SCCM Step by Step Guide to Update Windows ADK and WinPE Versions

In this post, you will see what the ADK and WinPE changes concerned for SCCM admins are. I also share the best practices to update Windows ADK and WinPE to the latest version on the SCCM server.

The Windows 11 ADK version released now is for Windows 11 21H2. The next version of Windows 11 is expected to be in Oct 2022, and that version must be called Windows 11 22H2. The Windows 11 build version details are also available with HTMD community posts.

The Windows 10 ADK upgrade process won’t impact your custom boot images and OSD process. Another ADK installation process guide that you can refer to is SCCM Step by Step Guide to Update Windows ADK and WinPE Versions.

• Windows 11 ADK Versions List Download Options

Introduction

Starting from Windows ADK 1809, Microsoft has changed Windows Preinstallation Environment(WinPE) tool is released separately from the Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK).

Download the latest version of Windows 10 ADK 1903 from here. You can follow this guide to install Windows 1903.

You will also learn some best practices which you need to follow as part of Windows ADK and WinPE update on the SCCM server:

• When to update the Windows ADK version (Is it OK to be in backward compatibility mode)
• What is the best method to update Windows ADK and WinPE
• Do you need to update ADK before SCCM CB upgrade? (Before or After SCCM upgrade?)

So first, you need to install the ADK  and then the Windows PE add-on in the SCCM server. Following are the Windows ADK and WinPE components that you need to add or install.

• Application Compatibility Tools
• Deployment Tools
• Imaging and Configuration Designer (ICD)
• Configuration Designer
• User State Migration Tool (USMT)
• Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT)
• Windows Performance Toolkit
• Windows Assessement Toolkit
• Microsoft User Experience Virtualization (UE-V) Template
• Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V) Sequencer
• Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V) Auto Sequencer
• Media eXperience Analyzer
• Windows PE add-on to supports post-RTM updates to tools in the ADK

Note: Microsoft announced a change with WindowsADK starting with Windows 10 1809; Windows Preinstallation Environment (WinPE) is released separately from the (ADK. SO you need to add Windows PE to your ADK installation by downloading the Windows PE Addon and run the included installer after installing the ADK.

NOTE! – Windows 10 1809 ADK Known issue highlighted by a Twitter user Pierre. More details are in the Tweet.

Best Practices – Update Windows ADK

I have seen many forum and social media questions about ADK update and boot image update during SCCM upgrades.

NOTE! I recommend testing the latest version of Windows ADK in your lab environment and staging environment before upgrading it on your SCCM server.

Ideally, if you use a customized version of the boot image, the SCCM upgrade won’t change the custom boot image. But the default boot images will get updated automatically with the latest version of ADK and WinPE add-on installed on the server.

NOTE! – Before Upgrading the Windows ADK version, make sure to note down the client version and OS version of the existing boot images as per the environment.

• Perform a backup of the existing USMT Configuration XML files

• Determine the existing installation path of Windows 10 ADK in the server. (whether it is default C:\ drive or any other alternative drives)

Always check the compatibility of the SCCM version and Windows ADK version before upgrading Windows ADK and WinPE. You can refer to the following link to get more details.

SCCM Windows ADK and WinPE Upgrade

Let’s walk through a step-by-step guide on how to install the ADK and Windows PE add-on tools. Before Upgrading the ADK version, ensure the client and OS version of the existing boot images as per the environment.

• OS Version – 10.0.17134.1
• Client Version 5.00.8692.1509

Uninstall Existing Version of ADK

To continue with the up-to-date version of Windows ADK and WinPE, you need to uninstall the existing or older version of Windows ADK.

Important!: note the existing installation path of Windows ADK.

• Open the control panel in the SCCM server
• Select the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit-Windows and select Uninstall

• Click Yes to continue the uninstall of Windows ADK

• Uninstallation is in progress

• Uninstallation is completed, Click Close

• Restart the Server

How to Install the Latest Version of Windows ADK

There are two ways to install the ADK. You can see both the details below.

NOTE! – Best Practice is to download Windows 10 ADK Offline files and install them on the server.

1. Install the ADK directly from Internet
2. Download the offline files and install it.

• Download the Windows ADK for Windows 10, version 1809 –  https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2026036

• Following the first method, to install the ADK from direct Internet

• Select adksetup.exe and install with administrator mode.

• Select “Install the Windows Assortment and Deployment Kit – Windows 10 to this computer“

Note! : Use the previous ADK installation path

• Click Next

• Select ‘No‘ for Send anonymous usage data to Microsoft for the Windows 10 Kits

• Click Next

• Click Accept

• Select the required features. I recommend to select the least minimum required components.
  • Deployment Tools
  • User State Migration Tool (USMT)
• Click Install

NOTE! – WinPE is missing in the core Windows ADK components. You need to add WinPE as an add-on. More details are below.

• Installing the selected features on SCCM server

• Click Close

NOTE! – Windows Assessment and Deployment Kits are installed now on your SCCM server.

• Restart the Server

How to Install Latest WinPE on SCCM Server

NOTE! – Since WinPE is not part of Windows ADK 1809 or later, you need to install WinPE as an add-on as part of the upgrade process of Windows ADK.

Following is the first method to install the Windows PE add-on from direct Internet. I would recommend doing with offline option wherever possible.

• Download the Windows PE add-on for the ADK – https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2022233
• Login to SCCM server.
• Copy the offline downloaded file of WinPE to SCCM server.
• Select adkwinpeSetup.exe and install with administrator mode.

• Select “Install the Windows Assortment and Deployment Kit Windows Preinstallation Environment Add-ons-Windows10 to this computer”

Note!: Use the same installation path of Windows ADK (shown in the above – Update Windows ADK steps).

[Optional Step] Select the Second option to download the files WinPE add-on files Offline, and that is recommended method for the SCCM WinPE upgrade process

Click Next

Select ‘No‘ for Send anonymous usage data to Microsoft for the Windows 10 Kits

• Click Next

• Click Next

Select Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE)

Click Next

NOTE! – It’s a bit surprising to see the Disk space requirement as 5 GB for the WinPE add-on. It includes Windows PE(x86) and Windows PE (AMD64).

• Installing features….

NOTE! – Windows Preinstallation Environment (WinPE – Windows PE) Add-on is installed on SCCM Server now.

• Click Close

• Restart the server

How to Update the SCCM Boot Image

In this section, you will see how to update the SCCM boot images after Windows ADK and WinPE upgrade.

• Open SCCM Console from Start Menu
• Navigate to Software Library – Operation System – Boot Images to select the boot image which you want to update
• Select the Boot images, right click and select Update Distribution Points

• Select Reload this boot image with the current Windows PE version from the Windows ADK
• Click Next

• Click Next

• Boot image update is progress

• Boot image is updated, Click Close

NOTE! – Do you have some SCCM Boot Image Update issues? If so, I would recommend reading the following SCCM package distribution troubleshooting guide.

Validation – Update Windows ADK and WinPE

You can confirm the success of the WinPE, Windows ADK, and Boot Image Upgrade from SCCM Console!

NOTE! – Post boot image with Windows ADK upgrade; it will start distributing the updated boot image file to the distribution points.

The OS Version is updated for all the Boot images.

• OS Version after Windows 10 ADK & WinPE upgrade – 10.0.17763.1
• Client Version after Windows 10 ADK & WinPE upgrade – 5.00.8692.1509

Conclusion & Best Practices

I would always recommend doing the following:

• When to update the Windows ADK version (Is it OK to be in backward compatibility mode)
  • I will always recommend to go with N-1 version of ADK whenever it’s ok with you. Where N is the latest version of ADK
• What is the best method to update Windows ADK and WinPE
  • I would recommend going through this guide and my recommended way of upgrading Windows 10 ADK is explained in the guide.
• Do you need to update ADK before SCCM CB upgrade? (Before or After SCCM upgrade?)
  • I would recommend to upgrade the Windows ADK before the SCCM CB upgrade process. I been doing it for many organizations. It works just fine.
• Any Impact with SCCM OSD Boot images and Windows 10 ADK and WinPE upgrade?
  • I have done many Windows 10 ADK and WinPE upgrades without impacting any existing boot images (MDT boot image and custom boot image).

NOTE! – When you upgrade the ADK version and then use updates and servicing to install the latest version of SCCM, the site regenerates the default boot images. This update includes the new WinPE version from the updated Windows ADK, the latest version of the SCCM client, drivers, and customizations. The site doesn’t modify custom boot images.

Resources

• Windows ADK and WinPE Update Documentation
• Step by Step Guide to Upgrade SCCM 1902
• SCCM Compatibility with the latest version of Windows ADK and WinPE