What's the current consensus on drop in replacements for MDT?
Posted by elliottmarter@reddit | sysadmin | View on Reddit | 40 comments
I have stood up an MDT/WDS server at work to help some of my colleagues with PC rebuilds.
Mostly just a plain windows image and then office/Adobe etc.
Very basic.
It saves them a ton of time as they were doing it manually with USB drives before.
I now know that the latest version of Windows 11 has removed VB Script and thus MDT does not work.
I have seen links to a repo where a team has replaced the VB scripts with Powershell, is this any good?
I've had a quick play with Smart Deploy but this seems a bit too much for our needs.
What else is out there that just allows for simple PXE Booting and windows install and some basic apps.
I know of Ghost but wondering if any others have sprung up since the sunsetting of MDT.
DJCarlosFandango@reddit
I have done many win 11 24h2 builds with mdt.
Not sure where the "doesn't work" comes from?
TheRealJoeyTribbiani@reddit
I've deployed Server 2025 with MDT without issue as well.
awit7317@reddit
What Microsoft license covers this use case?
TheRealJoeyTribbiani@reddit
Good question, Microsoft doesn't even know how their own licensing works.
awit7317@reddit
It was my understanding that we lost the right to use MDT when the volume licensing went away. The Microsoft replacement is/was autopilot.
flyguydip@reddit
Same. Just built a new image with 24h2 yesterday. Only problem I had was updating some of the applications because the command line switches changed. Once I updated the command line switches, deployments worked fine.
PurpleTangent@reddit
We're using the Powershell extension version of MDT you mentioned. No issues so far, probably deployed around 200-ish laptops with it so far: https://github.com/FriendsOfMDT/PSD
elliottmarter@reddit (OP)
I think I'm confused then.
Others in this thread say it's working fine, why does the above exist?
MrYiff@reddit
VBS works still currently but is being removed "soon", PSD is being worked on now so that in theory MDT can continue working even after VBS has been removed from the OS entirely.
PurpleTangent@reddit
From the link: "The purpose of PowerShell Deployment for MDT is to create a new deployment solution that provides the same level of automation as MDT but built on a more modern framework - PowerShell. The major components and functionality are built on PowerShell alone, but still leverage the MDT Workbench and layout. The goal is to support deployment shares using PSD extensions as well as legacy MDT deployment shares."
Both VBS and MDT are depreciated by Microsoft, and slated for eventual retirement. I'd rather work with a (community) supported project than trust the original MDT functionality to stick around forever.
BuildyMcITGuy@reddit
Fog is a popular option but the industry has been moving away from imaging for awhile now in favor of zero-touch deployments such as intune\autopilot.
elliottmarter@reddit (OP)
That won't work for us as we want to image a device outside of intune.
(MSP so we are wanting a generic imaging solution).
If that makes sense.
awit7317@reddit
Ansible for the generic build and Intune for client specific requirements.
TYGRDez@reddit
It's been a couple years at this point so I won't be able to help with specifics, but when I was doing my MSP gig I rolled out ImmyBot and was quite happy with it
TYGRDez@reddit
(I might as well tag /u/DarrenDK since he created the thing and can speak on it better than I can!)
DarrenDK@reddit
Thanks! Happy to answer whatever questions you have. I love building it. Here's how it stacks up to Intune: https://www.immy.bot/immybot-vs-intune/
trail-g62Bim@reddit
Unless it has changed since I used it, fog doesn't use intune.
elliottmarter@reddit (OP)
Yes, I was referring more to your last bit about intune/autopilot.
I'll give fog a look
jmbpiano@reddit
Yeah. MDT can do imaging, but it's probably the least useful feature of the program. I'd really hesitate to suggest Fog as a replacement for MDT because the zero-touch deployment bits are the part that matter most to a lot of folks these days.
canadian_sysadmin@reddit
At a high level, imaging is kinda going away in favor of AutoPilot.
Keep in mind MDT and WDS are different things. IF you just need a machine on the network to PXE boot and lay down an image, WDS can do that on its own. You only need MDT for orchestration.
We use WDS but only basically as a time-saver for not needing USB keys to re-install W11 (the few times we even need to).
My prior company used smartdepoy - it was... fine. Bit of a cost there, but it was good for what it was.
rioht@reddit
Do you mind expanding on your opinion on SD if you have a moment? My workplace is currently trying to move towards SD, but I have my doubts on it. I think it's...fine, but I don't see it as a compelling upgrade - we already have MDT and WDS up and running. In my opinion, neither are perfect (I'm not an expert on neither), especially when it comes to capturing and deploying images. I detest the capture process on SD, for example, and the driver pack situation seems very very meh.
bluehairminerboy@reddit
Take a look at OSDCloud - if all you're doing is re-laying the OS it works a treat.
FireLucid@reddit
It's a great tool and so quick, and it does drivers as well!
We've been using this pretty heavily to wipe machines as we transition to full AAD joined. It's miles quicker than a Windows reset.
BWMerlin@reddit
Really really ask yourself do you actually have to image or have you always done it that way? Question the why.
I strongly advocate using Autopilot and your choice of MDM (we use Workspace ONE) and let the MDM do all the heavy lifting through automation.
If autopilot and or a MDM is out of the question but you have other tools available have a look at using a PPKG file to put down a basic configuration profile and boot strap your system into your other tools.
Joshposh70@reddit
AutoPilot doesn't replace a system like MDT. You still need an imaging solution in your environment, even if you're running the full AutoPilot, Entra Joined,InTune trifecta
elliottmarter@reddit (OP)
We are an MSP so a lot of the time we are imaging a loan device.
Or we might be imaging a laptop for a customer who doesn't even have 365.
Could be anything really, but MDT works so well because it's generic and allows us to throw a fresh build on a device with ease.
AhrimTheBelighted@reddit
We're still chugging along with MDT and the latest version of Windows 11, because of our org we use offline media via USB drives for deployments, no WDS. InTune/AutoPilot isn't an option for us at our org, so I am not sure what we move to next...
badlybane@reddit
At this point I vew mdt and golden image deployment as legacy. It's easier to just automate app installs and rip out stuff via policy rather than image. Then update then upgrade your out of date image. Etc.
Auto pilot/intune, rmm, sccm/mcm ot just group policy mixed with powershell can usually get you going faster than golden images can.
Like now it's get device install rmm agent. Validate the av is on it. Ship it out and user is logged in and working.
fourpuns@reddit
VB script isn’t removed yet?
bagaudin@reddit
Have you tried our Acronis Snap Deploy yet?
ntrlsur@reddit
I have both an MDT setup and use iVentoy for deployments. I have started using my iVentoy setup alot more recently. I don't turn out a lot of windows machines but both work great for me.
ElevenNotes@reddit
MDT still works and as long as Windows uses the boot.wim will continue to work forever, regardless of what happens with VBS. WindowsPE supports VBS and can deploy 24H2 and 2025 as well as LTSC with zero issues.
elliottmarter@reddit (OP)
Okay thank you, I made an incorrect assumption then.
I'll give it a test out.
ElevenNotes@reddit
It’s never good to make assumptions. Check for yourself or ask a trusted source. I happily deploy 24H2 with MDT 6.3.8456.1000.
dirthurts@reddit
I just updated my MDT images with the latest version of 11 and it's working fine.
eighto2@reddit
24H2 works fine with MDT.
The only issue we had was the capture process wasn't selecting the drive properly but after that it worked as expected and the deployment works fine.
elliottmarter@reddit (OP)
Okay thank you, I made an incorrect assumption then.
I'll give it a test out.
Head_Lie_1301@reddit
We still use MDT to deploy Windows 11 with no problems.
no-good-nik@reddit
2Pint (Michael Niehaus’ new employer) is working on new imaging solutions.
tankerkiller125real@reddit
FOG has been around for a long time, might be overkill, maybe not depending on what your doing.
The big feature it had which was great when I worked for a school system was the ability to use broadcast for imaging. We could tell it we're imaging 20 devices, put all the devices into PXE boot, and once all 20 where connected it would send full fat 1Gbs to the machines for imaging (with some syncing system to make sure all of them where in the same stage). So instead of each machine imaging at say 5Mbs trying to share the bandwidth, we could image 20 at usually around 800-900Mbs (depending on the slowest storage drive in the machines).