This browser is no longer supported.
Upgrade to Microsoft Edge to take advantage of the latest features, security updates, and technical support.
![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(220.8, 54%, 31%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EIB%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Hi,
I added a boot.wim and install.wim of the current Windows 11 Insider ISO to a WDS server. When I netboot a client, it will load the boot.wim and show an error message that WDS is not supported with this Windows version anymore. There is a link to aka.ms/WDSSupport but that page says nothing about Windows 11.
I have tried server 2019 and 2022, but same error message on both.
When I switch the boot.wim to a Windows 10 file, it will successfully boot and also use the Windows 11 install.wim.
Is this a bug or is Microsoft really suddenly no longer supporting WDS?
Thx, Ingo
![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(249.60000000000002, 38%, 34%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3ESR%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Microsoft Logic: Windows 11 is our most secure OS yet thanks to forcing TPM and Secure boot. SOOooo lets drop W11 support from WDS immediately and tell them they need a custom boot.wim file. We am certain they will use one of our two tools we launched that require learning an entire new system instead of searching the web for a boot.wim to use quickly and im sure no hackers will take advantage of this and put out fake exploited boot.wims that disable TPM and secure boot requirements.
Microsoft needs to hire some ex-hackers to explain to them why this is a REALLY stupid decision because the media wont blame the thousands of users using an exploited boot.wim, all the headline will read is how W11 was hacked again.
![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(179.20000000000002, 54%, 27%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EAB%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
This is really ridiculous.
WDS works great, why would they shut down such an easy feature? For small companies and Admin departments that have alot other stuff to do than study deployment methods and buy SystemCenter products all the time, this is really a hit.
Can someone provide a modified boot.wim that simply lets us capture and install Windows 11 again?
I tried to understand Lite Touch and MDT for SCCM but I don't have any of the prequesities. I have WDS. Which is good and works just fine. I don't have the time to re-learn and re-build this whole setup for our 80 pple. Especially not since I am alone and am needed elsewhere.
Microsoft, WHY?
![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(304, 76%, 39%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EBS%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Why?
My guess is a follow the money thing. MDT "officially" requires volume licensing to use it legally. SCCM is well, stupid expensive for little shops.
This also frustrates me for all my home stuff. I regularly load and reload systems to test stuff on and occasionally to reload computers for friends/family. So, this basically means going back to USB drives? I set this server running so I would need to remember where I put all that stuff.
![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(35.2, 66%, 13%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3ES%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Do with it what you will, but .\sources\win32ui.dll may be what triggers the 'deprecated' screen. And since it's essentially version 10.0.2XXXX, you might imagine some options as they relate to a Windows 10 boot.wim file. I'd say this unorthodox route would be a pure stop-gap measure as you explore a future without WDS.
![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(262.40000000000003, 71%, 35%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3ECG%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
You can deploy Windows 11 via WDS. As some have mentioned, there is a 'new' way to do it, but the 'hack' I suppose is to roll back your boot.wim to an earlier version.
I came across the same 'Depricated' screen, but the work around is to grab the very latest Windows 10 (x64) boot.wim and load that into WDS. In my case, this was releasd in December 2024.
From there, booting a client works fine and you land straight into the Winodws 11 installer.