System Center Configuration Manager 2012 is a member of the Microsoft System Center suite of management solutions and is widely used in mid- and large enterprises for deploying operating systems and applications, ensuring compliance, and managing servers, desktops, laptops and mobile devices. The current versions of Configuration Manager 2012 SP2 and Configuration Manager 2012 R2 SP1 can specifically be used for performing in-place upgrades to Windows 10 for computing devices running earlier versions of Microsoft Windows including Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1.
While descriptions of how to use ConfigMgr 2012 to perform such in-place upgrades has been published before in several places on Microsoft TechNet, what’s been lacking for IT pros has been a complete illustrated step-by-step walkthrough demonstrating in full detail how such upgrades can be performed. To help address this need I’ve asked my colleague Chris Shilt to provide us with a step-by-step walkthrough of the process. Chris is a Premier Field Engineer (MFE) with Microsoft and has been working with System Center Configuration Manager in one iteration or another for over 12 years. Prior to working at Microsoft, he managed software updates for a major command with the U.S. Air Force. I previously worked with Chris as the Series Editor for the free ebook Microsoft System Center Software Update Management Field Experience (Microsoft Press, 2015) which he co-authored with Andre Della Monica, Russ Rimmerman and Rushi Faldu and which you can download from this page on the Microsoft Virtual Academy site. Let’s now here from Chris as he explains what’s involved in performing in-place upgrades to Windows 10 using ConfigMgr 2012, and stay tuned for a future article here in my section on WindowsNetworking.com where Chris will cover the same topic using the Technical Preview 3 (TP3) build of the next “vNext” version of ConfigMgr.
Introduction
Microsoft has made upgrading to Windows 10 easier than ever. With this guide, I’m going to show you, step-by-step, how to create a Windows 10 in-place upgrade task sequence for System Center 2012 Configuration Manager.
Pre-requisites
To use the sample content referenced in this article, you’ll need to be running ConfigMgr 2012 SP2 or ConfigMgr 2012 R2 SP1. For simplicity’s sake, I’ll be referring to ConfigMgr 2012 R2 SP1 through the rest of this article.
Import the Windows 10 In-Place Upgrade Task Sequence
On the System Center Configuration Manager Team Blog there are two articles written by Aaron Czechowski, Senior Program Manager, Enterprise Client and Mobility that describe the task sequence we’ll be using to create the in-place upgrade task sequence. You can reference those articles here:
- http://blogs.technet.com/b/configmgrteam/archive/2014/10/29/how-to-upgrade-to-win-10-using-the-task-sequence-in-sc-2012-r2-configmgr.aspx
- http://blogs.technet.com/b/configmgrteam/archive/2014/10/29/how-to-upgrade-to-win-10-using-the-task-sequence-in-sc-2012-r2-configmgr.aspx
Begin by navigating to the second blog post above and download the task sequence that we’ll be importing into ConfigMgr 2012 R2 SP1:
Figure 1: Step 1 of performing an in-place upgrade to Windows 10 using ConfigMgr 2012.
The download link is at the bottom of the page:
Figure 2: Step 2 of performing an in-place upgrade to Windows 10 using ConfigMgr 2012.
Note:
Make sure you read the note above the download link which says that the attached content is not for production use; it is a sample for evaluation only and thus subject to the Microsoft Limited Public License (see Exhibit B of the TechNet Terms of Use). This posting is provided “AS IS” with no warranties and confers no rights.
Extract the files to a network share:
Figure 3: Step 3 of performing an in-place upgrade to Windows 10 using ConfigMgr 2012.
Here is what the extracted content looks like:
Figure 4: Step 4 of performing an in-place upgrade to Windows 10 using ConfigMgr 2012.
Open your Windows 10 installation media and copy the contents to the Windows vNext Upgrade Media folder:
Figure 5: Step 5 of performing an in-place upgrade to Windows 10 using ConfigMgr 2012.
Next, we’ll import the task sequence. Go to Software Library then Operating Systems then Task Sequences. Right-click on Task Sequences and select Import Task Sequence:
Figure 6: Step 6 of performing an in-place upgrade to Windows 10 using ConfigMgr 2012.
Click Browse and navigate to the export file (Windows vNext Upgrade.zip). Click Next to continue:
Figure 7: Step 7 of performing an in-place upgrade to Windows 10 using ConfigMgr 2012.
Click Next to continue:
Figure 8: Step 8 of performing an in-place upgrade to Windows 10 using ConfigMgr 2012.
Click Next to continue:
Figure 9: Step 9 of performing an in-place upgrade to Windows 10 using ConfigMgr 2012.
Click Close to complete the Import Task Sequence Wizard:
Figure 10: Step 10 of performing an in-place upgrade to Windows 10 using ConfigMgr 2012.
Now we need to distribute the content of the imported packages. Navigate to the Package node, select the imported packages, right-click and select Distribute Content:
Figure 11: Step 11 of performing an in-place upgrade to Windows 10 using ConfigMgr 2012.
Click Next to continue:
Figure 12: Step 12 of performing an in-place upgrade to Windows 10 using ConfigMgr 2012.
Add the appropriate distribution points. Click Next to continue:
Figure 13: Step 13 of performing an in-place upgrade to Windows 10 using ConfigMgr 2012.
Click Next to continue:
Figure 14: Step 14 of performing an in-place upgrade to Windows 10 using ConfigMgr 2012.
Click the Close button to complete the Distribute Content Wizard:
Figure 15: Step 15 of performing an in-place upgrade to Windows 10 using ConfigMgr 2012.
Deploy the Windows 10 In-Place Upgrade Task Sequence
Navigate to Assets and Compliance then Device Collections. Right-click Device Collections and select Create Device Collection. Name the collection and select a limiting collection. Click Next to continue:
Figure 16: Step 16 of performing an in-place upgrade to Windows 10 using ConfigMgr 2012.
Add a collection rule:
Figure 17: Step 17 of performing an in-place upgrade to Windows 10 using ConfigMgr 2012.
Click Next to continue:
Figure 18: Step 18 of performing an in-place upgrade to Windows 10 using ConfigMgr 2012.
Click Close to complete the Create Device Collection Wizard:
Figure 19: Step 19 of performing an in-place upgrade to Windows 10 using ConfigMgr 2012.
Deploy the Windows vNext Upgrade task sequence:
Figure 20: Step 20 of performing an in-place upgrade to Windows 10 using ConfigMgr 2012.
Select the previously created collection. Click Next to continue:
Figure 21: Step 21 of performing an in-place upgrade to Windows 10 using ConfigMgr 2012.
Verify the deployment settings. Click Next to continue:
Figure 22: Step 22 of performing an in-place upgrade to Windows 10 using ConfigMgr 2012.
Verify the scheduling options. Click Next to continue:
Figure 23: Step 23 of performing an in-place upgrade to Windows 10 using ConfigMgr 2012.
Verify the User Experience settings. Click Next to continue:
Figure 24: Step 24 of performing an in-place upgrade to Windows 10 using ConfigMgr 2012.
Verify the Alerts settings. Click Next to continue:
Figure 25: Step 25 of performing an in-place upgrade to Windows 10 using ConfigMgr 2012.
Verify the Distribution Points settings. Click Next to continue:
Figure 26: Step 26 of performing an in-place upgrade to Windows 10 using ConfigMgr 2012.
Click Next to continue:
Figure 27: Step 27 of performing an in-place upgrade to Windows 10 using ConfigMgr 2012.
Click Close to complete the Deploy Software Wizard:
Figure 28: Step 28 of performing an in-place upgrade to Windows 10 using ConfigMgr 2012.
When the client system receives the deployment policy, we are notified by the New Software Is Available notification:
Figure 29: Step 29 of performing an in-place upgrade to Windows 10 using ConfigMgr 2012.
Open Software Center to view the deployment. Click Install to begin the installation:
Figure 30: Step 30 of performing an in-place upgrade to Windows 10 using ConfigMgr 2012.
Installation progress:
Figure 31: Step 31 of performing an in-place upgrade to Windows 10 using ConfigMgr 2012.
You can monitor the running task sequence in the smsts.log file:
Figure 32: Step 32 of performing an in-place upgrade to Windows 10 using ConfigMgr 2012.
The client reboots and begins upgrading to Windows 10:
Figure 33: Step 33 of performing an in-place upgrade to Windows 10 using ConfigMgr 2012.
All done:
Figure 34: Step 34 of performing an in-place upgrade to Windows 10 using ConfigMgr 2012.
Conclusion
As you can see, in a few simple steps we can upgrade existing Windows clients to Windows 10 using in-place upgrade. The advantages to using an in-place upgrade over traditional wipe-and-load scenarios are that the upgrade is faster, it maintains installed applications and user files, and is more resilient to failures by utilizing Windows 10 built-in rollback capability.
Be sure to read the follow-up article when it appears here on WindowsNetworking.com as it will show the step-by-step process for deploying Windows 10 using in-place upgrade with the next version of System Center Configuration Manager!
Got questions about ConfigMgr 2012?
If you have any questions about System Center Configuration Manager 2012 the best place to ask is over on one of the TechNet forums at https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-us/home?category=systemcenter2012configurationmanager.
I am looking for the download link .Tried but unable to get the file can you send me the zip FILE if possible , I am planning to try a inplace upgrade so need help.
It looks like those two blog posts have moved and been updated. You can find the new ones at https://cloudblogs.microsoft.com/enterprisemobility/2014/10/29/how-to-upgrade-to-windows-10-using-the-task-sequence-in-system-center-2012-r2-configuration-manager/
Hello
could you please how to remove inbox apps and also apply start screen during in place upgrade in MDT?
thanks
Suggest you ask over on https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/home?forum=mdt
I would like to check if this task sequence was able to run on internet based computers? We had lots of remote sales whose computers are always staying on internet while they are away from office. They have SCCM client installed and connected to a SCCM server which opened on NAT with PKI certification.
Chris will need to be the one who can respond to your question…
Hi Nick, Operating System Deployment is not supported over the Internet. See the following for more info: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sccm/core/clients/manage/plan-internet-based-client-management
However, you could create stand-alone media to perform an in-place upgrade to Windows 10. See the following: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sccm/osd/deploy-use/create-stand-alone-media
Also, the original article was written in the early days of Windows 10 support in ConfigMgr. Much has changed. See the following for guidance on using Configuration Manager to upgrade to Windows 10: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/deployment/upgrade/upgrade-to-windows-10-with-system-center-configuraton-manager