How to Repair PXE in SCCM

If you’re experiencing PXE boot failures in Configuration Manager, this guide shows how to repair PXE in SCCM. Repairing the PXE role also resolves several other OSD issues so this guide is important.

In SCCM, the PXE (Preboot Execution Environment) role facilitates network-based operating system deployment by enabling bare-metal or refreshed computers to boot from the network and access the Windows Preinstallation Environment (WinPE).

To allow PXE boot for the clients, you will have to enable and configure the PXE for SCCM first. The boot images should also be configured with appropriate drivers in order for the PXE boot to work properly.

PXE boot failures are common, and not all OSDs go smoothly. During my career as an SCCM consultant, I have encountered a wide range of challenges related to PXE boot. A frequently asked question in community forums is about PXE boot not working in SCCM. Resolving this problem effectively requires analyzing PXE error codes and reviewing the relevant logs.

Important: The PXE environment serves multiple purposes, including OS deployment, system imaging, and accessing network-based operating systems. During the PXE repair process, clients may fail to boot via PXE, and task sequences could become non-functional. Therefore, it is crucial to obtain business approval beforehand and schedule appropriate downtime to minimize disruptions.

How to Repair PXE in SCCM

One of the recommended solutions to fix PXE boot issues is to remove the PXE role from the SCCM distribution point and reinstall it back. This procedure is commonly referred to as repairing the PXE and it resolves most of the issues with PXE service point installation.

Step 1: Remove PXE role from SCCM DP

To remove the PXE role from an SCCM Distribution Point (DP):

• Launch the Configuration Manager console.
• Navigate to Administration\Overview\Distribution Points.
• Right-click the DP from which you want to remove the PXE role and select Properties.
• In DP properties, go to the “PXE” tab and uncheck “Enable PXE support for clients“.

When you remove the PXE role, you see a warning: PXE and Multicast are no longer enabled on this distribution point. Do you want Configuration Manager to remove Windows Deployment Services from this distribution point?. Click Yes to continue with the PXE removal.

During the uninstallation of the PXE role from the distribution point (DP), you can monitor the role removal progress by reviewing the distmgr.log on the site server and Smsdpprov.log on a standalone DP.

The lines “SCCMPXE service is found” and “SCCMPXE service is removed” in distmgr.log confirm that PXE has been fully uninstalled from the DP server.

ConfigurePXE - CORPCM.PRAJWAL.LOCAL	SMS_DISTRIBUTION_MANAGER
SCCMPXE service is found.	SMS_DISTRIBUTION_MANAGER
SCCMPXE service is removed.	SMS_DISTRIBUTION_MANAGER
PXE provider is not installed.	SMS_DISTRIBUTION_MANAGER
Finished ConfigurePXE - CORPCM.PRAJWAL.LOCAL	SMS_DISTRIBUTION_MANAGER
Updating DP setting from SCF to DP machine, configure branchcache, LEDBAT, DOINC - CORPCM.PRAJWAL.LOCAL	SMS_DISTRIBUTION_MANAGER)

After you’ve removed the PXE role from the server, you must restart the DP server once. This practice ensures the components and files that are left behind are cleaned up during this reboot.

Step 2: Reinstall the PXE on SCCM DP

The following procedure shows how to reinstall the PXE point again on a distribution point server. Sign in to the Configuration Manager server and open the console. Go to Administration\Overview\Distribution Points. Select the DP on which you want to reinstall the PXE role and select Properties.

In DP properties, go to the “PXE” tab and check box “Enable PXE support for clients“. Click Yes in the PXE window that displays the Review Required PXE Ports. This action will initiate the reinstallation of the PXE role on the selected DP.

If you wish to configure other PXE options, such as enabling unknown computer support, PXE responder, etc., you may do so. After making the changes, click Apply and OK.

Monitor the Distrmgr.log on the site server and Smsdpprov.log on the standalone DP to verify if the PXE component was reinstalled successfully. The lines “Finished ConfigurePXE” and “Finished ConfigureDP1” from the distmgr.log confirm SCCM PXE repair is successfull.

You must restart the DP server after the PXE reinstallation is done.

Step 3: Post PXE Repair Checks

Once you’ve repaired the PXE role on a ConfigMgr DP, perform the following checks to confirm that PXE boot functions properly and all prerequisites are met.

1. Sign in back to the distribution point server and verify that the WDS service was started. Navigate to the RemoteInstall folder and verify the following SMS folders were created:

• SMSBoot
• SMSImages
• SMSTemp
• SMSTEmpBootFiles

If you have opted for PXE responder service instead of WDS, you should see ConfigMgr PXE Responder Service running in the services console.

2. Navigate to the SMSImages folder and verify that all the boot images that were distributed to the PXE DP are listed here. Typically, the Boot images are listed by Package ID that makes it easy to identify.

3. Navigate to the SMSBoot folder and verify that both the x86 and x64 folders are populated with files.

Please attempt a PXE boot on the client machine, and it should function properly now. A simple PXE repair is what you need to resolve the most common PXE boot failures in Configuration Manager.