Understanding Windows ADK Compatibility

In this lecture, I will introduce you to Windows ADK and Windows PE. I will explain the importance of getting it right when it comes to downloading and installing the correct compatible software for your Infrastructure or your Lab.

·Windows ADK or the (Assessment & Deployment Kit) is a group of tools that you can use to customize Windows Images for your Windows 10 deployments.

·It is extremely important to consult the latest compatibility chart to verify that the version of ADK matches the version of Configuration Manager.

·Microsoft recommends that the version of Windows ADK also matches the version of Windows 10 you are deploying.

·When downloading software from the Microsoft’s Evaluation Center,

software compatibility will always be based upon the latest available version of Configuration manager.

For Example:

If I was using Configuration Manager 1902, I could use ADK version 1809 or 1903.Also, the second chart shows that Windows 10 1903 is compatible with CM version 1902, 1906, and 1910.

Unfortunately, the evaluation version of Windows 10 1903 is no longer available from the Evaluation Center, so you have to download Windows 10 1909 , which is not compatible with Configuration Manager 1902. I’ll give you a solution for that issue in a moment.

**First, let’s talk about Windows PE **– Preinstallation environment

• What is it? What does it do?
• Windows PE (WinPE) for Windows 10 is a small operating system used to install, deploy, and repair Windows 10 for desktop editions (Home, Pro, Enterprise, and Education edition. Windows Server and other Windows operating systems.
• 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 P…