Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) Configuration – Windows Installation Automation

The Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) is a tool that allows you to perform windows installations automatically.

By using MDT and automating the installation of Windows, it will make it easier for you to distribute Windows in an organization.

MDT supports deployments of Windows1 1, Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows Server.

In this article, Bardimin will provide an MDT configuration guide that allows you to perform an automatic installation of Windows.

Installing the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT)

For installation, download the following file:

1. Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT)
2. Windows ADK for Windows 11, version 22H2
3. Windows PE add-on for Windows ADK for Windows 11, version 22H2

Download all those files and install them all. When this article was created, there were still compatibility issues between MDT version 8456 and Windows ADK 22H2. If you find any such compatibility issues, use the previous version of the ADK at the following link.

1. Windows 11 ADK
2. Windows PE add-on for ADK Windows 11

Setting Up a Windows Image

Before you configure, you must have a Windows image file. MDT requires an image file in WIM format (. wim). You can get this file from an ISO file, DVD, CD, or download it on Microsoft.

If what you have is an ISO file, then extract or “Mount” the file. The Windows file we need is the “install.wim” file that is in the directory

\sources\install.wim

If what you find is an “install.esd” file, then you have to do the conversion first.

Converting “esd” files to “wim”

1. Mount or Extract ISO files
2. Then open CMD and run it as administrator.
3. Type the following command

DISM /Get-WimInfo /WimFile:YourSource\install.esd

YourSource = Directory the esd file you are converting, for example

DISM /Get-WimInfo /WimFile:F:\sources\install.esd

Note the index number of the Windows that you will extract.  In one file “install.esd” can contain many versions of Windows.

4. Extract the Windows file from the “install.esd” file.

On CMD, type the command

DISM /Export-Image /SourceImageFile:YourSource\install.esd /SourceIndex:YourIndex /DestinationImageFile:YourDestination\install.wim /Compress:Max /CheckIntegrity

YourSource = the esd file directory  that you will convert

YourIndex = the Windows index number you will extract (see step 3)

YourDestination = directory to store the conversion results

example

DISM /Export-Image /SourceImageFile:F:\sources\install.esd /SourceIndex:1 /DestinationImageFile:C:\Win11Convert\install.wim /Compress:Max /CheckIntegrity

MDT configuration

Once you have the Windows image file in WIM format, the next step is to create a new Deployment Share and configure it from the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT).

Create a new Deployment Share

1. Open “Deployment Workbench“.
2. Then on the left part of the window, right-click “Deployment Share” and select “New Deployment Share“.

3. In the “New Deployment Share Wizard” window, specify the “Path” of the Deployment Share. The default value is “C:\ DeploymentShare”, change it to the directory you want or leave it alone. Then click the “Next” button.
4. In the “Share” option, you can also change the name of the sharing directory or leave it the default. Click “Next” to continue.
5. In the next option, you can also change the value according to what you want. Click “Next” and “Next” again until the New Deployment Share Wizard process is complete.