MDT 2013 Update 1 Preview: What’s Changed

In case you missed it at https://blogs.technet.com/b/msdeployment/archive/2015/03/02/microsoft-deployment-toolkit-2013-update-1-preview-now-available.aspx, the new preview of MDT 2013 Update 1 is now available for download from the Connect website.  This new release works with the new ADK preview for Windows 10, which is available on the download center at https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=45522.

While this new release adds support for Windows 10 deployment, it also supports deploying Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1 (and their server equivalents).  But at this point, there’s no support for ConfigMgr – that comes later.

So what’s changed in this new release?  Let’s go through it exhaustively by looking at the individual files:

 

  • Credentials_ENU.xml.  Fixed an accessibility issue in the pane.
  • DeployWiz_Definition_ENU.xml.  Fixed the condition on the BitLocker pane so that it displays for all supported OSes, including Windows 10.
  • DeployWiz_Initialization.vbs.  Fixed OS version logic to handle Windows 10.
  • DeployWiz_Roles.vbs.  Fixed OS version logic to handle Windows 10.
  • LiteTouch.wsf.  Updated to handle the new task sequence engine from ConfigMgr 2012 R2.
  • LTIApply.wsf.  Fixed OS version logic to handle Windows 10.  Added logic to handle split WIM files (SWMs).
  • LTICleanup.wsf.  Fixed OS version logic to handle Windows 10.
  • ServerManager.xml.  Added Windows 10 (client) features to the list.
  • Summary_Definition_ENU.xml.  Fixed accessibility issues in the pane.
  • WelcomeWiz_Choice.xml.  Fixed an accessibility issue in the pane.
  • WelcomeWiz_Initialize.xml.  Fixed an accessibility issue in the pane.
  • Wizard.hta.  Fixed an accessibility issue in the pane.
  • ZTIApplyGPOPack.wsf.  Fixed OS version logic to handle Windows 10.
  • ZTIAppXmlGen.wsf.  Fixed OS version logic to handle Windows 10.
  • ZTIBde.wsf.  Fixed OS version logic to handle Windows 10.
  • ZTIDisableBDEProtectors.wsf.  Fixed OS version logic to handle Windows 10.
  • ZTIDiskpart.wsf.  Fixed OS version logic to handle Windows 10.
  • ZTIDiskUtility.vbs.  Fixed OS version logic to handle Windows 10.
  • ZTIGather.wsf.  Fixed OS version logic to handle Windows 10.
  • ZTIOSRole.wsf.  Fixed OS version logic to handle Windows 10.
  • ZTISupportedPlatforms.xml.  Added entries for Windows 10.
  • ZTIUserState.wsf.  Fixed OS version logic to handle Windows 10.
  • ZTIUtility.vbs.  Added new function and properties to handle modified OS version logic.
  • ZTIValidate.wsf.  Fixed OS version logic to handle Windows 10.
  • ZTIWindowsUpdate.wsf.  Modified logic to only set detailed Windows Update Agent logging registry entries when debugging.
  • ZTIWinRE.wsf.  Fixed OS version logic to handle Windows 10.

So to summarize that, here are the changes:

  • Fixed the OS version logic to handle Windows 10 in all scripts.
  • Fixed accessibility issues in all wizards.
  • Added support for applying a split WIM.
  • Updated the task sequence engine from an older ConfigMgr 2007-based version to the latest ConfigMgr 2012 R2-based version.
  • Removed undesired Windows Update Agent (WUA) logging entries that could cause WUA to write excessive logging information.
  • Added new Windows 10 features to the “role and feature” list.

Other changes in Workbench:

  • Removed the “Getting Started” node, as documentation like this can be found on the web.
  • Removed the obsolete “Components” node.
  • Modified the Windows PE template in LiteTouchPE.xml to add new task sequence engine DLLs.

And in the task sequence templates:

  • Sysprep and Capture.  Removed the condition from the “Apply Windows PE (BCD)” step so that it always runs (since all supported OS versions need this).
  • Standard Server Task Sequence.  Removed the condition from the “Apply Windows PE (BCD)” step so that it always runs (since all supported OS versions need this).

Given the extent of the changes, it should be a fairly safe and minor upgrade from MDT 2013, but of course do your own testing first, make a backup, and don’t do this in production until the MDT 2013 Update 1 release later this year.  If you’ve made any changes to any of the MDT scripts, be sure to back those changes up so that you can compare your changes to the new scripts and reintegrate those changes if needed.