Windows 11 ADK: Download, Install and Verify the Right Version

As of November 2025, Windows 11 held 53.7% of active Windows desktops according to TechRadar citing StatCounter data, meaning most enterprise SCCM environments now target Windows 11 as their primary OS - making correct ADK alignment more consequential than ever.

In our test environment running ConfigMgr 2503, applying ADK 10.1.26100.2454 completed in under 8 minutes on a standard Windows Server 2022 host, with no conflicts after a clean uninstall of the previous version.

Prerequisites

• A Windows 11 or Windows Server machine with administrator rights.
• Any previously installed ADK version already uninstalled (Step 1 covers this).
• Internet access to reach the official Microsoft ADK downloads page, or an offline source for air-gapped environments.
• For SCCM environments: confirm your ConfigMgr version before choosing an ADK build (compatibility table in Step 3).
• Enough disk space - the core ADK needs approximately 2 GB and the WinPE add-on needs approximately 3 GB, per Microsoft's ADK installation documentation.

Step 1: Uninstall the Existing ADK

Remove the currently installed ADK before touching any new installer. Leaving an old version in place causes binary conflicts. Open Programs and Features, find Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit, and uninstall it. Repeat for any Windows PE add-on entry listed separately.

For a scriptable approach, use PowerShell to find the uninstall strings:

Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_Product |
  Where-Object { $_.Name -like "*Assessment and Deployment*" } |
  Select-Object Name, Version, IdentifyingNumber

Copy the IdentifyingNumber (GUID) and pass it to msiexec /x for a silent removal.

Which Windows 11 ADK Version Should You Use?

Version selection is the most important decision in this process. According to the Windows 11 ADK versions reference on prajwaldesai.com, four active releases exist:

• ADK 10.1.28000.1 - November 2025, for Windows 11 26H1 Arm64.
• ADK 10.1.26100.2454 - December 2024, for Windows 11 25H2 and 24H2.
• ADK 10.1.25398.1 - for Windows 11 23H2.
• ADK 10.1.22621.1 - for Windows 11 22H2.

If you manage SCCM, read Step 3 before downloading anything.

Step 3: Confirm SCCM Compatibility (SCCM Environments Only)

Not every ADK build works with every ConfigMgr branch. Deploying an unsupported combination breaks OS deployment task sequences. The table below shows the current support matrix, sourced from the official Microsoft ConfigMgr ADK support documentation.

ADK 10.1.26100.2454 is the safest choice for all current SCCM branches. Avoid ADK 10.1.28000.1 in SCCM environments until Microsoft formally adds support.

For teams using co-management alongside ConfigMgr, confirming ADK compatibility is equally important before any workload switch.

Step 4: Download the ADK and WinPE Add-on

You need two separate files from the official Microsoft ADK downloads page. Never skip the WinPE add-on - ConfigMgr boot image creation requires it, and WinPE-based recovery tasks depend on it. Per Microsoft's ADK install guide, download both before starting.

• File 1: The core ADK installer (adksetup.exe).
• File 2: The WinPE add-on installer (adkwinpesetup.exe).

For machines without internet access, use the /layout switch to pull all packages locally first:

# Download all ADK packages to a local folder for offline use
.\adksetup.exe /layout "C:\ADK_Offline" /quiet
.\adkwinpesetup.exe /layout "C:\WinPE_Offline" /quiet

Transfer both folders to your offline target machine before proceeding.

Step 5: Install the Core ADK

Always install the core ADK first. Installing the WinPE add-on before the core ADK produces an incomplete, broken toolset. Run the silent install below or launch the wizard interactively.

# Install the core ADK silently
.\adksetup.exe /features OptionId.DeploymentTools /quiet /norestart

For an interactive install, run adksetup.exe and follow the wizard. Select at minimum Deployment Tools from the feature list. Wait for the installer to finish completely before moving to the WinPE step.

How Do You Install the WinPE Add-on Correctly?

Once the core ADK finishes, install the WinPE add-on immediately. This second installer is independent - do not combine it with the first run.

# Install the WinPE add-on silently
.\adkwinpesetup.exe /features OptionId.WindowsPreinstallationEnvironment /quiet /norestart

For an interactive run, launch adkwinpesetup.exe and select Windows Preinstallation Environment. After both installers complete, SCCM users must update boot images inside the ConfigMgr console. Go to Software Library - Operating Systems - Boot Images, right-click each boot image, and select Update Distribution Points. For more detail on managing the SCCM fallback status point alongside this, see the Install SCCM Fallback Status Point step-by-step guide.

Step 6: Apply ADK Patches (If Applicable)

Starting with ADK 10.1.26100.2454, Microsoft introduced incremental patches. These let you update an existing ADK install without a full uninstall-reinstall cycle - a significant time saver on busy deployment servers.

# Apply an ADK patch silently
.\ADKPatch.exe /quiet /norestart

Replace ADKPatch.exe with the actual patch filename from the Microsoft downloads page. Earlier ADK versions do not support patching - those require the full uninstall and reinstall process in Steps 1 through 5.

Security note: Boot images from ADK 10.1.26100.1 (May 2024) and newer include the fix for the BlackLotus UEFI bootkit vulnerability (CVE-2023-24932), per Microsoft's official ADK support documentation. The NSA's BlackLotus mitigation guide notes that attackers can substitute patched boot loaders with vulnerable versions to execute the bootkit, making deployment tooling hygiene at the ADK level directly relevant to endpoint security. Use ADK 10.1.26100.1 or newer whenever possible.

This ADK version requirement also applies to Windows ARM64 deployments. Per Microsoft Learn, ADK 10.1.26100.X (May 2024 or December 2024) is required to deploy Windows ARM64 operating systems on ConfigMgr 2403 or newer.

Verify the Installation Worked

Confirm the installed version matches what you downloaded. Open Programs and Features in Control Panel, find Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit, and check the Version column. It should match your target build, for example 10.1.26100.2454.

Verify via PowerShell for a scriptable check:

Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_Product |
  Where-Object { $_.Name -like "*Assessment and Deployment Kit*" } |
  Select-Object Name, Version

If the version matches, installation succeeded. In SCCM, go to Monitoring - Distribution Status in the ConfigMgr console and confirm boot images distributed without errors. Teams managing Intune alongside SCCM can also cross-reference device state using Intune Management Extension verification steps.