Microsoft euthanizes ancient deployment toolkit

Microsoft has immediately retired the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT), a free Windows deployment automation platform that's been around for over two decades. The retirement comes with no transition period, ending all support, updates, and security patches. While deprecated in December 2024, the abrupt shutdown may be due to unfixed security flaws. Microsoft recommends Windows Autopilot or Configuration Manager OSD as alternatives, though users note these are more complex and cloud-dependent. The move marks the end of a legacy tool that predates Azure and offered zero-touch, user-driven, and lite-touch installation methods without telemetry or cloud requirements.