When you install the Distribution Point role from Configmgr 2012 primary site,it automatically install +Configure IIS ,WDS for you .Later,you can configure the WDS settings to support for unknown computers etc.
Recently,i had issue with unknown/Known clients that,they get IP address from DHCP ,prompts to press F12 , try to connect to WDS server but immediately start giving \boot\BCD error.
The below picture shows that,Configmgr 2012 is not responding to clients after Client try to connect to WDS.
Upon this error,we straight away check if boot images are available on the DP or not,check the remoteinstall folder on the DP server if they are correctly placed.
try to restart the Windows Deployment server service if that helps in otherway what else ? None of the above solve the problem.
For all PXE booting related things,configmgr create log file called smspxe.log which provides information about PXE service point.
On the Distribution Point server,you will find this log from <Installation Drive>:\SMS_DP$\sms\logs. SMSPXE.log shows old date(2 months Ago)
from above screen,you can see,smsdpprov.log is updated with today’s date but smspxe.log is OLD.There is something wrong with PXE service Point role installation/Configuration ?
How to Fix it ?
Solution: Remove the PXE support role ,wait for sometime until it remove and enable it back again.
Go back to your Configmgr console,administration pane—Distribution Point,properties of the Distribution Point,uncheck the PXE support for clients.
wait for the removal of PXE support on the target DP.How do you confirm it is success of nor ?
From your RemoteInstall Folder on the DP,SMSimages,SMSboot folders will be deleted.
Upon confirmation,try enabling the PXE Support function(you don't need to redistribute the boot images if you have already distributed to the DP),PXE role will be configured correctly,clients will be able to boot .
More information from SMSPXE.log.
************************************** If you have many Remote Distribution Points that also server PXE support,how do you check before clients reporting this issue ?*****************************
Use the simple vbscript to find servers which are not updated the SMSPXE.log since long.
ON ERROR RESUME NEXT
Set objfso = CreateObject ("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
set servers = objfso.OpenTextFile ("servers.txt", 1)
Set objoutputfile = objfso.OpenTextFile ("Results.txt", 2, True)
filename="SMSPXE.log"
Do While Not servers.AtEndOfStream
strcomputer = servers.ReadLine
If objFSO.fileExists("\\" & strComputer & "\F$\SMS_DP$\sms\logs\" & filename) Then
set objfile=objfso.GetFile ("\\" & strComputer & "\F$\SMS_DP$\sms\logs\" & filename)
objoutputfile.WriteLine strcomputer & vbTab & objFile.DateLastModified
Else
objoutputfile.WriteLine filename & vbTab & "do not Exist" & vbtab & strcomputer
End If
loop
msgbox("done")
Until next 🙂