[MECM] MECM/SCCM OS PXE Deployment to existing machines- HELP!

[Swaleway_Techie]

Hey! This one has been driving me crazy for weeks!

 

So I have OSD set up on MECM to deploy to the built in unknown PCs Collection and it works a treat, I can PXE boot an image PCs to my hearts content, but once imaged I can't get them to re-image without deleting them from the MECM database (to make them unknown again).

 

I have set up a custom collection and deployed a task sequence to that collection. When I PXE boot again it loads the boot image wim, then reaches MECM deployment screen and just reboots before the box to continue and select a task sequence appears. I can see in the smsts.log file it says "No Task Sequence Available", but according to my console there is a task sequence deployed to the collection!

 

I don't want to have to delete machines from the MECM database every time we want to re-image and we don't want to use software centre, we just want to PXE boot a machine and it be able to image once already imaged on MECM.

 

Can anyone advise on this?

 

Thanks

[ThomL]

You've double checked the computer is a member of your new custom collection that has the task sequence deployed to it?

 

Maybe right client the computer in MECM and clear required PXE deployments (or something like that)

[Swaleway_Techie]

Yeah double checked all that, its just odd that it says in the log no task sequence is available, but there clearly is one pushed out.

 

I have been trying to research this online for weeks and work out what I am doing wrong, guides online just seem to say deploy it to a custom collection and it should work.

[Steve21]

What have you deployed as options to the collection? It needs to be made available to PXE etc rather than just to Software Centre. Also does the collection automatically have that machine added into it or are you manually adding it in?

 

Have you made it so the Task Sequence will pull the computer name as part of the build so you aren't manually re-assigning names too?

 

Steve

[Swaleway_Techie]

Hey,

 

I have deployed it via Media and PXE yes. The collection pulls the PCs from the built in All Desktop and server clients based on name as we have a standard naming convention so if it starts with "XYZ" move to the "XYZ" collection.

 

I have not asked the task sequence to pull the existing name in, I read it would do this automatically once it realises it already exists as part of the image process?

 

Thanks

Rich

[Steve21]

It'd be worth testing deploying it to a higher collection - If you're doing it that way I'm not sure it'll find it as it won't have the name until it knows it's there and needs to be there to know the name etc.

 

We have it on the All Workstations as available, then filter down to name-based collections after that in the hierarchy.

 

Also, I assume you have all the normal User Experience options ticked for allowing builds/installs outside maintenance windows etc?

 

Steve

[Swaleway_Techie]

I will give that a go and see if that might help things along, sounds like it might! I will check the user experience settings too, I think I set them but not 100%