Windows 10 1903 - update Windows ADK/PE on MDT server?

[lafleur1977]

I have setup an MDT server to deploy windows 10 recently, working well but currently still testing before deploying windows 10. Anyway, I had set it up based on Windows 10 1809 with the versions of MDT, Windows ADK and PE at the time. Now windows 10 1903 has been released I am wondering if I might as well go with that so that I am not behind once we start deployment. I can see MDT's last release was in Jan 19 so no need to update that. Win ADK and PE have had recent releases for Windows 10 1903 - do I need to update those on the server before trying to deploy 1903? I am just wondering for best practice now and going forwards in the future.

 

Thanks

[computer_expert]

The installed ADK should match the newest version of Win10 that you are deploying. Don't forget that you will need both parts of the ADK installed as they split it into 2 with one of the recent releases (1709 or 1803).

[DJ-1701]

Best practice is to uninstall Windows PE and ADK for each new Windows 10 release... that being said, sometimes you don't need to, but it can be a show stopper.

[lafleur1977]

Thanks for both of your help. Is it just a case of simply uninstalling both parts, then re-installing - does it affect the setup I've already done in MDT?

[computer_expert]

Once you have uninstalled the old and installed the new ADK you will need to update the boot images in MDT (I'd fully regenerate the images, it's the second option of the two you get when updating it) and load the new boot images into WDS.

[Techie2000]

Would anyone mind showing their boot sequence?

 

Currently I just use WDS and have a naming convention which is consistent throughout school and from what I can see MDT won't let me use the same naming convention. I've also had issues with the end result being a PC left logged on that hasn't rebooted or GPupdated, so it's needed manual intervention to get the host into a user ready state. I've also not yet found a way of putting newly imaged hosts into a specific AD OU.

[lafleur1977]

Would anyone mind showing their boot sequence?

 

Currently I just use WDS and have a naming convention which is consistent throughout school and from what I can see MDT won't let me use the same naming convention. I've also had issues with the end result being a PC left logged on that hasn't rebooted or GPupdated, so it's needed manual intervention to get the host into a user ready state. I've also not yet found a way of putting newly imaged hosts into a specific AD OU.

 

Sorry, what do you mean by boot sequence exactly? I have setup MDT for deployment of W10, but using WDS to pxe boot. I've not finished yet but have a vanilla win 10 image deploying well with quite alot automated so far. Regarding naming, before I kick off an image it asks me for the name to input. You can do alot with MDT task sequence and I'm sure you could add some commands to gpupdate/restart. I've set new PC's to go to the default OU and then I just move them to where I want them.

[Techie2000]

Sorry, meant task sequence!

[lafleur1977]

Sorry, meant task sequence!

 

Ahh I see. I've attached a screenshot of the one I'm working on for Win 10 Edu, but you can't see much. When you create one it asks you to select a template and I choose the standard client task sequence. It does lots I don't understand but the key thing was I was able to choose an image to deploy, automate some things (it asks you in the wizard to add a product key, set admin pw, etc). The folder that says 'Run Sctipts' I've added which includes a powershell script to remove the unwanted apps and a few cmd scripts to install some exe files such as ccleaner and other generic programs.

 

Where are you up to currently with your deployment?

Edited June 13, 2019 by lafleur1977

[Techie2000]

I had a complete setup around 6 months ago but then some machines started blue screening a day or two after imaging and never got round to looking at it, so just left all the hosts on 7. But hoping to move over to 10 this Summer.

 

I'm going to hopefully have a play this week and put 1903 in and see if it works

 

Fortunately we use folder redirection so that section is already ticked! It was just the OU issue and naming convention that was causing a problem along with some of the apps reappearing after they'd been removed.

[lafleur1977]

What caused the Blue screens?

 

I'm going with 1809 for now as I realised the xx03 versions only have 18 months support. Albeit we will probably do an upgrade every summer but we would only have a couple of months to test with xx03. I did try 1903 and it worked well in my MDT setup - the brighter interface is much nicer too.

 

I use folder redirection too and thats working well for staff and students. There is just a few window 10 specifics I'm hoping the win 10 group policies will help with but I've not got that far yet. Did you manage to remove the 'people' app? I've got all the other unwanted apps removed but people just won't go away!

[computer_expert]

I've also not yet found a way of putting newly imaged hosts into a specific AD OU.

 

Add the following in customsettings.ini (or database if you use that feature):

 

DomainOU="OU=Site 1,OU=Computers,DC=contoso,DC=corp,DC=com"

 

You can also enable advanced features in active directory users/computers then right click the OU, click the attribute editor tab and copy/paste the value of distinguishedName into the above.