Deployment Process of Windows 11 Commercial Preview

By: infotechalive September 20, 2021

Deployment of Windows 11 Commercial Preview

The process of upgrading from Windows 10 to 11 functions like any Windows 10 feature update but there’s more to it. The commercial preview has been launched but the shipping would be happening in October. A few features in it are:

Packs and Swaps

The same tools can be used for handling Windows 11 updates. However, it is important to have a clear understanding of the difference between ‘enablement packs’ and ‘OS swap’. Updates of Regular Patch Tuesday include extra codes for preparing PCs for next feature update. Windows 11 would be a new ‘OS floor’ and would be available as an OS swap and not as an enablement package. OS swap takes a longer time to be installed but most of the update would be taking place online when the user would be working on the PC.

Management Tools for Windows 11

In case of using Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager, the 2017 version is needed to work along with the Assessment and Deployment Kit.

Desktop Analytics service can also be used as configuration manager for doing the inventory or the existing management tools can be used to get the details of which PCs would be suitable for installing Windows 11.

Certain configuration changes might be required to the existing devices. In case those have BIOS emulation, one needs to move to UEFI which implies the conversion of the system from Master Boot Record to GPT partitions.

In case of using rings for managing Windows update, the particular rings can be chosen to be upgraded to Windows 11.

If Microsoft Endpoint Manager or Intune is being used then the feature update deployment option would work with the new Windows update for business deployment services. Deployment Process of Windows 11 Commercial Preview .

A group policy is also there for disabling a safe hold on a specific device in case an IT administrator needs to test Windows 11 on any device. In case it’s chosen to turn off the safeguard hold of installing Windows 11 and go back to Windows 10 then Intune and Configuration Manager would allow so.