ConfigMgr Install .NET Framework during OSD Task Sequence

There is already a lot of information on this topic. Building a reference image including .NET Framework features installed. The thing is, there is no real one way to go. So combining some solutions together I came up with the following.

For installing the .NET Framework features, Windows needs additional sources located on the Windows installation media (ISO). Look for a folder called sxs. (drive:\sources\sxs)

Copy this sxs folder and create a ConfigMgr Package, with no program and distribute the content.

In the Task Sequence go to Add - General - Run Command Line

The most important is to add the Package and specify the source option in the command.

DISM /Online /Enable-Feature /FeatureName:NetFx3 /All /LimitAccess /Source:"."

Bacause the working folder will default to the package location a dot (".") is sufficient to specify.

This will save me a lot of time in future deployments.

Happy deploying...

Installing .NET Framework 3.5 during Task Sequence

Have you ever tried enabling .NET Framework during OS deployment in a Task Sequence? Instaling Windows 8.1 this should be enabled easily by running the following command line:

DISM /Online /Enable-Feature /FeatureName:NetFx3 /All

However, it's not as easy as it looks. This task often fails with error 0x800f081f during TS deployment. Also if you try to install .NET Framework offline by mounting the image it fails with the same error, see below.

Searching around I found out that 2 packages are prohibiting the .NET Framework action from succeeding. Package KB2966826 and KB2966826 are both integrated in the default Windows 8.1 installation.

Solution:
To enable .NET Framework in the first place both packages should be removed. These actions can be run as Command Line action in the Task Sequence.

Uninstall KB2966826

• DISM /Online /Remove-Package /PackageName:Package_for_KB2966826~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.3.1.7 /quiet /norestart

Uninstall KB2966828

• DISM /Online /Remove-Package /PackageName:Package_for_KB2966828~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.3.1.4 /quiet /norestart

After removing the packages, the .NET Framework feature can be installed succesfully using the comand line below.

• DISM /Online /Enable-Feature /FeatureName:NetFx3 /All

The KB updates can be installed afterwards using the Software Updates step. These actions can be run in the Build and Capture phase, so .NET is available in every deployment.

 

SCCM PXE OSD for tablets using external USB NIC adapter

At the client I'm working for at the moment one wants to deploy multiple Dell Venue Pro tablets. The problem, or challenge if you like :), with these devices is the lack of an onboard NIC. Luckily there are multiple suppliers who deliver USB to RJ45 adapters or dockings to overcome this problem. For Dell Venue Pro tablets you have to have a specific build type of this adapter which they write about here.

So once we have a valid USB to RJ45 adapter we are good to go for a PXE deployment. At this moment we only have 1 USB - RJ45 adapter and multiple tablets to deploy, so what to do?
Mark Morowczynski and Neil Potter wrote this very nice article How to Use The Same External Ethernet Adapter For Multiple SCCM OSD which is the basis of this blogpost. The article includes a script for managing deployment on multiple tablets with this single USB - RJ45 adapter.

Bottomline is that the MAC address which is assigned to the connector is unique, but if you deploy multiple devices with it, there wil be some mess in your SCCM database. So we need to ensure the tablet we deployed is registered in the SCCM database, but with another MAC address. This is where the Wifi NIC comes in.
Basically we have to register the MAC address of the Wifi NIC in the SCCM database and overwrite the USB-RJ45 connector mac address. That is what the script exaclty does. But for the script to work we also need an active connection to the wireless network. This is were I had some trouble.

The steps that got me a working Wifi connection during OSD are as follows:

Import Wifi profiles:

Netsh wlan add profile <sourcelocation>\profilename.xml (e.g. c:\Wifi\Wifi_Profile.xml)

Restart computer: speeks for itself

Connect to Wireless network:
cmd.exe /c netsh wlan connect name=Wireless-Network-Name

NB, the steps to create a Wifi profile are explained in Mark Morowczynski article.

So the import profile step went well, I had to restart the computer (maybe a net stop wlansvc & net start wlansvc would suffice also) and then I had to specifically connect to the Wireless network. Only then I got my wireless network config and an IP address. I then could run the powershell script at the end of the Task sequence and succeed.

Before you deploy the next tablet, don't forget to clear the PXE deployment from the device if you used a deployment type of required, otherwise you won't be able to deploy other devices from the same USB-RJ45 connector.

PXE - content location - boundaries

What do these 3 things have in common? Well, When you run a PXE/USB boot, and receive content location errors in the smspxe.log you should have a look at your boundaries.

P0100002 is the boot image being requested.

Most likely the client received an IP-address that is not within the boundaries of the DP from which the content is received. So check you boundaries and add the right site to AD Sites and Services, or add the correct IP subnet to your boundary. The DP will now accept and trust the client requesting the content.

Hopefully this one saves you some time...

Cheers, Niels