Windows 11 MDT Deployment

[bdelisa]

I am trying to deploy Windows 11 you MDT and I am having an issue with the install. Only the image gets installed and none of the filled in information like computer name or domain info nor will it install the additional applications that I choose. Once the newly imaged machine is booted up it has all the imaged machine info in it. I have clearly done something wrong

[free780]

Windows 11 and Server 2022 are not supported in MDT.

 

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/mem/configmgr/mdt/release-notes#supported-platforms

 

You have to use Intune or MECM.

 

Edited May 2, 2024 by free780

[bdelisa]

That is not an option unfortunately. These machines are on an airgapped system

[free780]

If you have MECM deployed you could look at standalone media.

 

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/mem/configmgr/osd/deploy-use/create-stand-alone-media

[free780]

It’s a business move by Microsoft.

 

If you don’t mind being in unsupported land you can do this.

 

https://www.deploymentresearch.com/windows-11-deployment-using-mdt-8456-with-windows-adk-23h2-build-25398/

[Olliedawg]

You definitely CAN use MDT to deploy Windows 11, and even upgrade 10 > 11.

 

I got mine working not so long ago. it does take a bit of trickery to get working, but it does work. However - it is unsupported by microsoft. You need to use the last version of the ADK/PE which support VBscript. Newest version does not support it anymore, which majorily breaks the task sequences

 

https://www.edugeek.net/forums/o-s-deployment/229694-wds-mdt-senior-moment.html

Edited May 2, 2024 by Olliedawg

[DavR]

I've got it working fine, but yeah, you've got to get the right version of the ADK and the right boot image, the last version before they disabled VB script.

 

Assuming that the deprecation of VB script is permanent, and that MDT is never going to get a PowerShell makeover (both quite likely), this may well be the last version of Windows that will go through MDT, sad times. WDS is still there, for those of us who want a traditional deployment model, but it's really very limited compared to MDT.

[jthompson]

Sounds like it could be the scripting issue with the later ADKs. When I'm in tomorrow I'll share my notes on what I had to do to get Win11 deploying.

[jthompson]

BIOS/UEFI detection hotfix.

Later Windows ADKs don't properly detect BIOS, resulting in imaging failures on BIOS-based devices. The hotfix replaces the relevant DLL.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/windows-10-deployments-fail-with-microsoft-deployment-toolkit-on-computers-with-bios-type-firmware-70557b0b-6be3-81d2-556f-b313e29e2cb7

 

Windows 11 22H2 ADK (10.1.2200.1)

(i.e. later than Windows 10 2004 ADK) Make sure that deployment shares have x86 disabled in their properties. More details: https://oofhours.com/2022/10/06/get-ready-and-get-mdt-ready-to-deploy-windows-11-22h2/.

Install ADK and WinPE add-on.

Create folder "C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\Assessment and Deployment Kit\Windows Preinstallation Environment\x86\WinPE_OCs".

Add required tweak to "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Deployment Toolkit\Templates\Unattend_PE_x64.xml", including updating the existing Order value from 1 to 2. Details: https://github.com/MicrosoftDocs/memdocs/blob/main/memdocs/configmgr/mdt/known-issues.md#hta-applications-report-script-error-after-upgrading-to-adk-for-windows-11-version-22h2

Update deployment share(s) to completely recreate boot images.

Import new boot image into WDS and restart WDS.

Client connections to an MDT database (if you have one) will now work with TLS 1.0 and 1.1 disabled on the server. Database connections don't work without TLS 1.0 being available when using the Windows 10 2004 ADK or earlier.

[LeMarchand]

I've been deploying W11 via MDT without making any changes to the W10 process beyond the different WIM. But I input the name/domain etc manually and just install the OS; everything else is installed via GPO.

[FragglePete]

Have W11 and MDT working fine here. Had to do a few tweaks to get it working, but test images so far ready for full deployment over Summer all seem good.

 

Pete

[Warwick_Tech]

While not helpful to join in with 'Mine works fine' I have to say I didn't even realise I shouldn't be using MDT/WDS for W11 - It just... works (?)

 

Maybe it's because we extract the .wim file and use that instead of other options (?)

 

If anyone wants to compare setups, happy to try and find version numbers etc.

[LeMarchand]

Maybe it's because we extract the .wim file and use that instead of other options (?)

 

That's what we do too. One new wim meant we had to make some changes to outdated lines in the answer file, but it seems to still be working.

 

Looking at the approved way is on my list, though.

[Boredguy]

I did a fresh install of MDT at the local primary last week (on a 2019 server), and only "gotcha" is needing to install the Windows 10 ADK so that you get the x86 image so that MDT doesn't crash when you try and update the deployment properties.

 

Other than that it happily deployed and installed Windows 11 23H2 April build without needing to adjust the UEFI/BIOS detection (but will be dropping that on later this week just to make sure the older non UEFI kit still works).

 

I mounted the ISO and selected to copy all the files and didn't just point it to the install.wim.

 

Eventually it will stop working, but for now there should be nothing preventing it from still working. We also use it at most of our other sites to push out the Autopilot hybrid builds for our stations since InTune itself can't install the OS if it wasn't already on the device (it's fine if its new hardware with the OS recovery partition intact)

[Deathstar]

Hi I have another question about MDT and W11. The current deployment has 21H1 which I would like to replace by 23H2. I have the W11 ISO, but how do I replace the 21H2 by the 23H2?

[jmak]

You need to put the ISO in a location accessible from the deployment server and then in the MDT workbench, right click on Operating Systems, click on Import Operating System and choose the option Full Set of Source Files. Clock next and browse to the place you saved the ISO. Follow the steps through and then remember to update the deployment share.

[Gorka]

Hello everyone. First time posting here.

I was wondering why can’t I see “standard client upgrade task sequence” that I have created for Windows 11 during PXE boot?

I can see the standard client sequence to fresh install of windows 11 during boot but not the upgrade one. What am I doing wrong or missing here?

The task sequence is enabled.

I’m trying to upgrade my windows 10 machines to windows 11 here using MDT.

[snagrat]

Upgrade TS will not show during PXE as an upgrade must be performed from within the OS.

[Olliedawg]

Upgrade TS will not show during PXE as an upgrade must be performed from within the OS.

 

Yep, best way is to navigate to the unc path & run the script that way to kick off the TS

[Gorka]

Upgrade TS will not show during PXE as an upgrade must be performed from within the OS.

 

Thanks for that. I was getting crazy thinking I have missed something in the settings.

[Gorka]

Sounds interesting. Can you elaborate more so I can try it today.

[Olliedawg]

Sounds interesting. Can you elaborate more so I can try it today.

 

navigate to "\\YOURMDTSERVER\productionshare$\Scripts\LiteTouch.vbs"

 

 

Launch the vbs script ( needs to be run on a user which can run vbs scripts )

 

You will then see all of your Task sequences pop up, including upgrades