Microsoft has changed the way the release of Windows ADK works with version 1809 of Windows 10. The Windows ADK comes now in two parts. One for Windows ADK tools and the other one for WinPE. With each major release of Windows 10, comes a new release fo the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit. This means yet another product (now two!)to keep up-to-date in your environment. In this post, we will cover how to update an existing installation of a Windows ADK on an SCCM server. If you are looking for a history of Windows ADK versions, see our post here.

In this blog post, we will detail how to update the Windows ADK along with the WinPE Addon.

WHY SEPARATE DOWNLOADS FOR WINDOWS ADK AND WINPE

From Microsoft, “Starting with Windows 10, version 1809, Windows Preinstallation Environment (PE) is released separately from the Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK). To add Windows PE to your ADK installation, download the Windows PE Addon and run the included installer after installing the ADK. This change enables post-RTM updates to tools in the ADK. After running the installer for the WinPE add-on, the WinPE files will be in the same location as they were in previous installs of the ADK.

WHY THE WINDOWS ADK MUST BE UPDATED?

  • Stay supported for SCCM and Windows 10 OS deployment
  • Microsoft recommend matching the Windows 10 version deployed
  • New setting in WinPE or in the Unattend.xml for the latest Windows 10 build
Note

 Windows ADK has not a history of bug-free releases. You should hold on the update for a couple days/weeks to see bug reports
It’s not mandatory to update the Windows ADK in order to deploy the latest Windows 10 build. An earlier version of the Windows ADK should work just fine, even if unsupported when a new Windows 10 release comes out.

WINDOWS ADK COMPATIBILITY CHART

Here’s the table for Windows ADK compatibility with SCCM Current Branch, at the time of posting.

UPDATE WINDOWS ADK 1809

For the latest compatibility chart, check this Docs documentation.

Consideration before updating Windows ADK

 If you modified the default USMT configuration XML, they should be backed up before starting the update of Windows ADK. Boot images will require more or less work, depending on your setup.

Download latest Windows ADK and WinPE Add-on

  • Download the latest version of the Windows ADK and Window PE add-on

UPDATE WINDOWS ADK 1809

  • Execute ADKSetup.exe

UPDATE WINDOWS ADK 1809

  • Select Download and provide a path. This will allow to pre-download Windows ADK content prior to the installation

UPDATE WINDOWS ADK 1809

  • Select Privacy level for the download

UPDATE WINDOWS ADK 1809

  • Accept the License Agreement

UPDATE WINDOWS ADK 1809

  • The download will take some time as the Windows ADK is about 1.1GB
  • Download completed
  • Repeat process with ADKWinPESetup.exe

UPDATE WINDOWS ADK 1809

  • Select Download and provide a path. This will allow to pre-download Windows ADK content prior to the installation

UPDATE WINDOWS ADK 1809

  • Select Privacy level for the download

UPDATE WINDOWS ADK 1809

  • Accept the License Agreement

UPDATE WINDOWS ADK 1809

  • The download will take some time as the Windows PE Add-on is about 2.8GB
  • Download completed

UPDATE WINDOWS ADK 1809

HOW TO UPDATE WINDOWS ADK 1809

The process of updating the Windows ADK is pretty straightforward:

Once ready for the update, the old version of the Windows ADK must first be uninstalled

  • Open Program and Features, select Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit – Windows 10 and click on Uninstall

UPDATE WINDOWS ADK 1809

  • Once the previous Windows ADK is uninstalled, reboot the server
  • Once rebooted, run ADKsetup.exe in the download folder you specified in the previous step

UPDATE WINDOWS ADK 1809

  • Select Install, click Next

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  • Select Privacy level wanted. Click Next

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  • Accept license agreement
  • Select the following mandatory features. You can select more if you need others. Click Install
    • Deployment Tools
    • User State Migration Tool (USMT)
Note

Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE) is no longer available in this setup.

UPDATE WINDOWS ADK 1809

  • Completed

UPDATE WINDOWS ADK 1809

HOW TO INSTALL WINDOWS ADK WINPE 1809 Add-on

  • Run ADKWinPEsetup.exe in the download folder you specified in the previous step

UPDATE WINDOWS ADK 1809

  • Select the installation path, click Next

UPDATE WINDOWS ADK 1809

  • Select Privacy level wanted. Click Next

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  • Accept license agreement

UPDATE WINDOWS ADK 1809

  • Select the Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE)

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  • Once completed, reboot the server once again

Update boot images

Since SCCM Current Branch 1706, it is possible to reload boot images with current Windows PE version following a Windows ADK update. This is still true even if the Windows ADK has been split into 2 pieces

  • Select a Boot image to update, and select Update distribution points

UPDATE WINDOWS ADK 1809

  • Check the box  Reload this boot image with the current Windows PE version from the Windows ADK.  Click Next

UPDATE WINDOWS ADK 1809

  • Summary

  UPDATE WINDOWS ADK 1809

  • Boot Image now has the latest OS version

UPDATE WINDOWS ADK 1809

[ratings]

Comments (15)

Tyrone Wyatt

09.11.2019 AT 06:30 PM
The "Reload this boot image with the current Windows PE version from the Windows ADK." tickbox was grayed out for me. I had to perform a second reboot after the ADK/WinPE installation to use that option.

Felix Chrappah

05.01.2019 AT 10:38 AM
Hi , I am thinking about upgrading MDT to ADK 1809 on . I want to know if my Windows 10 1709 images will deploy with no issues. Secondly I had earlier captured a windows 10 1809 with my 1709 ADK MDT. However I am not bale to deploy that image . I am getting failure(5624) errors. Is it because MDT is not upgraded to 1809?

Faisal

04.21.2019 AT 06:36 AM
I did the exact steps but the it still shows the old version even though it said that the update was successfull.

Huub

03.19.2019 AT 10:59 AM
Fine article. Helps a lot. Thanks for your effort Grt Huub

Martin

01.30.2019 AT 03:39 AM
Hi Jonathan, thank you so much for this post, just upgraded our v1810 SCCM to the current level. Maybe you might also want to add (how-)to update the USMT package to completely be up-to-date after the installation. Cheers!

Matti

01.30.2019 AT 12:53 AM
Hello, In the boot image section on SCCM > Software Library > Operation System > Boot Images > when I updated our Boot image the OS Version says "10.0.17763.1." like on the picture you've got but I were wondering is the "version" -field suppose to update aswell automaticlly? I mean is there a suppose to be a version number? because when I choose the boot image and see the "version" field it's empty.. 🙁 Only seeing the OS version and Client Version which are the newest. Thanks. Matti

Taylor

01.09.2019 AT 04:21 PM
Hi Jonathan, thank you so much for this information! Extremely helpful! I did run into an issue when following the step Update Distribution Point. The Wizard failed giving me the error: Failed to insert OSD binaries into the mounted WIM file. (Often happens if unsigned drivers are inserted into x64 boot image) What could I do to resolve this issue? Thanks in advance!

mikey

11.27.2018 AT 12:13 PM
Jonathan- We had been imaging our devices using a task sequence with Win 10 ver 1709 and tried to roll up to 1809. We attempted to follow the process but at the moment when we pxe boot, it appears as though the boot file that it tries to call for takes longer than before and we are never presented with any task sequence offers. We get to the spash screen of the jpeg we set as the background and then the machine quits pxe. I was wondering if there was anything that we may have missed? We used to have WinPE boot image (x64) and a separate boot image file that was called for in the task sequence but now it seems that it just uses the boot image file (same as task sequence) in pxe deployments. I looked at the log and didn't seem to find anything that could point me in the right direction, any help would be appreciated.

Marco

11.28.2018 AT 08:46 AM
Same Problem for me. Any solution? Can't pxe-boot my machines.

Claudio

11.23.2018 AT 09:00 AM
sccm 1806 with adk 1809 and it wont let me see the drivers tab on the winpe boot image :/

Jonathan Lefebvre

11.23.2018 AT 09:19 AM
Hi Claudio, hit Update distribution point and check the box Reload this boot image and you should see them back after that! Jonathan

Ondrej

11.04.2018 AT 01:40 PM
Hello Jonathan, thank you very much for this article. I was wondering why the ADK and WinPE separated. You helped me with updating our SCCM Site Server.

Jonathan Lefebvre

11.23.2018 AT 09:21 AM
Hi Ondrej, is stated by Microsoft, “Starting with Windows 10, version 1809, Windows Preinstallation Environment (PE) is released separately from the Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK). To add Windows PE to your ADK installation, download the Windows PE Addon and run the included installer after installing the ADK. This change enables post-RTM updates to tools in the ADK. After running the installer for the WinPE add-on, the WinPE files will be in the same location as they were in previous installs of the ADK.” Jonathan