Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2012 Beta 1 now available for download

Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2012 Beta 1 rides the next wave of System Center releases with support for System Center Configuration Manager 2012. For Lite Touch installations, MDT 2012 improves the overall client-side user experience, while also providing behind-the-scenes enhancements for partitioning, UEFI, and user state migration. These features, combined with many small enhancements, bug fixes, and a smooth and simple upgrade process, make MDT 2012 Beta 1 more reliable and flexible than ever.

Key Benefits:
MDT 2012 will offer:

• Fully leverages the capabilities provided by System Center Configuration Manager 2012 for OS deployment.
• Improved Lite Touch user experience and functionality.
• A smooth and simple upgrade process for all existing MDT users.

What's is new in MDT 2012 Beta 1?
The following is a list of a new features in MDT 2012 Beta 1:
• Support Configuration Manager 2012 Beta 2 OS deployment
Integrate MDT 2012 Beta 1 into the Configuration Manager 2012 console. Update MDT task sequences to support ConfigMgr 2012. Add support for new ConfigMgr 2012 features.

• Add support for new operating systems
Add support for Windows ThinPC and Windows POSReady 7.

• Support UEFI deployments
Enable MDT to deploy operating systems to computers that use the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) BIOS replacement.

• “Deploy to VHD” support
New task sequence templates have been added to support deploying a Windows 7 image into a VHD that is then configured so that the computer will boot from the VHD.

• Improve partitioning logic
Deploy Windows using the Windows AIK-recommended partitioning schemes, while ensuring that any existing scheme continues to work as expected.

• Wizard look-and-feel enhancements
Update the Lite Touch wizards to provide an improved appearance.

• Improve user state migration logic
Enhance the user state migration process to provide additional flexibility.

Download Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2012 Beta 1:
Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2012 Beta 1 is now available for testing. You can download the Beta 1 version of MDT 2012 at Microsoft Connect website. (Windows Live ID required)

Note: MDT 2012 Beta 1 runs through August 2011.