Important safety notes:
No additional downloads required – this single .exe contains everything needed for a complete WinPE environment.
On a computer with internet access, follow these steps to retrieve the offline installer files:
Windows PE is tied to the Windows version it supports. Choose the correct ADK version: adkwinpesetup.exe offline download
Create two separate folders on your internet-connected computer to store the offline payloads. For example: C:\OfflineADK C:\OfflineWinPE Download the Windows ADK Offline Files
If you cannot find a direct ISO link, or if you want to create your own offline repository, download the small adkwinpesetup.exe file and use the command line.
After downloading, verify the file hash: Important safety notes: No additional downloads required –
To download adkwinpesetup.exe for offline use, you must first download the small online installer and then use its built-in "Download" option to fetch the full 3–5 GB of installation binaries for separate use.
Once the download finishes, copy the entire folder containing the downloaded files and the adkwinpesetup.exe to the offline machine. Installing from an Offline Location
Download the matching versions for your target OS deployment: adksetup.exe WinPE Add-on installer: adkwinpesetup.exe Installing from an Offline Location Download the matching
The default adkwinpesetup.exe file downloaded from Microsoft is only a (roughly 2 MB to 3 MB in size). When run under default settings, it dynamically streams gigabytes of data files directly from Microsoft servers.
Once ADKWinPESetup.exe is installed offline, you can create a custom WinPE bootable ISO or USB drive.
Do install the ADK directly on the online machine. Instead, use the installer’s layout feature to download all necessary binaries to a designated folder. This step is mandatory when preparing files for a disconnected computer.
By following this guide, you will have a fail-proof, air-gap-ready environment for creating Windows PE boot drives, deploying operating systems, and recovering bricked PCs – all without ever needing an active internet connection.
In the installer, select the option: