Update-OSDeployCoreESD
Download and verify Windows 11 26H2 Enterprise ESD files for OSDeploy Core.
Update-OSDeployCoreESD downloads the current en-US Windows 11 26H2 Enterprise ESD files from the Microsoft Content Delivery Network. It selects the newest recognized catalog across the module and Core cache.
A valid Recast Software license is required when the command is called directly. If no valid license is found, the command displays license guidance and returns. The immediate call from Invoke-OSDeployHydration is the only license-gate exception.
This command downloads and caches the source ESD files. It does not install Windows or import the ESD contents into OSDeploy Core.
Requirements
Run this command from an elevated PowerShell 7.6 or later session on Windows 11. During preview, hosts earlier than Windows 11 26H2 build 26300 warn and continue. PowerShell must be installed from the MSI package, and curl.exe must be available in PATH. Internet access is required for URL tests and uncached downloads.
The command stops before catalog selection when a Windows version, PowerShell, MSI installation, curl.exe, or administrator check fails. It also stops when no catalog XML exists or the newest catalog file name does not match the expected <build>-win<version>-<release>.xml format.
Parameters
-Force
Switch
Not enabled
Bypasses current and older verified cache reuse and queues a fresh download. It does not bypass the Yes/No download prompt.
-Architecture
String
Automatic
Use amd64 or arm64. Omission uses host-based targets: AMD64 hosts consider x64 then ARM64; ARM64 hosts consider ARM64 only. amd64 on an ARM64 host leaves no eligible target.
-WhatIf
Common parameter
Not enabled
Suppresses operations gated by ShouldProcess, including cache-directory creation, deletion, download, retry, and failed-file cleanup. Initialization, catalog and cache reads, hashing, URL tests, and Yes/No prompts can still occur.
-Confirm
Common parameter
Not enabled
Adds PowerShell confirmation at each ShouldProcess boundary. Independent ShouldContinue Yes/No prompts still appear.
Select an Architecture
The architectures offered by default depend on the OSDeploy PC architecture.
AMD64
x64 first, then ARM64
ARM64
ARM64 only
Download only the x64 ESD on an AMD64 OSDeploy PC:
Download only the ARM64 ESD:
When -Architecture is omitted, the command processes every architecture supported by the current OSDeploy PC. Each ESD is confirmed separately before downloading.
Download the ESD Files
Run the command without parameters to use the default architecture selection:
For each ESD that is not already cached, the command:
Reads the latest operating system catalog included with OSDeploy.
Selects the en-US Enterprise ESD for the requested architecture.
Tests the Microsoft download URL for availability.
Displays the file name, size, and destination.
Prompts for confirmation.
Downloads the file with resumable transfer support.
Verifies the downloaded file against the catalog SHA256 checksum.
Downloads are saved in the version-specific folder:
The exact release folder is derived from the newest catalog file name, and the ESD file name can change when the module catalog is updated to a newer Windows build. Core path initialization occurs before catalog processing and can create directories or migrate legacy repository content and profiles.
Each ESD is several gigabytes. The confirmation prompt estimates a download time of 5 to 30 minutes, but the actual time depends on the internet connection.
Use Cached Downloads
The command verifies an existing ESD before deciding whether another download is needed.
If the current ESD exists and its SHA256 checksum matches, the file is returned without being downloaded again.
If a differently named ESD from an older catalog exists in the current release folder and matches its own catalog checksum, the command offers a choice between returning that file and downloading the newer version. Older catalogs are cache lookup metadata, not fallback download sources.
If an existing file does not match the expected checksum, the command offers to move it to the Recycle Bin and download it again.
Use -Force to download the selected ESD files again even when the current files are already cached and verified:
Preview the Operation
Use -WhatIf to prevent directory creation and downloads:
The command can still initialize Core paths, inspect and hash cached files, test download URLs, and display ShouldContinue prompts while processing -WhatIf. A verified current cache file, or an older verified file retained after declining the newer download, can still be returned. No ESD transfer starts unless both the Yes/No prompt and ShouldProcess approve it.
Download Recovery
Downloads use curl.exe with resume support. When a transfer fails, produces no file, is incomplete, or fails SHA256 verification, the command makes up to two automatic retries after the initial attempt. URL reachability is tested for every pending entry before any per-file download confirmations are collected.
If all automatic attempts fail, the command displays the failure details and asks whether to retry again. Failed checksum files are moved to the Recycle Bin before a clean retry. If the final retry is declined, the failed file can also be moved to the Recycle Bin.
Use -Verbose to show catalog selection, cache checks, URL tests, architecture filtering, and download details:
Review the Results
The command returns one System.IO.FileInfo object for each ESD that is ready to use, whether it was downloaded during the current run or was already cached and verified.
No object is returned for an architecture when its download is unavailable, declined, or unsuccessful.
Import Windows into OSDeploy Core
After the ESD files are downloaded, run Update-OSDeployCoreRE to create the Windows media, WIM files, Windows RE content, and driver sources used by OSDeploy Core:
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