Large-Scale Windows 11 Rollout: Need Tips and Tools
Posted by GreenMustache_@reddit | sysadmin | View on Reddit | 5 comments
Hi all,
We need to deploy Windows 11 to 3000 workstations using a fresh install (no in-place upgrades) due to specific driver and app requirements. We’ve already prepared a customized image, but I’m looking for advice on the best way to handle deployment at this scale.
Key considerations:
Best tools for deployment (MDT, SCCM, etc.).
Minimizing downtime and fallback strategies in case of issues.
If anyone has experience with large-scale Windows deployments, I’d appreciate your insights!
Thanks!
Kathryn_Cadbury@reddit
I work in HE and we had to do this to around the same number, perhaps more (3k+) going from W7 to W10 (with the 10 to 11 upgrade happening in a few weeks time). An image was prepared for devices and then we had small teams go out to departments one at a time, and deploy the image via USB stick.
They would start one off, move onto the next, and then cycle back around to the people they had done first who were at that point logging in and had questions about where everything is now etc. A team of 3/4 people handled a dept of around 60-80 with no issues.
Horror_Study7809@reddit
Are you hybrid? on-prem? cloud?
GreenMustache_@reddit (OP)
on-prem
HellDuke@reddit
We upgraded around 20000 devices to Windows 11, however in our case most were in place with the help of WSUS.
Some cases did not permit for that approach so local deployment tools were used to do a clean image.
You can use MDT or FOG for a free approach. I'd suggest MDT, prepare a spot where you can setup a batch of devices. If you use a simple workstation it generally caps out at 12 deployments simultaneously with others basically waiting, using a server might allow for more. If you have spare devices you can reimage those first, have a batch of users swap them out, then reimage the ones you got, move to the next batch
gorkem2020@reddit
I'd like to know this too.