About

Core Components are the software tools and Windows features that must be in place on a Windows 11 build machine before running any OSDeploy workflow.

Overview

OSDeploy runs on a Windows 11 workstation or server (amd64 or arm64) and uses these components at build time — not inside WinPE at deployment time. Some components are required for every workflow; others are needed only for specific tasks such as MDT integration, virtual machine testing, or script development. Use Install-OSDeploySoftware to install and manage all supported components from a single PowerShell command. Once the OSDeploy module is installed, run Update-OSDeployCore to download and cache all OSDeployCore assets — Windows Enterprise ESD files, OS images, and WinPE driver packages — before building boot images.

Component	Purpose	Required	Install Method
PowerShell 7.6+	Required for all OSDeploy, OSDCloud, and OSD module commands	Required	MSI installer
OSDeploy module	WinPE boot image creation on Windows 11	Required	Install-Module
OSDCloud module	Windows 11 deployment from WinPE	Required for OSDCloud	Install-Module
OSD module	Legacy OSDCloud v1 and WinPE deployment	Optional (legacy)	Install-Module
Windows ADK + WinPE add-on	Tooling to create and customize WinPE boot images	Required	Install-OSDeploySoftware
Microsoft Deployment Toolkit	Legacy MDT integration workflows	Optional	Install-OSDeploySoftware
Hyper-V	Local VM creation for testing boot media	Optional	Install-OSDeploySoftware
Git for Windows	Source control for scripts and configurations	Optional	Install-OSDeploySoftware
Visual Studio Code	Script authoring and editing	Optional	Install-OSDeploySoftware

All components except PowerShell 7 and the PowerShell modules can be installed or downloaded using a single function: Install-OSDeploySoftware. Run it without parameters to list all available components and the command to install each one.

In This Section

• PowerShell — Install PowerShell 7.6 or later (MSI package)

• PowerShell Modules — Install the OSDeploy, OSDCloud, and OSD modules from the PowerShell Gallery

• Microsoft Windows ADK — Install the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit and WinPE add-on

• Microsoft Deployment Toolkit — Install MDT for existing MDT-based deployment workflows (retired)

• WinPE Drivers — Download vendor driver packs for injection into WinPE boot images

• Windows Components — Enable optional Windows features such as Hyper-V

• Developer Tools — Optional tools for authoring and customizing OSDeploy workflows

• Utilities — Additional tools such as 7-Zip used by OSDeploy during boot image creation