The Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK) is available for download if you have an msdn subscription, look for Windows 8 Consumer Preview Assessment and Deployment Kit (x86 and x64) in the Subscriber Downloads section.
To install the Windows ADK, your machine should be running one of the following operating systems:
- Windows® Developer Preview
- Windows® 7
- Windows Vista®
- Windows® Server Developer Preview
- Windows Server® 2008 R2
- Windows Server® 2008
.NET Framework 4 is required and Windows ADK installs it automatically.
Powershell 3.0 must be installed in Windows 7 and earlier versions of Windows to use the Deployment Imaging Servicing and Management (DISM) or Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT) Powershell cmdlets.
Below are the installation screen caps of ADK.
After extracting the installation binaries for ADK into its setup folder, the first thing you’ll need to look for is the setup file “adksetup.exe“ (don’t use any of the MSI files for installation, but you’re curious enough, try it :-P) … moving on….. Double click on adksetup.exe to launch the ADK installation wizard.
A banner will flash before the ADK installation wizard shows up…
In the Specify Location window, just leave the default selection and click Next to continue.
In the next window, you have the option to join the CEIP or not. Click Next to continue.
Accept the License Agreement to proceed.
In the Select the features you want to install window, by default, USMT, Assessment Services, ACT and VAMT are not selected.
Remember that sequel service is required if you add one of the following features; Assessment Services, ACT or VAMT. The setup will install SQL Server 2008 R2 Express 32bit (SQLEXPR_x86_ENU.exe) automatically for you.
If you’re using a x64 host machine and would like to use the x64 version of SQL Server 2008 R2 Express, you have to have an instance named ADK else the setup will still install the 32 bit of Sequel Express.
Above is a screen shot of Instance Configuration for SQL Server 2008 R2 Express x64 installation.
Once you’re done selecting which features to be included, click the Install button to begin the installation.
It will take a few minuted to complete the installation.
Click the Close button to compete the installation.
Here are the lists of the new or enhanced tools included in Windows ADK:
Application Compatibility Toolkit
ACT enables IT professionals to evaluate and mitigate application compatibility issues before deploying a new version of Windows or a new version of Internet Explorer.
Deployment and Imaging
You can use the following tools to customize Windows images and to automate installation and image management.
User State Migration Tool
USMT allows IT professionals to migrate user data from a previous installation of Windows to a new installation.
Volume Activation Management Tool
VAMT enables IT professionals to automate and centrally manage the activation of Microsoft Windows®, Microsoft Windows Server®, and Microsoft® Office 2010
Windows Assessments
This help you assess the performance, reliability, or functionality of a running operating system, an offline Windows image, or a set of components, so that you can diagnose problems and make improvements.
Windows Performance Analysis Tools
These tools provide in-depth information enabling you to analyze and trace system and application performance.
Windows Preinstallation Environment
Windows PE is a minimal operating system designed to prepare a computer for installation and servicing of Windows.
Related References
For more information Windows Assessment Deployment Kit release notes & Windows Assessment Services User’s Guide is available for download at http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=27409
Here’s a great reference video of Inside Windows 8 – The new Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK) from Johan Arwidmark.
About Jay-R Barrios
EUC Consultant | Modern Endpoint Management | Intune | SCCM | Windows | Community Leader | Microsoft MVP Alumnai
Search results
Windows Automated Installation Kit (AIK)
The Windows Automated Installation Kit (Windows AIK) helps you to install, customize, and deploy the Microsoft Windows Vista™ family of operating systems. |
|
Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT) 1.1 (x86)
The Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT) enables IT professionals to automate and centrally manage the volume activation process using a Multiple Activation Key (MAK). VAMT v1.1 is only available as a US-EN (x86) release. |
|
Automated Installation Kit (AIK) for Windows Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008
The Windows Automated Installation Kit (Windows AIK) is designed to help corporate IT professionals customize and deploy the Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 family of operation systems. |
|
The Windows® Automated Installation Kit (AIK) for Windows® 7
The Windows® Automated Installation Kit (AIK) for Windows® 7 helps you to install, customize, and deploy the Microsoft Windows® 7 and Windows Server® 2008 R2 family of operating systems. |
|
The Windows® Automated Installation Kit (AIK) Supplement for Windows® 7 SP1
The Windows Automated Installation Kit (AIK) Supplement for Windows 7 SP1 is an optional update to AIK for Windows 7 that helps you to install, customize, and deploy the Microsoft Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 family of operating systems. |
|
Windows Thin PC Basic Deployment Guide v1.0
Learn how to configure and deploy a Windows Thin PC image with this basic guide. |
|
Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK) for Windows® 8
The Windows® Assessment and Deployment Kit (Windows ADK) is a collection of tools that you can use to customize, assess, and deploy Windows operating systems to new computers. |
|
Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (Windows ADK) for Windows 8.1 Update
The Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (Windows ADK) is a collection of tools that you can use to customize, assess, and deploy Windows operating systems to new computers. |
|
Windows Imaging File Format (WIM)
This paper defines the internal format of a Windows Imaging (WIM) file format. |
9 results
Businesses that need to deploy Windows in a larger environment often require customization before they can go about their operations and processes. This large-scale deployment is carried out by IT professionals and system administrators on many computers using the toolset, known as the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit, or simply, Windows ADK.
Microsoft Windows ADK is a collection of tools that you can combine to prepare, assess, and launch image-based large-scale Windows deployments. These tools are also used to test the operating system’s quality and performance, as well as the applications running on it.
The Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit was earlier known as the Windows Automated Installation Kit (WAIK).
Windows ADK can be deployed on a broad range of devices, such as desktops, notebooks, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, etc. This toolkit works across platforms that work with devices with and without screens.
Windows ADK was first introduced in Windows Vista and since then has always been available in the latest Windows operating systems. The tools currently available in Windows ADK have varied through the years, but currently, they include the following:
- Windows System Image Manager
- Windows Preinstallation Environment (WinPE)
- Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool (DISM)
The key advantage of using Windows ADK for IT teams is to apply different tools to test software, drivers, and hardware compatibility before finally moving to Windows 11 or 10.
The Application Compatibility Toolkit, for instance, lets developers and IT professionals test how 32 and 64-bit Windows applications work on a new operating system before the final installation. IT admins can also use Windows ADK to automate large-scale deployments of Windows.
Download Windows 10 and 11 ADK Versions
On a high level, Windows ADK has two different formats, which have their own versions. One format is reserved for Windows Insider Preview users. The other format is available publicly and can be downloaded via the Windows ADK page on Microsoft’s website.
The variant available publicly is usually around 2 MB in size and comes in different versions, where each new release of Windows ADK involves new features and product enhancements.
If you want to know about the version history, take a look at the list below:
| Windows ADK Versions | Download Links |
| Windows ADK for Windows 11 22H2 | Download ADK Download WinPE Addon |
| Windows ADK for Windows 11 21H2 | Download ADK Download WinPE Addon |
| Windows ADK for Windows 10 version 22H2 | Download ADK Download WinPE Addon |
| Windows ADK for Windows 10 version 21H2 | Download ADK Download WinPE Addon |
| Windows ADK for Windows 10 version 21H1 | Download ADK Download WinPE Addon |
| Windows ADK for Windows 10 version 20H2 | Download ADK Download WinPC Addon |
| Windows ADK for Windows 10 version 2004 | Download ADK Download WinPE Addon |
| Windows ADK for Windows 10 version 1909 | Download ADK Download WinPE Addon |
| Windows ADK for Windows 10 version 1903 | Download ADK Download WinPE Addon |
| Windows ADK for Windows 10 version 1809 | Download ADK Download WinPE Addon |
| Windows ADK for Windows 10 version 1803 | Download ADK |
| Windows ADK for Windows 10 version 1709 | Download ADK |
| Windows ADK for Windows 10 version 1703 | Download ADK |
| Windows ADK for Windows 10 version 1607 | Download ADK |
| Windows ADK for Windows Insider Preview | Download ADK |
The Windows Preinstallation Environment (WinPE) comes as a separate download from the Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK), before Windows 10 version 1809. To add Windows PE to your ADK installation, you need to download and install the Windows PE add-on after installing the ADK.
When it comes to features, Windows 10 ADK allows you to select specific features at the time of installation. You can pick and choose the exact features you want to include in the toolkit. The options include:
- 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
In general, these features let you perform the following functions:
- Add product branding, applications, along with settings
- Keep Windows up to date with the latest updates, language packs, and drivers
- Look for and identify application compatibility
- Perform user data migration between Windows installations
- Manage bulk activation of Windows
How to Install Windows ADK
Since you can only install one version of Windows ADK at a time, you will need to uninstall any existing ADK installation before installing the new one.
Otherwise, you will need to install the new ADK using the command line for multiple ADK versions working on the same computer.
Follow these steps to install Windows ADK using the traditional method:
-
Download the correct ADK version from above.
-
Run the “adksetup.exe” file to start the installation.
-
Now select “Download the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit for installation on a separate computer” and click Next.
Install ADK on a separate computer -
Select either Yes or No for Windows Kits Privacy and click Next.
Select privacy preferences -
Click Accept to agree to the licensing terms.
Accept license agreement The download process will now start.
-
Once downloaded, close the wizard.
Close the wizard
After the download process is complete, you can move the downloaded files onto the computer on which you want to install Windows ADK.
If you wish to install it on the current computer, then you must select the first option “Install the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit on this computer” in Step 3 above and then select the components to install.
Download and Install WinPE Add-On
As discussed earlier in the article, starting with Windows 10 ADK version 1809, WinPE is no longer part of the ADK tool. If you wish to get WinPE, follow these steps to download and install the add-on:
Note: The minimum estimated disk space required is 6.0 GB for the WinPE add-on. Hence, it may take longer for the installation to finish than the ADK. The package includes Windows PE(x86), Windows PE (AMD64), Windows PE (ARM), and Windows PE (ARM64).
-
Begin by downloading the WinPE setup file from the links given above for your respective OS version.
-
Run the downloaded “adkwinpesetup.exe” file.
-
The rest of the process is the same as Windows ADK installation.
Windows ADK Validation
To confirm the Windows ADK installation on a device, follow these steps:
-
Open the Programs and Feature applet by typing in “appwiz.cpl” in the Run Command box.
Open Programs and Features -
Check that Windows ADK and Windows PE have been installed.
Windows ADK has been installed
Conclusion
In order to deploy Windows OS on a large scale, you need a Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit. This article covers the basics of the Windows ADK toolkit, its download links directly from Microsoft, and how to install it.
You can also use this tool and its add-on in conjunction with Windows Deployment Server to level up your automation and operations.
How to download Windows AIK or ADK?
The Windows Automated Installation Kit (Windows AIK) |
|||
Version |
Platform |
Size |
Link |
| 3.0 KB3AIK_EN.iso | Windows Server 2000, 2003, 2008, Windows Home Server 2011, Windows SBS 2003, 2008, 2011, Windows 7, Vista, XP, 2000 (32 bit and 64 bit) |
1.7GB | Download from Microsoft |
Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (Windows ADK) |
|||
Version |
Platform |
Size |
Link |
| PE4.0 for Windows 8 | Windows 8/8.1, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012 |
2.5GB | Download from Microsoft |
To Windows 10, please download the corresponding version from https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/get-started/adk-install
How to install Windows AIK or ADK ISO file?
To install Windows AIK ISO file, you may search by Google for Virtual CD-ROM software.
After installing Windows AIK or ADK, restart NIUBI Partition Editor and retry creating bootable media.