Windows Automated Installation Kit

Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (Windows ADK), formerly Windows Automated Installation Kit (Windows AIK or WAIK), is a collection of tools and technologies produced by Microsoft designed to help deploy Microsoft Windows operating system images to target computers or to a VHD (Virtual Hard Disk). It was first introduced with Windows Vista. WAIK is a required component of Microsoft Deployment Toolkit.

Windows AIK Version 1.0 was released with Windows Vista. New or redesigned tools and technologies included Windows System Image Manager (Windows SIM), SysPrep, ImageX, and Windows Preinstallation Environment (WinPE) v2.0.

Windows AIK Version 1.1 was released with Windows Vista SP1 (and Windows Server 2008). A number of new tools were introduced, including PostReflect and VSP1Cln. WinPE 2.1 could be more customized. Supported operating systems include Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows Vista SP1, Windows Server 2003 SP1, Windows Server 2003 SP2 and Windows XP SP2.

Windows AIK Version 2.0 was released with Windows 7 beta. Significantly, a single new tool, DISM, replaced several earlier tools including PEImg and IntlCfg, which were deprecated. WinPE 3.0 has AeroSnaps—a Windows 7 feature. User State Migration Tool (USMT) was added to this version of WAIK. Supported operating systems include Windows Server 2003 R2 SP2, Windows Vista SP1, Windows Server 2008 family, Windows 7 family and Windows Server 2008 R2 family of operating systems.

Windows AIK version 3.0 is exactly the same as 2.0. The version number has only been updated to correspond with the release of Service Pack 1 for Windows 7. Microsoft has also released a WAIK supplement for Windows 7 SP1. WAIK readme references the WAIK supplement, which optionally adds WinPE v3.1 to a previously installed, compatible WAIK.