Microsoft announced it will deprecate the Windows Deployment Services (WDS) server role in the next Windows Server release and eventually remove it completely. Organizations that still rely on WDS-backed PXE or WDS-dependent multicast should begin migrating to alternatives such as Microsoft Configuration Manager. #WindowsDeploymentServices #WindowsServer #MicrosoftConfigurationManager
Keypoints
- Microsoft will deprecate the Windows Deployment Services (WDS) server role in the next Windows Server release.
- WDS will be retired and removed in a future OS version after active development ends.
- Microsoft previously removed boot.wim support and hands-free deployment features from WDS.
- WDS remains available on currently supported Windows Server releases, including Windows Server 2025 and earlier.
- Microsoft recommends migrating WDS-dependent environments to Microsoft Configuration Manager or other alternatives.