DaRT 8.0 Supported Configurations
This topic specifies the prerequisite software and supported configurations requirements that are necessary to install and run Microsoft Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset (DaRT) 8.0 in your environment. Both the operating system requirements and the system requirements that are required to run DaRT 8.0 are specified. For information about prerequisites that you need to consider to create the DaRT recovery image, see Planning to Create the DaRT 8.0 Recovery Image.
For supported configurations that apply to later releases, see the documentation for the applicable release.
You can install DaRT in one of two ways. You can install all functionality on an IT administrator computer, where you will perform all the tasks associated with running DaRT. Alternatively, you can install, on the administrator computer, only the DaRT functionality that creates the recovery image, and then install the functionality used to run DaRT (that is, the DaRT Remote Connection Viewer) on a help desk computer.
DaRT 8.0 prerequisite software
Make sure that the following prerequisites are met before you install DaRT.
Administrator computer prerequisites
The following table lists the installation prerequisites for the administrator computer when you are installing DaRT 8.0 and all of the DaRT tools.
| Prerequisite | Details |
|---|---|
Windows Assessment and Development Kit (ADK) |
Required for the DaRT Recovery Image wizard. Contains the Deployment Tools, which are used to customize, deploy, and service Windows images, and contains the Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE). The ADK is not required if you are installing only the Remote Connection Viewer and/or Crash Analyzer. |
.NET Framework 4.5 |
Required by the DaRT Recovery Image wizard. |
Windows Development Kit OR Software Development Kit (optional) |
Crash Analyzer requires the Windows 8 Debugging Tools from the Windows Driver Kit to analyze memory dump files. |
Windows 8 64-bit ISO image |
DaRT requires the Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE) image from the Windows 8 media. Download the 32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows 8, depending on the type of DaRT recovery image you want to create. If you support both system types in your environment, download both versions of Windows 8. |
Help desk computer prerequisites
The following table lists the installation prerequisites for the help desk computer when you are running the DaRT 8.0 Remote Connection Viewer.
| Prerequisite | Details |
|---|---|
DaRT 8.0 Remote Connection Viewer |
Must be installed on a Windows 8 operating system. |
NET Framework 4.5 |
Required by the DaRT Recovery Image wizard |
Debugging Tools for Windows |
Required only if you are installing the Crash Analyzer tool |
End-user computer prerequisites
There is no prerequisite software that must be installed on end-user computers, other than the Windows 8 operating system.
DaRT operating system requirements
Administrator computer system requirements
The following table lists the operating systems that are supported for the DaRT administrator computer installation.
Note Make sure that you allocate enough space for any additional tools that you want to install on the administrator computer.
Note Microsoft provides support for the current service pack and, in some cases, the immediately preceding service pack. To find the support timelines for your product, see the Lifecycle Supported Service Packs. For additional information about Microsoft Support Lifecycle Policy, see Microsoft Support Lifecycle Support Policy FAQ.
| Operating System | Edition | Service Pack | System Architecture | Operating System Requirements | RAM Requirement for Running DaRT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Windows 8 |
All editions |
N/A |
64-bit |
2 GB |
2.5 GB |
Windows 8 |
All editions |
N/A |
32-bit |
1 GB |
1.5 GB |
Windows Server 2012 |
Standard, Enterprise, Data Center |
N/A |
64-bit |
512 MB |
1 .0 GB |
DaRT help desk computer system requirements
If you allow a help desk to remotely troubleshoot computers, you must have the Remote Connection Viewer installed on the help desk computer. You can optionally install the Crash Analyzer tool on the help desk computer.
DaRT 8.0 enables a help desk worker to connect to a DaRT 8.0 computer by using either the DaRT 7.0 or DaRT 8.0 Remote Connection Viewer. The DaRT 7.0 Remote Connection Viewer requires a Windows 7 operating system, while the DaRT 8.0 Remote Connection Viewer requires Windows 8. The DaRT 8.0 Remote Connection Viewer and all other DaRT 8.0 tools can be installed only on a computer running Windows 8.
The following table lists the operating systems that are supported for the DaRT help desk computer installation.
| Operating System | Edition | Service Pack | System Architecture | Operating System Requirements | RAM Requirements for Running DaRT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Windows 8 |
All editions |
N/A |
64-bit |
2 GB |
2.5 GB |
Windows 8 (with Remote Connection Viewer 8.0 only) |
All editions |
N/A |
32-bit |
1 GB |
1.5 GB |
Windows 7 (with Remote Connection Viewer 7.0 only) |
All editions |
SP1, SP2 |
64-bit or 32-bit |
1 GB |
N/A |
Windows Server 2012 |
Standard, Enterprise, Data Center |
N/A |
64-bit |
51 |
1.0 GB |
DaRT also has the following minimum hardware requirements for the end-user computer:
A CD or DVD drive or a USB port - required only if you are deploying DaRT in your enterprise by using a CD, DVD, or USB.
BIOS support for starting the computer from a CD or DVD, a USB flash drive, or from a remote or recovery partition.
DaRT end-user computer system requirements
The Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset window in DaRT requires that the end-user computer use one of the following operating systems together with the specified amount of system memory available for DaRT:
| Operating System | Edition | Service Pack | System Architecture | Operating System Requirements | RAM Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Windows 8 |
All editions |
N/A |
64-bit |
2 GB |
2.5 GB |
Windows 8 |
All editions |
N/A |
32-bit |
1 GB |
1.5 GB |
Windows Server 2012 |
Standard, Enterprise, Data Center |
N/A |
64-bit |
512 MB |
1.0 GB |