AOMEI Image Deploy Free is worth considering the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit alternative. It's easy to use and free to deploy images to multiple computers, even the latest Windows 11.
Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) is a free deployment tool released by Microsoft to automate Windows and Windows Server operating system deployment. And available in Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10, and Windows Server 2008 (R2), 2012 (R2), 2016, 2019. Windows users can use MDT make reference image (WIM files) and deploy them to multiple target computers.
After installing Microsoft Deployment Toolkit, run the Deployment Workbench app in the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit group to deploy Windows images to multiple computers. However, it’s difficult to deploy images even for IT Professionals due to the complex settings.
Besides, you might encounter the following image deployment fail situations:
▶ Windows 10 deployments fail.
When you use the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit latest version 8456 with the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK) for Windows 10, version 2004, the BIOS firmware type is incorrectly identified as UEFI. It will cause the Windows 10 image deployments failed when fresh install a new version of Windows. Just install the MDT hotfix 4564442 to fix it.
▶ Microsoft Deployment Toolkit not loading.
Sometimes, you may find the MDT Wizard not loading and cannot select the task sequences and the images. Log in to the administrator account if you just running the script from within Windows; run the commands one by one if you PXE booting: diskpart, select disk 0, clean, exit, exit. Then restart the computer and try again.
In addition, MDT does not support Windows 11 and Windows Server 2022. Thus, many users wondering if is there any free Microsoft Deployment Toolkit alternative to deploy image to multiple computers.
Fortunately, there is an easy-to-use and free Microsoft Deployment Toolkit alternative - AOMEI Image Deploy Free, which allows you to deploy or restore an image to multiple computers at a time over the network. It supports all Windows operating systems, even the latest Windows 11 and Windows Server 2022.
Please download it to have a try.
In addition, you need the help of free backup software - AOMEI Backupper Stanard if you are using the standalone image deployment software. As it does not support creating a system image or disk image on any computer.
Here we will show you how the Windows 11 deployment tool - AOMEI Image Deploy works. The steps are divided into 3 parts, namely create a Windows 11 image, create image deployment configuration, and deploy images to different computers.
1. Download free backup software - AOMEI Backupper Standard and install it on the computer with everything you want. Then, go to the Backup tab and choose System Backup.
2. Tape the inverted triangle icon and Select a network location.
3. Click Add Share or NAS Devices, then input the Network Path (IP address of the NAS or network share) and choose a folder to save Windows 11 image file. Then click OK.
4. Click Start Backup>> to create Windows 11 system image file.
1. Install AOMEI Image Deploy to a computer as a server computer, and other destination computers as clients. Ensure all the computers stay in the same network segment within LAN.
2. Make sure all the destination computers are connected to a wired LAN and support the Network Boot (PXE Boot). Set the PXE boot as the first boot order in BIOS for all destination computers.
3. Verify that the disk sequence numbers for system deployment in client computers are the same. For example, deploy image to disk 0.
4. Please install Windows AIK/ADK on the server computer if you are running a previous version of Windows 7 or the Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE) is missing, and then you can create WinPE successfully.
1. Install and run AOMEI Image Deploy Free. Choose Create WinPE automatically and press Next.
You should tick the Enable DHCP option if there is no DHCP server in your LAN.
The Create bootable WinPE ISO manually option allows you to add custom drivers into WinPE.
2. It will create a WinPE automatically and show you the message "The service has started, waiting for connect..." when the WinPE created is complete.
3. Start all the client computers to boot from PXE and then you will see the AOMEI Image Deploy Client window, stating the local IP, server IP, and connection status.
4. Once your client computers access Windows PE successfully, it will display on the server computer. You can distinguish them by their IP address on AOMEI Image Deploy. Then, tick I confirm all the client computers which need to be deployed are online when all clients connected and click Next.
5. Click Browse button to select the Windows 11 image file from NAS or network share or just choose the Windows 11 ISO file as the source Windows 10 image file. Then, set up the Windows 11 image deployment settings and press the Start Deploy button.
All: select all computers to deploy Windows 11 images at the same time. The more client computers, the slower speed of the deployment will be due to the limited LAN bandwidth.
Destination disk: input the destination disk number (probably the disk 0) to specify the disk to deploy the Windows 11 backup image.
Deployed computers: input the number to configure how many computers will be deployed every time. It’s strongly recommended to deploy images to 3-5 computers every time.
Settings: you can enable computer name settings on the free edition. To preset IP addresses for clients, or enable "Universal Restore" to deploy images to different hardware, please upgrade to AOMEI Image Deploy Technician.
6. Then, it will start the Windows 11 image deployment process, showing the restore percentages for each client. You can choose Restart PC or Shut Down the clients once the deployment is completed.
Compared with the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit, the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit alternative - AOMEI Image Deploy Free is easier to operate and relaible to use. You can follow the steps above to deploy images to multiple computers simultaneously without effort, even for Windows 11.
If you would like to create, manage and monitor backups for all clients within your company from one central console, please try AOMEI Centralized Backupper. You can also backup VMware, hyper-v, MSSQL, etc.
