Internet Explorer 10 was released for Windows 7 in February 2013, and like the previous versions you can create a customized IE 10 application using the Internet Explorer Administration Kit (IEAK). You then configure MDT to install that application as part of your reference image build. Here is a guide that walk you trough the steps:

Update 2013-11-22: For adding Internet Explorer 11 to Windows 7 SP1, check this article: https://deploymentresearch.com/Research/tabid/62/EntryId/124/Adding-Internet-Explorer-11-to-your-Windows-7-SP1-reference-image.aspx instead.

Step-by-Step Guide

Anyway, the overview steps to add IE 10 to your Windows 7 SP1 reference image are the following:

• Download the IE 10 prerequisites and add as OS packages in MDT
• Create the IE 10 package using IEAK 10, and add as an application in MDT
• Add the application to your MDT Windows 7 SP1 task sequence

Note: Once you have created the reference image, you also need to update the Unattend.xml file for the task sequence used to deploy it. This is because the native template in MDT contains settings that are not compatible with IE 10. See the "Deploying a Windows 7 image with Internet Explorer 10" section later in this post for details.

Download the IE 10 prerequisites and add as OS package in MDT

1. On the MDT01 server, create a folder named D:\Setup\IE10 PreReqs
2. Download the following files to the D:\Setup\IE10 PreReqs folder
   1. http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=272391
   2. http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=239722
   3. http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=254722
   4. http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=258387
   5. http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=258385
   6. http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=273751
3. In Deployment Workbench, in the Packages node, create a folder named Windows 7 SP1 x64.
4. Expand the Packages node, right-click the Windows 7 SP1 x64 folder and select Import OS Packages.
5. On the Specify Directory page, in the Package source directory text box, browse to D:\Setup\IE10 PreReqs and complete the wizard.

Note: If you are deploying multiple operating systems in your MDT deployment share, use selection profiles to limit what OS packages that are injected during deployment.

Create the Install – Microsoft IE 10 for Windows 7 SP1 – x64 Application

In these steps, I assume that you have downloaded IEAK 10 to your machine.

1. Install IEAK 10 with the following settings:
   1. Choose License Type: Internal Distribution via a Corporate Intranet
   2. Organization name: ViaMonstra
2. Start the IEAK 10 wizard (Internet Explorer Customization Wizard), and use the following settings:
   1. Destination Folder: C:\Setup\IE10 – ViaMonstra Build
   2. Target Platform: Windows 7 Service Pack 1 Systems (x64-Based)
   3. Target Language: English (United States)
   4. Package Type:  Full Installation Package
   5. Feature Selection:
   6. Click Synchronize
      1. Note: The synchronize option may display the “Run” dialog box behind the window, so watch the taskbar.
   7. Custom Components:
   8. Browser User Interface:
   9. Search Providers: Click Import to add any search providers from your local machine.
   10. Important URLs – Home page and Support
       1. Remove the default home page, and add http://www.viamonstra.com.
       2. Clear the Retain previous Home Page (Upgrade) check box.

          

   11. Accelerators:
   12. Favorites, Favorites Bar and Feeds:
   13. Browsing Options:  
   14. First Run Wizard and Welcome Page Options:  
   15. Compatibility View:  
   16. Connection Manager:
   17. Connection Settings:
   18. Proxy Settings:
   19. Root Certificate:
   20. Programs:
3. Navigate to the C:\Setup\IE10 – ViaMonstra Build\FLAT\AMD64_WIN7\EN-US folder and copy the IE10-Setup-Full.exe file to your MDT server (mine is named MDT01, and I copied the package to D:SetupInstall – Microsoft IE 10 for Windows 7 SP1 – x64)
4. Add the IE 10 Package to Deployment Workbench, by completing the New Application Wizard using the following settings:
   1. Application with source files
   2. Publisher:
   3. Application name: Install – Microsoft IE 10 for Windows 7 SP1 – x64
   4. Version:
   5. Source Directory: D:\Setup\Install – Microsoft IE 10 for Windows 7 SP1 – x64 
   6. Specify the name of the directory that should be created: Install – Microsoft IE 10 for Windows 7 SP1 – x64  
   7. Command Line: IE10-Setup-Full.exe /c:"IE-REDIST.EXE /quiet /norestart /update-no"

      Note: The /norestart switch is critical, otherwise the IE 10 installation will reboot on it’s own and break the MDT task sequence.

   8. Working directory:

Edit the Task Sequence

In these steps, you add the Install – Microsoft IE 10 for Windows 7 SP1 – x64 application to your Windows 7 SP1 x64 task sequence.

1. Right-click your Windows 7 Enterprise x64 SP1 task sequence, and select Properties.
2. On the Task Sequence tab, configure the task sequence with the following settings:
   1. State Restore. After the Tattoo action, add a new Group action with the following setting:
      1. Name: Windows 7 Applications
   2. State Restore / Windows 7 Applications. Add a new Install Application action with the following settings:
      1. Name: Install – Microsoft IE 10 for Windows 7 SP1 – x64
      2. Install a Single Application: Install – Microsoft IE 10 for Windows 7 SP1 – x64
   3. State Restore / Windows 7 Applications. After the Install – Microsoft IE 10 for Windows 7 SP1 – x64 action, add a Restart Computer action.
3. Click OK.

Done! You can now start your virtual machine, and run the build and capture task sequence.

Deploying a Windows 7 image with Internet Explorer 10

Once you have created the Windows 7 SP1 reference image with IE 10, you also need to update the Unattend.xml file for the task sequence you use to actually deploy it. If not, the deployment will fail with the infamous error: “Windows could not parse or process unattend answer file [C:\Windows\Panther\unattend.xml] for pass [specialize]. A component or setting specified in the answer file does not exist.”. This is because the native template in MDT contains settings that are not compatible with IE 10.

In these steps I assume you have created your reference image with IE 10 per the previous instructions, and imported into your production deployment share.

1. Using Deployment Workbench, right-click the Windows 7 SP1 task sequence and select Properties.
2. In the OS Info tab, click Edit Unattend.xml. MDT now generates a catalog file, which will take a few minutes, and then Windows System Image Manager (WSIM) starts.
3. In Windows System Image Manager (WSIM), in the Answer File pane, expand the 4 specialize node, and select the amd64_Microsoft-Windows-IE-InternetExplorer_neutral entry.
4. In the amd64_Microsoft-Windows-IE-InternetExplorer_neutral properties (right-hand window), right-click the IEWelcomeMessage property and select Revert Change.
5. Save the Unattend.xml file, and close Windows System Image Manager.
6. On the Windows 7 SP1 Properties window, click OK.

Happy Deployment
/ Johan