How to Find Windows 10 Computer Specifications & Systems Requirements

Here’s an overview of how to find computer specification requirements, versions, and languages available for Windows 10.

Table of Contents

System requirements for installing Windows 10

These are the basic requirements for installing Windows 10 on a PC. If your device does not meet these requirements, you may not have the great experience intended with Windows 10 and might want to consider purchasing a new PC.

RAM: 1 gigabyte (GB) for 32-bit or 2 GB for 64-bit

Hard drive size:

32GB or larger hard disk

Note: See below under “More information on hard drive space to install or update Windows 10” for more details.

Compatible with DirectX 9 or later with WDDM 1.0 driver

Display: 800×600 Internet Connection:

Internet connectivity is necessary to perform updates and to download and take advantage of some features. Windows 10 Pro in S mode, Windows 10 Pro Education in S mode, Windows 10 Education in S mode, and Windows 10 Enterprise in S mode require an internet connection during the initial device setup (Out of Box Experience or OOBE), as well as either a Microsoft account (MSA) or Azure Activity Directory (AAD) account. Switching a device out of Windows 10 in S mode also requires internet connectivity. Learn more about S mode here.

There may be additional requirements over time for updates, as well as requirements to turn on specific features within the OS.

Keeping Windows 10 up-to-date

Windows 10 is designed to deliver updates for the supported lifetime of the device. Two types of updates may be provided: quality updates and feature updates. Quality updates include both security and non-security updates and are typically targeted to be released once a month. Feature updates also include security and non-security fixes as well as new features to Windows 10 and are typically provided twice a year. Ensuring that your device receives these updates and is kept up-to-date is important for your device security. Windows 10 periodically checks for updates so you don’t have to. When an update is available—and sufficient free disk space is available on your device—it will be automatically installed. So that Windows 10 continues to stay updated, it’s important to ensure your device has sufficient free space. See additional applicable details in the following notes.

Important notes about updates:

• A device might not be able to receive updates if the device hardware is incompatible, if it lacks current drivers or sufficient available hard drive space, or if it’s otherwise outside of the Original Equipment Manufacturer’s (“OEM”) support period. Visit the Windows Lifecycle Fact Sheet or the Lifecycle FAQ for Windows products to learn more about the servicing timeline for each feature update.
  • Some of the disk space needed for installing updates is only temporarily required. Typically, ten days after installing an update, a disk cleanup will be automatically performed to delete copies of the older, unneeded Windows files and free up space again.
• Not all features in an update will work on all devices.
• An internet connection is required to perform updates and Internet access (ISP) fees might apply.
• If you need assistance installing an update, Windows 10 Update Assistant may be able to help.

More information on hard drive space requirements to install or update Windows 10

The size of the Windows operating system that comes with your device and the amount of space needed to download and install Windows updates, are highly variable as they depend on a variety of factors. Visit here to learn why. The factors that impact the amount of free hard drive space needed to take an update include: the versions of Windows previously installed on the machine, the amount of disk space available to reuse from Windows files, such as the virtual memory pagefile or hibernation file, which applications are installed on your device and how those applications store data. Starting with the May 2019 Update, the system requirements for hard drive size for clean installs of Windows 10 as well as new PCs changed to a minimum of 32GB. The 32GB or larger drive requirement is set to leave space for users to install apps and to keep data on the device. Installing Windows or updating from a previous version of Windows on devices with less than 32GB storage will continue to work if the device has enough free space available. When updating, Windows will attempt to automatically free up enough hard drive space and guide you through freeing up even more if the automatic cleanup is not sufficient. You can also take steps to free up space on your own. For more information, see Free up space to install the latest Windows 10 update or visit the related FAQ.

Feature-specific requirements for Windows 10

In addition to the requirements above that are needed to run Windows, some features have additional requirements. In some cases, features included with updated versions of Windows 10 will be best experienced with newer processors. For specific hardware support please refer to your Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM). Below are some additional details regarding requirements for key features:

• BitLocker Drive Encryption (available with Windows 10 Pro or Windows 10 Enterprise only) requires a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 1.2 or higher and Trusted Computing Group (TCG)-compliant BIOS or UEFI. BitLocker can be used on devices without TPM, but you will need to save a startup key on a removable device such as a USB flash drive. TPM 2.0 and InstantGo support is required when you want to automatically encrypt the local drive when joining a device to Azure Active Directory (AAD). Check with your PC manufacturer to confirm if your device supports the correct TPM version and InstantGo for the scenario you want to enable.
• BitLocker To Go requires a USB flash drive (available in Windows 10 Pro and Windows 10 Enterprise only).
• Client Hyper-V requires a 64-bit system with second level address translation (SLAT) capabilities and additional 2 GB of RAM (available in Windows 10 Pro and Windows 10 Enterprise only).
• Cortana is only currently available on Windows 10 for the United States, United Kingdom, China, France, Italy, Germany, Brazil, Mexico, Japan, Canada, Spain, Australia and India.
• Microsoft account is required for some features.
• Miracast requires a display adapter which supports Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) 1.3, and a Wi-Fi adapter that supports Wi-Fi Direct.
• Movies & TV application is not available in all regions. For the most up-to-date list of regions, please go to the Movies & TV information page.
• Secure boot requires firmware that supports UEFI v2.3.1 Errata B and has the Microsoft Windows Certification Authority in the UEFI signature database.
• Skype is available only in select countries and regions. Calling to select countries and regions only. Excludes special, premium and non-geographic numbers. For details, visit the Office FAQ page.
• Snap: The number of applications that can be snapped will depend upon the minimum resolution for the application with a limit of two applications in Tablet mode and four applications in Desktop mode.
• Speech recognition will vary by device microphone. For a better speech experience, you will need a:
  • High fidelity microphone array
  • Hardware driver with microphone array geometry exposed
• Tablet mode is available on tablets and 2-in-1s with GPIO indicators or those that have a laptop and slate indicator will be able to be configured to enter «tablet mode» automatically.
• Touch: To use touch, you need a tablet or a monitor that supports multi-touch.
• Two-factor authentication requires the use of a PIN, Biometric (finger print reader or illuminated infrared camera), or a phone with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth capabilities.
• Windows Hello requires a camera configured for near infrared (IR) imaging or fingerprint reader for biometric authentication. Devices without biometric sensors can use Windows Hello with a PIN or a portable Microsoft compatible security key.
• Xbox application requires an Xbox Live account, which is not available in all regions. For the most up-to-date list of regions, please go to Xbox Live Countries and Regions website.
• Wi-Fi Direct Printing requires a Wi-Fi adapter that supports Wi-Fi Direct and a device that supports Wi-Fi Direct Printing.

Find a PC that fits

Do your best learning, working, and playing with a Windows 10 PC. Find one that fits your style and budget.

Discover the benefits of a new PC

When it comes to a PC with an SSD vs. one with an HDD, some things are just better.

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Get started with PC hardware basics

Learn about key PC hardware components so that you can make informed decisions when shopping for a new device.

What is it?

SSD is a type of storage drive similar to a traditional hard disk drive (HDD).

Why does it matter?

Without moving parts, SSDs are thinner, faster, and more durable than HDDs, allowing for smaller PCs with greater battery life. 2

What is it?

RAM is your PC’s “working” memory.

Why does it matter?

It helps with performance when doing things like running apps and browser tabs. More RAM means you can do more things at the same time.

What is it?

The brain of your PC. It tells the other components in it what to do.

Why does it matter?

It performs the instructions the operating system tells it to. Without it, your PC doesn’t run.

What is it?

It helps your PC do graphics-intensive tasks, like photo or video editing and games.

Why does it matter?

It frees your CPU for other tasks, allowing for better performance.

Discover the latest PC innovations

From powerful productivity and security to thinner devices with stunning touch screen displays, Windows 10 PCs provide what you need to get the job done. 3

ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo

HP Spectre x360 15

Lenovo Yoga C940

Browse by PC type

If you’re still unsure on where to begin, starting with the PC type will give you a wide range to choose from.

Thin, light laptops

It’s everything you love and more—portability, power, and the latest in processors.

Desktops & All-in-Ones

Get the muscle you need for demanding tasks without sacrificing style.

Versatile 2-in-1s

2-in-1s provide power and flexibility. Touch, type, click, or pen—choose whatever fits your style.

Gaming PCs

A Windows 10 gaming PC gives you more power, more features and more games.

Deploy Windows 10 in a test lab using Microsoft Deployment Toolkit

Applies to

Important: This guide leverages the proof of concept (PoC) environment configured using procedures in the following guide:

Please complete all steps in the prerequisite guide before starting this guide. This guide requires about 5 hours to complete, but can require less time or more time depending on the speed of the Hyper-V host. After completing the current guide, also see the companion guide:

The PoC environment is a virtual network running on Hyper-V with three virtual machines (VMs):

• DC1: A contoso.com domain controller, DNS server, and DHCP server.
• SRV1: A dual-homed contoso.com domain member server, DNS server, and default gateway providing NAT service for the PoC network.
• PC1: A contoso.com member computer running Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 8.1 that has been shadow-copied from a physical computer on your corporate network.

This guide uses the Hyper-V server role. If you do not complete all steps in a single session, consider using checkpoints and saved states to pause, resume, or restart your work.

In this guide

This guide provides instructions to install and configure the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) to deploy a Windows 10 image.

Topics and procedures in this guide are summarized in the following table. An estimate of the time required to complete each procedure is also provided. Time required to complete procedures will vary depending on the resources available to the Hyper-V host and assigned to VMs, such as processor speed, memory allocation, disk speed, and network speed.

Topic	Description	Time
About MDT	A high-level overview of the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT).	Informational
Install MDT	Download and install MDT.	40 minutes
Create a deployment share and reference image	A reference image is created to serve as the template for deploying new images.	90 minutes
Deploy a Windows 10 image using MDT	The reference image is deployed in the PoC environment.	60 minutes
Refresh a computer with Windows 10	Export user data from an existing client computer, wipe the computer, install a new operating system, and then restore user data and settings.	60 minutes
Replace a computer with Windows 10	Back up an existing client computer, then restore this backup to a new computer.	60 minutes
Troubleshooting logs, events, and utilities	Log locations and troubleshooting hints.	Informational

About MDT

MDT performs deployments by using the Lite Touch Installation (LTI), Zero Touch Installation (ZTI), and User-Driven Installation (UDI) deployment methods.

• LTI is the deployment method used in the current guide, requiring only MDT and performed with a minimum amount of user interaction.
• ZTI is fully automated, requiring no user interaction and is performed using MDT and Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager. After completing the steps in the current guide, see Step by step: Deploy Windows 10 in a test lab using Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager to use the ZTI deployment method in the PoC environment.
• UDI requires manual intervention to respond to installation prompts such as machine name, password and language settings. UDI requires MDT and Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager.

Install MDT

On SRV1, temporarily disable IE Enhanced Security Configuration for Administrators by typing the following commands at an elevated Windows PowerShell prompt:

Download and install the 64-bit version of Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) on SRV1 using the default options. As of the writing of this guide, the latest version of MDT was 8443.

Download and install the latest Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK) on SRV1 using the default installation settings. The current version is the ADK for Windows 10, version 1703. Installation might require several minutes to acquire all components.

If desired, re-enable IE Enhanced Security Configuration:

Create a deployment share and reference image

A reference image serves as the foundation for Windows 10 devices in your organization.

In Step by step guide: Configure a test lab to deploy Windows 10, the Windows 10 Enterprise .iso file was saved to the c:\VHD directory as c:\VHD\w10-enterprise.iso. The first step in creating a deployment share is to mount this file on SRV1. To mount the Windows 10 Enterprise DVD on SRV1, open an elevated Windows PowerShell prompt on the Hyper-V host computer and type the following command:

On SRV1, verify that the Windows Enterprise installation DVD is mounted as drive letter D.

The Windows 10 Enterprise installation files will be used to create a deployment share on SRV1 using the MDT deployment workbench. To open the deployment workbench, click Start, type deployment, and then click Deployment Workbench.

To enable quick access to the application, right-click Deployment Workbench on the taskbar and then click Pin this program to the taskbar.

In the Deployment Workbench console, right-click Deployment Shares and select New Deployment Share.

Use the following settings for the New Deployment Share Wizard:

• Deployment share path: C:\MDTBuildLab
• Share name: MDTBuildLab$
• Deployment share description: MDT build lab
• Options: click Next to accept the default
• Summary: click Next
• Progress: settings will be applied
• Confirmation: click Finish

Expand the Deployment Shares node, and then expand MDT build lab.

Right-click the Operating Systems node, and then click New Folder. Name the new folder Windows 10. Complete the wizard using default values and click Finish.

Right-click the Windows 10 folder created in the previous step, and then click Import Operating System.

Use the following settings for the Import Operating System Wizard:

• OS Type: Full set of source files
• Source: D:\
• Destination: W10Ent_x64
• Summary: click Next
• Progress: wait for files to be copied
• Confirmation: click Finish

For purposes of this test lab, we will only add the prerequisite .NET Framework feature. Commerical applications (ex: Microsoft Office) will not be added to the deployment share. For information about adding applications, see the Add applications section of the Create a Windows 10 reference image topic in the TechNet library.

The next step is to create a task sequence to reference the operating system that was imported. To create a task sequence, right-click the Task Sequences node and then click New Task Sequence. Use the following settings for the New Task Sequence Wizard:

• Task sequence ID: REFW10X64-001
• Task sequence name: Windows 10 Enterprise x64 Default Image
• Task sequence comments: Reference Build
• Template: Standard Client Task Sequence
• Select OS: click Windows 10 Enterprise Evaluation in W10Ent_x64 install.wim
• Specify Product Key: Do not specify a product key at this time
• Full Name: Contoso
• Organization: Contoso
• Internet Explorer home page: http://www.contoso.com
• Admin Password: Do not specify an Administrator password at this time
• Summary: click Next
• Confirmation: click Finish

Edit the task sequence to add the Microsoft NET Framework 3.5, which is required by many applications. To edit the task sequence, double-click Windows 10 Enterprise x64 Default Image that was created in the previous step.

Click the Task Sequence tab. Under State Restore click Tatto to highlight it, then click Add and choose New Group.

On the Properties tab of the group that was created in the previous step, change the Name from New Group to Custom Tasks (Pre-Windows Update) and then click Apply. Click another location in the window to see the name change.

Click the Custom Tasks (Pre-Windows Update) group again, click Add, point to Roles, and then click Install Roles and Features.

Under Select the roles and features that should be installed, select .NET Framework 3.5 (includes .NET 2.0 and 3.0) and then click Apply.

Enable Windows Update in the task sequence by clicking the Windows Update (Post-Application Installation) step, clicking the Options tab, and clearing the Disable this step checkbox.

Note: Since we are not installing applications in this test lab, there is no need to enable the Windows Update Pre-Application Installation step. However, you should enable this step if you are also installing applications.

Click OK to complete editing the task sequence.

The next step is to configure the MDT deployment share rules. To configure rules in the Deployment Workbench, right-click MDT build lab (C:\MDTBuildLab) and click Properties, and then click the Rules tab.

Replace the default rules with the following text:

Click Apply and then click Edit Bootstrap.ini. Replace the contents of the Bootstrap.ini file with the following text, and save the file:

Click OK to complete the configuration of the deployment share.

Right-click MDT build lab (C:\MDTBuildLab) and then click Update Deployment Share.

Accept all default values in the Update Deployment Share Wizard by clicking Next twice. The update process will take 5 to 10 minutes. When it has completed, click Finish.

Copy c:\MDTBuildLab\Boot\LiteTouchPE_x86.iso on SRV1 to the c:\VHD directory on the Hyper-V host computer. Note that in MDT, the x86 boot image can deploy both x86 and x64 operating systems, except on computers based on Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI).

Hint: To copy the file, right-click the LiteTouchPE_x86.iso file and click Copy on SRV1, then open the c:\VHD folder on the Hyper-V host, right-click inside the folder and click Paste.

Open a Windows PowerShell prompt on the Hyper-V host computer and type the following commands:

The VM will require a few minutes to prepare devices and boot from the LiteTouchPE_x86.iso file.

In the Windows Deployment Wizard, select Windows 10 Enterprise x64 Default Image, and then click Next.

Accept the default values on the Capture Image page, and click Next. Operating system installation will complete after 5 to 10 minutes, and then the VM will reboot automatically. Allow the system to boot normally (do not press a key). The process is fully automated.

Additional system restarts will occur to complete updating and preparing the operating system. Setup will complete the following procedures:

• Install the Windows 10 Enterprise operating system.
• Install added applications, roles, and features.
• Update the operating system using Windows Update (or WSUS if optionally specified).
• Stage Windows PE on the local disk.
• Run System Preparation (Sysprep) and reboot into Windows PE.
• Capture the installation to a Windows Imaging (WIM) file.
• Turn off the virtual machine.

This step requires from 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the speed of the Hyper-V host. After some time, you will have a Windows 10 Enterprise x64 image that is fully patched and has run through Sysprep. The image is located in the C:\MDTBuildLab\Captures folder on your deployment server (SRV1). The file name is REFW10X64-001.wim.

Deploy a Windows 10 image using MDT

This procedure will demonstrate how to deploy the reference image to the PoC environment using MDT.

On SRV1, open the MDT Deployment Workbench console, right-click Deployment Shares, and then click New Deployment Share. Use the following values in the New Deployment Share Wizard:

• Deployment share path: C:\MDTProd
• Share name: MDTProd$
• Deployment share description: MDT Production
• Options: accept the default

Click Next, verify the new deployment share was added successfully, then click Finish.

In the Deployment Workbench console, expand the MDT Production deployment share, right-click Operating Systems, and then click New Folder. Name the new folder Windows 10 and complete the wizard using default values.

Right-click the Windows 10 folder created in the previous step, and then click Import Operating System.

On the OS Type page, choose Custom image file and then click Next.

On the Image page, browse to the C:\MDTBuildLab\Captures\REFW10X64-001.wim file created in the previous procedure, click Open, and then click Next.

On the Setup page, select Copy Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, or later setup files from the specified path.

Under Setup source directory, browse to C:\MDTBuildLab\Operating Systems\W10Ent_x64 click OK and then click Next.

On the Destination page, accept the default Destination directory name of REFW10X64-001, click Next twice, wait for the import process to complete, and then click Finish.

In the Operating Systems > Windows 10 node, double-click the operating system that was added to view its properties. Change the operating system name to Windows 10 Enterprise x64 Custom Image and then click OK. See the following example:

Create the deployment task sequence

Using the Deployment Workbench, right-click Task Sequences under the MDT Production node, click New Folder and create a folder with the name: Windows 10.

Right-click the Windows 10 folder created in the previous step, and then click New Task Sequence. Use the following settings for the New Task Sequence Wizard:

• Task sequence ID: W10-X64-001
• Task sequence name: Windows 10 Enterprise x64 Custom Image
• Task sequence comments: Production Image
• Select Template: Standard Client Task Sequence
• Select OS: Windows 10 Enterprise x64 Custom Image
• Specify Product Key: Do not specify a product key at this time
• Full Name: Contoso
• Organization: Contoso
• Internet Explorer home page: http://www.contoso.com
• Admin Password: pass@word1

Configure the MDT production deployment share

On SRV1, open an elevated Windows PowerShell prompt and type the following commands:

In the Deployment Workbench console on SRV1, right-click the MDT Production deployment share and then click Properties.

Click the Rules tab and replace the rules with the following text (don’t click OK yet):

Note: The contents of the Rules tab are added to c:\MDTProd\Control\CustomSettings.ini.

In this example a MachineObjectOU entry is not provided. Normally this entry describes the specific OU where new client computer objects are created in Active Directory. However, for the purposes of this test lab clients are added to the default computers OU, which requires that this parameter be unspecified.

If desired, edit the follow line to include or exclude other users when migrating settings. Currently, the command is set to user exclude (ue) all users except for CONTOSO users specified by the user include option (ui):

For example, to migrate all users on the computer, replace this line with the following:

For more information, see ScanState Syntax.

Click Edit Bootstap.ini and replace text in the file with the following text:

Click OK when finished.

Update the deployment share

Right-click the MDT Production deployment share and then click Update Deployment Share.

Use the default options for the Update Deployment Share Wizard. The update process requires 5 to 10 minutes to complete.

Click Finish when the update is complete.

Enable deployment monitoring

In the Deployment Workbench console, right-click MDT Production and then click Properties.

On the Monitoring tab, select the Enable monitoring for this deployment share checkbox, and then click OK.

Verify the monitoring service is working as expected by opening the following link on SRV1 in Internet Explorer: http://localhost:9800/MDTMonitorEvent/. If you do not see «You have created a service» at the top of the page, see Troubleshooting MDT 2012 Monitoring.

Close Internet Explorer.

Configure Windows Deployment Services

Initialize Windows Deployment Services (WDS) by typing the following command at an elevated Windows PowerShell prompt on SRV1:

Click Start, type Windows Deployment, and then click Windows Deployment Services.

In the Windows Deployment Services console, expand Servers, expand SRV1.contoso.com, right-click Boot Images, and then click Add Boot Image.

Browse to the C:\MDTProd\Boot\LiteTouchPE_x64.wim file, click Open, click Next, and accept the defaults in the Add Image Wizard. Click Finish to complete adding a boot image.

Deploy the client image

Before using WDS to deploy a client image, you must temporarily disable the external network adapter on SRV1. This is just an artifact of the lab environment. In a typical deployment environment WDS would not be installed on the default gateway.

Note: Do not disable the internal network interface. To quickly view IP addresses and interface names configured on the VM, type Get-NetIPAddress | ft interfacealias, ipaddress

Assuming the external interface is named «Ethernet 2», to disable the external interface on SRV1, open a Windows PowerShell prompt on SRV1 and type the following command:

Wait until the disable-netadapter command completes before proceeding.

Next, switch to the Hyper-V host and open an elevated Windows PowerShell prompt. Create a generation 2 VM on the Hyper-V host that will load its OS using PXE. To create this VM, type the following commands at an elevated Windows PowerShell prompt:

Dynamic memory is configured on the VM to conserve resources. However, this can cause memory allocation to be reduced past what is required to install an operating system. If this happens, reset the VM and begin the OS installation task sequence immediately. This ensures the VM memory allocation is not decreased too much while it is idle.

Start the new VM and connect to it:

When prompted, hit ENTER to start the network boot process.

In the Windows Deployment Wizard, choose the Windows 10 Enterprise x64 Custom Image and then click Next.

After MDT lite touch installation has started, be sure to re-enable the external network adapter on SRV1. This is needed so the client can use Windows Update after operating system installation is complete.To re-enable the external network interface, open an elevated Windows PowerShell prompt on SRV1 and type the following command:

On SRV1, in the Deployment Workbench console, click on Monitoring and view the status of installation. Right-click Monitoring and click Refresh if no data is displayed.

OS installation requires about 10 minutes. When the installation is complete, the system will reboot automatically, configure devices, and install updates, requiring another 10-20 minutes. When the new client computer is finished updating, click Finish. You will be automatically signed in to the local computer as administrator.

This completes the demonstration of how to deploy a reference image to the network. To conserve resources, turn off the PC2 VM before starting the next section.

Refresh a computer with Windows 10

This section will demonstrate how to export user data from an existing client computer, wipe the computer, install a new operating system, and then restore user data and settings. The scenario will use PC1, a computer that was cloned from a physical device to a VM, as described in Step by step guide: Deploy Windows 10 in a test lab.

If the PC1 VM is not already running, then start and connect to it:

Switch back to the Hyper-V host and create a checkpoint for the PC1 VM so that it can easily be reverted to its current state for troubleshooting purposes and to perform additional scenarios. Checkpoints are also known as snapshots. To create a checkpoint for the PC1 VM, type the following command at an elevated Windows PowerShell prompt on the Hyper-V host:

Sign on to PC1 using the CONTOSO\Administrator account.

Specify contoso\administrator as the user name to ensure you do not sign on using the local administrator account. You must sign in with this account so that you have access to the deployment share.

Open an elevated command prompt on PC1 and type the following:

Note: For more information on tools for viewing log files and to assist with troubleshooting, see Configuration Manager Tools.

Choose the Windows 10 Enterprise x64 Custom Image and then click Next.

Choose Do not back up the existing computer and click Next.

Note: The USMT will still back up the computer.

Lite Touch Installation will perform the following actions:

Back up user settings and data using USMT.

Install the Windows 10 Enterprise X64 operating system.

Update the operating system via Windows Update.

Restore user settings and data using USMT.

You can review the progress of installation on SRV1 by clicking on the Monitoring node in the deployment workbench. When OS installation is complete, the computer will restart, set up devices, and configure settings.

Sign in with the CONTOSO\Administrator account and verify that all CONTOSO domain user accounts and data have been migrated to the new operating system, or other user accounts as specified previously.

Create another checkpoint for the PC1 VM so that you can review results of the computer refresh later. To create a checkpoint, type the following command at an elevated Windows PowerShell prompt on the Hyper-V host:

Restore the PC1 VM to it’s previous state in preparation for the replace procedure. To restore a checkpoint, type the following command at an elevated Windows PowerShell prompt on the Hyper-V host:

Sign in to PC1 using the contoso\administrator account.

Replace a computer with Windows 10

At a high level, the computer replace process consists of:

• A special replace task sequence that runs the USMT backup and an optional full Window Imaging (WIM) backup.
• A standard OS deployment on a new computer. At the end of the deployment, the USMT backup from the old computer is restored.

Create a backup-only task sequence

On SRV1, in the deployment workbench console, right-click the MDT Production deployment share, click Properties, click the Rules tab, and change the line SkipUserData=YES to SkipUserData=NO.

Click OK, right-click MDT Production, click Update Deployment Share and accept the default options in the wizard to update the share.

Type the following commands at an elevated Windows PowerShell prompt on SRV1:

On SRV1 in the deployment workbench, under MDT Production, right-click the Task Sequences node, and click New Folder.

Name the new folder Other, and complete the wizard using default options.

Right-click the Other folder and then click New Task Sequence. Use the following values in the wizard:

• Task sequence ID: REPLACE-001
• Task sequence name: Backup Only Task Sequence
• Task sequence comments: Run USMT to back up user data and settings
• Template: Standard Client Replace Task Sequence (note: this is not the default template)

Accept defaults for the rest of the wizard and then click Finish. The replace task sequence will skip OS selection and settings.

Open the new task sequence that was created and review it. Note the type of capture and backup tasks that are present. Click OK when you are finished reviewing the task sequence.

Run the backup-only task sequence

If you are not already signed on to PC1 as contoso\administrator, sign in using this account. To verify the currently signed in account, type the following command at an elevated command prompt:

To ensure a clean environment before running the backup task sequence, type the following at an elevated Windows PowerShell prompt on PC1:

Sign in to PC1 using the contoso\administrator account, and then type the following at an elevated command prompt:

Complete the deployment wizard using the following:

• Task Sequence: Backup Only Task Sequence
• User Data: Specify a location: \\SRV1\MigData$\PC1
• Computer Backup: Do not back up the existing computer.

While the task sequence is running on PC1, open the deployment workbench console on SRV1 and click the *Monitoring node. Press F5 to refresh the console, and view the status of current tasks.

On PC1, verify that The user state capture was completed successfully is displayed, and click Finish when the capture is complete.

On SRV1, verify that the file USMT.MIG was created in the C:\MigData\PC1\USMT directory. See the following example:

Deploy PC3

On the Hyper-V host, type the following commands at an elevated Windows PowerShell prompt:

Temporarily disable the external network adapter on SRV1 again, so that we can successfully boot PC3 from WDS. To disable the adapter, type the following command at an elevated Windows PowerShell prompt on SRV1:

As mentioned previously, ensure that you disable the external network adapter, and wait for the command to complete before proceeding.

Start and connect to PC3 by typing the following commands at an elevated Windows PowerShell prompt on the Hyper-V host:

When prompted, press ENTER for network boot.

On PC3, use the following settings for the Windows Deployment Wizard:

• Task Sequence: Windows 10 Enterprise x64 Custom Image
• Move Data and Settings: Do not move user data and settings
• User Data (Restore): Specify a location: \\SRV1\MigData$\PC1

When OS installation has started on PC1, re-enable the external network adapter on SRV1 by typing the following command on SRV1:

Setup will install the Windows 10 Enterprise operating system, update via Windows Update, and restore the user settings and data from PC1.

When PC3 has completed installing the OS, sign in to PC3 using the contoso\administrator account. When the PC completes updating, click Finish.

Verify that settings have been migrated from PC1. This completes demonstration of the replace procedure.

Shut down PC3 in preparation for the next procedure.

Troubleshooting logs, events, and utilities

Deployment logs are available on the client computer in the following locations:

• Before the image is applied: X:\MININT\SMSOSD\OSDLOGS
• After the system drive has been formatted: C:\MININT\SMSOSD\OSDLOGS
• After deployment: %WINDIR%\TEMP\DeploymentLogs

You can review WDS events in Event Viewer at: Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > Deployment-Services-Diagnostics. By default, only the Admin and Operational logs are enabled. To enable other logs, right-click the log and then click Enable Log.

Tools for viewing log files, and to assist with troubleshooting are available in the System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager Toolkit

Also see Resolve Windows 10 upgrade errors for detailed troubleshooting information.