
+
+                return (false, binStatus, binDetail);
             }
 
             return await RestartViaScriptAsync(containerName, cancellationToken);
diff --git a/ZA.CoreService.ESBCertificateManager/appsettings.json b/ZA.CoreService.ESBCertificateManager/appsettings.json
index 3b446f7..74e2ae6 100644
--- a/ZA.CoreService.ESBCertificateManager/appsettings.json
+++ b/ZA.CoreService.ESBCertificateManager/appsettings.json
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
       "Username": "Administrator",
       "Password": "Administrator",
       "ManagementMode": "LocalCmd",
-      "SonicHome": "C:\\Sonic\\MQ10.0",
+      "SonicHome": "C:\\DEV\\MQ10.0",
       "JavaHome": "",
       "JavaPath": "",
       "MfClientLibPath": "",