Best Guide to Update Windows ADK on SCCM Server

In this blog post, I will show how to update an existing installation of a Windows ADK on an SCCM server. Learn the best practices to update Windows ADK and WinPE to the latest version on SCCM server.

When you deploy operating systems with Configuration Manager, the Windows ADK is a required external dependency. Hence, it is important to update the ADK version when you plan to deploy new Windows 10 versions.

Updating the ADK is a two-step process.

1. Uninstall the existing ADK version
2. Install the supported ADK version

To know about all the releases of Windows ADK versions and downloads, refer to Windows 10 ADK version releases. Windows ADK for Windows 11 has been released, and I can suggest few guides related to it.

1. Install Windows ADK for Windows 11
2. Windows 11 ADK Versions
3. Install Windows ADK for Server 2022.

What is Windows ADK

The Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit contains set of tools that you need to customize Windows images for large-scale deployment. You can use the tools to test the quality and performance of your system and applications running on it.

Every new release of Windows ADK is better than it’s previous version. It is almost difficult to remember what was added in particular version of ADK. So always refer this article to know what’s new in every version of Windows ADK.

What is Windows PE Add-on for Windows ADK

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 Add-on and run the included installer after installing the ADK.

Should I update Windows ADK

This is the common question asked by many whether should I update Windows ADK version. Absolutely Yes !!. There are many advantages of using the latest version of Windows ADK.

• As and when new Windows 10 versions come out, to deploy them using SCCM, you need the latest version of ADK.
• By installing or updating Windows ADK, you get the access to latest features baked in ADK version.

Windows ADK Features

The Windows ADK includes the following features. While you are installing Windows 10 ADK, you can select the below features to install them.

Note – If you are installing Windows ADK on SCCM Server, you might probably look to select only Deployment Tools and User state migration tool features.

• Application Compatibility Tools
• Deployment Tools
• Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE)
• Imaging and Configuration Designer (ICD)
• Configuration Designer
• User State Migration Tool (USMT)
• Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT)
• Windows Performance Toolkit
• Windows Assessment Toolkit
• Microsoft User Experience Virtualization (UE-V)
• Application Virtualization Sequencer (App-V)
• Microsoft Application Virtualization Auto Sequencer (App-V)
• Media experience Analyzer

Support for the Windows ADK in Configuration Manager

The following table lists the versions of the Windows ADK that you can use with different versions of Configuration Manager.

Note that Windows 11 ADK version 10.1.22000 can be used with Configuration Manager 2107.

• NO = Not Supported
• YES = Supported
• BC = Backward Compatible

Windows ADK Version	SCCM 2006	SCCM 2010	SCCM 2103	SCCM 2107
Windows 11 ADK (10.1.22000)	NO	NO	NO	YES
Windows Server 2022 (10.1.20348)	NO	NO	NO	YES
Windows 10, version 2004 (10.1.19041)	YES	YES	YES	YES
Windows 10, version 1903 (10.1.18362)	BC	BC	NO	NO

• If you’re deploying both Windows 11 and Windows Server 2022, use the Windows ADK for Windows 11, which is the latest version.
• If you’re deploying Windows Server 2022 and not Windows 11, you can use either Windows ADK for Windows Server 2022 or Windows 11.

Download Windows ADK and WinPE Addon

Before we proceed further let’s download Windows ADK and WinPE addon from the here.

• Download the Windows ADK for Windows 10 version 1903 – Direct link
• Download the Windows PE add-on for the ADK – Download link

When you click on above links, you get two installers – adksetup.exe and adkwinpesetup.exe. Save them to a folder.

Update Windows ADK on SCCM Server

Now that we have ADK and WinPE add-on installers downloaded, let’s look at the steps to update Windows ADK on SCCM server.

First of all, you must inform the business about this change. Since you are going to uninstall ADK, install new version and update boot images, ensure you do this change when no OS deployments are going on.

Uninstall Windows ADK

Here is how you uninstall Windows ADK

• Login to SCCM server.
• Go to Control Panel > Programs and Features.
• Right click Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit – Windows 10 and click Uninstall.

Click Yes when asked for uninstall confirmation.

The Windows ADK uninstall is complete.

Uninstall WinPE add-on

After you uninstall Windows ADK, you must next uninstall Windows PE add-on.

• Login to SCCM server.
• Go to Control Panel > Programs and Features.
• Right click Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit Windows Preinstallation Environment add-ons – Windows 10 and click Uninstall.

Click Yes and complete the uninstall.

Both Windows ADK and Windows PE add-on are now uninstalled.

Install Windows ADK

To install Windows ADK on SCCM server

• Login to SCCM server.
• Run adksetup.exe as administrator.
• This launches Windows ADK setup wizard with two options under Specify Location.
• Select the first option – Install the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit to this computer.

Click Next.

Click Next.

Accept the License Agreement.

As mentioned earlier, select the features required for SCCM OSD. Click Install.

The Windows ADK – Windows 10 installation is complete. Click Close.

Install ADK Windows PE add-on

Here is how you install Windows PE add-on on SCCM server

• Login to SCCM server.
• Run adkwinpesetup.exe as administrator.
• This launches Windows ADK setup wizard with two options under Specify Location.
• Select the first option – Install the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit Windows PE add-ons to this computer.

Click Next.

Accept the license agreement.

There are no additional features except Windows PE to select. Click Install.

The Windows PE add-on installation is complete. Click Close.

Note – If you look at comments section, several people have commented that after installing the ADK a server reboot is required. Hence adding this note.

Update SCCM Boot Images to Distribution Points

Finally after you install the latest version of Windows ADK, you must always update SCCM boot images. The boot images must be updated to all the distribution points present in the setup. Most of all you must update both x64 and x86 boot images.

To Update Boot Images

• Launch SCCM console.
• Go to Software Library > Overview > Operating Systems > Boot Images.
• Right click Boot Image and click Update Distribution Points.

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

On Summary page, click Next.

On the completion page, click Close.

Repair Windows ADK Installation

You can repair the Windows ADK in case you notice any issues with ADK features.

• Log in to the computer that’s installed with Windows ADK.
• Go to Control Panel > Programs and Features.
• Select Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit and click Change.

In addition to ADK repair option, you also get other options which include.

• Change – Use this to add or remove features from the existing installation.
• Repair – Reinstall the ADK features that are currently installed.
• Uninstall – Remove all the ADK features.
• Change my settings for Windows Kits Privacy – Modify the Windows Kits Privacy settings that are applied to Windows Kits installed on the computer.

You can repair Windows PE add-on along with Windows ADK. You must restart your SCCM server after you repair Windows ADK installation.

Here is a complete guide to repair Windows ADK and Windows PE Add-on installation.