Download and install the windows adk

Businesses that need to deploy Windows in a larger environment often require customization before they can go about their operations and processes. This large-scale deployment is carried out by IT professionals and system administrators on many computers using the toolset, known as the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit, or simply, Windows ADK.

Microsoft Windows ADK is a collection of tools that you can combine to prepare, assess, and launch image-based large-scale Windows deployments. These tools are also used to test the operating system’s quality and performance, as well as the applications running on it.

The Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit was earlier known as the Windows Automated Installation Kit (WAIK).

Windows ADK can be deployed on a broad range of devices, such as desktops, notebooks, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, etc. This toolkit works across platforms that work with devices with and without screens.

Windows ADK was first introduced in Windows Vista and since then has always been available in the latest Windows operating systems. The tools currently available in Windows ADK have varied through the years, but currently, they include the following:

• Windows System Image Manager
• Windows Preinstallation Environment (WinPE)
• Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool (DISM)

The key advantage of using Windows ADK for IT teams is to apply different tools to test software, drivers, and hardware compatibility before finally moving to Windows 11 or 10.

The Application Compatibility Toolkit, for instance, lets developers and IT professionals test how 32 and 64-bit Windows applications work on a new operating system before the final installation. IT admins can also use Windows ADK to automate large-scale deployments of Windows.

On a high level, Windows ADK has two different formats, which have their own versions. One format is reserved for Windows Insider Preview users. The other format is available publicly and can be downloaded via the Windows ADK page on Microsoft’s website.

The variant available publicly is usually around 2 MB in size and comes in different versions, where each new release of Windows ADK involves new features and product enhancements.

If you want to know about the version history, take a look at the list below:

The Windows Preinstallation Environment (WinPE) comes as a separate download from the Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK), before Windows 10 version 1809. To add Windows PE to your ADK installation, you need to download and install the Windows PE add-on after installing the ADK.

When it comes to features, Windows 10 ADK allows you to select specific features at the time of installation. You can pick and choose the exact features you want to include in the toolkit. The options include:

• Application Compatibility Tools
• Deployment Tools
• Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE)
• Imaging and Configuration Designer (ICD)
• Configuration Designer
• User State Migration Tool (USMT)
• Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT)
• Windows Performance Toolkit
• Windows Assessment Toolkit
• Microsoft User Experience Virtualization (UE-V)
• Application Virtualization Sequencer (App-V)
• Microsoft Application Virtualization Auto Sequencer (App-V)
• Media experience Analyzer

In general, these features let you perform the following functions:

• Add product branding, applications, along with settings
• Keep Windows up to date with the latest updates, language packs, and drivers
• Look for and identify application compatibility
• Perform user data migration between Windows installations
• Manage bulk activation of Windows

How to Install Windows ADK

Since you can only install one version of Windows ADK at a time, you will need to uninstall any existing ADK installation before installing the new one.

Otherwise, you will need to install the new ADK using the command line for multiple ADK versions working on the same computer.

Follow these steps to install Windows ADK using the traditional method:

1. Download the correct ADK version from above.

2. Run the “adksetup.exe” file to start the installation.

3. Now select “Download the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit for installation on a separate computer” and click Next.

   

4. Select either Yes or No for Windows Kits Privacy and click Next.

   

5. Click Accept to agree to the licensing terms.

   

   The download process will now start.

6. Once downloaded, close the wizard.

   

After the download process is complete, you can move the downloaded files onto the computer on which you want to install Windows ADK.

If you wish to install it on the current computer, then you must select the first option “Install the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit on this computer” in Step 3 above and then select the components to install.

Download and Install WinPE Add-On

As discussed earlier in the article, starting with Windows 10 ADK version 1809, WinPE is no longer part of the ADK tool. If you wish to get WinPE, follow these steps to download and install the add-on:

Note: The minimum estimated disk space required is 6.0 GB for the WinPE add-on. Hence, it may take longer for the installation to finish than the ADK. The package includes Windows PE(x86), Windows PE (AMD64), Windows PE (ARM), and Windows PE (ARM64).

1. Begin by downloading the WinPE setup file from the links given above for your respective OS version.

2. Run the downloaded “adkwinpesetup.exe” file.

3. The rest of the process is the same as Windows ADK installation.

Windows ADK Validation

To confirm the Windows ADK installation on a device, follow these steps:

1. Open the Programs and Feature applet by typing in “appwiz.cpl” in the Run Command box.

   

2. Check that Windows ADK and Windows PE have been installed.

   

Conclusion

In order to deploy Windows OS on a large scale, you need a Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit. This article covers the basics of the Windows ADK toolkit, its download links directly from Microsoft, and how to install it.

You can also use this tool and its add-on in conjunction with Windows Deployment Server to level up your automation and operations.

Also see:

Prajwal Desai is a Microsoft MVP in Enterprise Mobility. He writes articles on SCCM, Intune, Configuration Manager, Microsoft Intune, Azure, Windows Server, Windows 11, WordPress and other topics, with the goal of providing people with useful information.

This post is part of SCCM Current Branch Installation Guide series
In this post we are going to cover the installation of ADK (latest version is 1809)  & Windows PE Add-on which is a prerequisite for SCCM Installation.

What is ADK

ADK (Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit) consists of tools required for Operating System Deployment such as WinPE boot Images, Deployment Tools, USMT etc. Starting with ADK 1809 version WinPE is separately released from ADK. Hence, complete installation of ADK consists of 2 components:

1. Windows ADK for Windows 10, version 1809
2. Windows PE add-on for ADK

Installation of Windows ADK offline(version 1809)

Download Windows ADK 1809 and save adksetup.exe to your desired location. adksetup.exe is not the complete setup for installation, instead it requires internet connection to fetch all the required binaries. We will first download the binaries, which can be later used on any system for installation.

Once downloaded, launch adksetup.exe, specify the location to download the binaries.

Once download is completed to above mentioned path (d:downloadsWindows Kits10ADK), launch adksetup.exe once again from this new location which now contains the binaries under “installers” folder. Specify the location for installation:

Under “Select the features you want to install”, make sure following is selected:

Click on Install to begin the installation

Installation of Windows PE Add-on for ADK

Similar to ADK installation, we will first download the Windows PE Add-on exe. Once downloaded, we will download the binaries first before installation it so that it can be used on any other server also (without having any internet connection).

Launch adkwinpesetup.exe and specify the path to download the binaries

Once binaries are downloaded, launch adkwinpesetup.exe from location d:ADKWinPEAddons, and specify the location for installation

Under “Select the features you want to install”, there will be only one option available “Windows PE”, make sure it is selected and click on install to complete the installation

Install Windows Assessment and Deployment KIT. In this article I will cover the steps to install the latest version of Windows ADK for SCVMM (System Center Virtual Machine Manager). Windows ADK is an external dependency when you install SCVMM. There are 2 ways to install the Windows ADK. Via GUI and via command line.
We have to download ADK – Windows PE and install them one by one. We install Windows ADK first and then add Windows PE to our ADK installation.

Download Windows ADK and Windows PE click here

How to Install Windows ADK for SCVMM

1- To install Windows ADK for SCVMM, download adksetup.exe. and then double click to run file.

2- Windows Assessment and Deployment kit install wizard. Select the Install Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit and then click next.

3- If you want to send or not to send anonymous usage data to Microsoft, then click next.

4- Windows assessment and deployment Click accept the license terms.

5- To install Windows ADK for SCVMM, Select the features you want to install and then click on Install.

6- Windows assessment and deployment kit installing features.

7- The Windows ADK installation is complete. Click the close button.

Install Windows PE Add-on for Windows ADK

8- In the above steps, we installed Windows ADK. Now we will install the Windows PE add-on for Windows ADK. Download adkwinpesetup.exe and then double click on it to run.

9- Select Install ADK Windows Preinstallation environment add-ons and then click next.

10- To accept license terms, click the Accept button.

11- Now you can see there is only a feature that is included which is the Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE). Click the Install button.

12- Installing Windows preinstallation environment is in progress.

13- The Windows PE installation is complete. Click the Close button.

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