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MDT 2012: Reliable and flexible OS deployment—now with support for System Center Configuration Manager 2012

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The latest version of the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit—version 2012— is now available for download.

Visit the Download Center to download MDT 2012.

Deploy Windows 7, Office 2010, Windows 8 Consumer Preview, Windows Server “8” Beta and Windows Server 2008 R2 with the newly released Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2012. MDT 2012 is the newest version of Microsoft Deployment Toolkit, a Solution Accelerator for operating system and application deployment. MDT is the recommended process and toolset for automating Windows 7 and Office 365 deployments.

 

The Solution Accelerators Team added new features to MDT 2012 that include the ability for users to initiate and customize their own deployments using System Center Configuration Manager 2012, key  enhancements in Windows 7 driver support, and much more.

MDT 2012 will provide new benefits such as:

  • Comprehensive tools and guidance to efficiently manage large-scale deployments of Microsoft Office 2010.
  • An enhanced User-Driven Installation (UDI) deployment method that utilizes System Center Configuration Manager 2012. UDI lets end users initiate and customize an
    OS deployment on their PCs—via an easy-to-use wizard.
  • Ease Lite Touch installation with new capabilities to check on the status of currently running deployments.
  • This release provides support for deploying Windows 8 Consumer Preview in a lab environment.

 

These features, combined with many bug fixes and other improvements, make MDT 2012 more reliable and flexible than ever.

Support for Configuration Manager 2012: MDT 2012 provides support for Configuration Manager 2012 releases. MDT 2012 fully leverages the capabilities provided by Configuration Manager 2012 for OS deployment. Users now also have the ability to migrate MDT 2012 task sequences from Configuration Manager 2007 to Configuration Manager 2012.

Customize deployment questions: For System Center Configuration Manager customers, MDT 2012 provides an improved, extensible wizard and designer for customizing deployment questions.

Ease Lite Touch installation: The Microsoft Diagnostics and Recovery Toolkit (DaRT) is now integrated with Lite Touch Installation, providing remote control and diagnostics. New monitoring capabilities are available to check on the status of currently running deployments. LTI now has an improved deployment wizard user experience. Enhanced partitioning support ensures that deployments work regardless of the
current structure.

Secure Deployments: MDT 2012 offers integration with the Microsoft Security Compliance Manager (SCM) tool to ensure a secure Windows deployment from the start.

Reliability and flexibility: Existing MDT users will find more reliability and flexibility with the many small enhancements and bug fixes and a smooth and simple upgrade process.

Support for Windows 8: MDT 2012 provides support for deploying Windows 8 Consumer Preview and Windows Server “8” Beta in a lab environment.

Next steps:

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Solution Accelerators background information

The Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit, Microsoft Deployment Toolkit, and Security Compliance Manager provide tested guidance and automated tools to help you plan, securely deploy, and manage new Microsoft technologies—easier, faster, and at less cost. All are freely available, and fully supported by Microsoft.

 

Planning your migration to new Microsoft technologies

Use the Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit to inventory your IT environment and assess your hardware readiness for migration to Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, Hyper-V, and Microsoft Office 365—in just a few hours. MAP automatically generates detailed reports on hardware, device, and application compatibility—information you can immediately put to work in your migration plans.

Securely deploying and managing new Microsoft technologies 

The Microsoft Deployment Toolkit and the Security Compliance Manager are the essential toolset to automate your desktop and server deployment of new Microsoft technologies. Using MDT and SCM, you can significantly reduce the costs and time to securely deploy and manage Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, Hyper-V, and Microsoft Office 2010 across your organization.