anyweb

you mean via the GetComputerName webservice ? what does the GetComputerName.log file tell you (in x:\windows\temp\SMSTSLOG\) when the HTA is displaying...

Introduction I've seen this quite a bit so I thought I might as well post it in case others see the same problem, what happens is that computers (virtual or real) that have an incorrect date in the BIOS will cause Policy retrieval problems during PXE boot. Problem Failure to retrieve policy means you cannot run any task sequence and the failure will in turn produce an error just before running any Required (Mandatory) task sequence or before displaying a list of one or more Available (optional) task sequences. Note: The error produced occurs immediately after entering the PXE password if one is set. The error message displayed to the end user is shown below, in the example below the DATE was set to one year earlier than the current date: and the actual error message shown using CMTrace in red text in the SMSTS.LOG file found in x:\windows\temp\smstslog is shown below and the text of the error message contained in SMSTS.LOG will appear something like the below Solution Well the fix is easy enough, simply set the correct date in the bios and then reboot the client computer and PXE boot again, this time it should not get the error noted above and it should receive policy correctly. While the above is an easy fix if it's a rare event you might want to automate a solution if you deal with imaging a lot of computers. So here's a method I've created to do just that, it uses the prestart ability to run a script in WinPE to sync time using NET TIME with a server you specify in your domain, it does require domain user credentials but you can decide how to deal with that. So Let's get started... Step 1. Download the following script WinPE_timesync.zip Copy this script somewhere useful on your ConfigMgr server, once done open it in notepad and configure the following section before continuing, save your changes Step 2. Add a prestart command to your boot wim Locate a boot image that you are using in your Task Sequences, and right click it, choose properties. click on the Customization tab and place a checkmark in Enable Prestart Command as in the screenshot below, enter the following in the box provided cscript.exe WinPE_TimeSync.vbs Next, place a checkmark in the Include files for the prestart command and click on browse, then browse to the network share where the script downloaded above is stored as shown in the screenshot below Apply the changes above, and answer yes when prompted as shown below Click next when prompted and continue through that wizard to completion. Step 3. Test PXE boot Using a computer that has the bios DATE deliberately set incorrectly (like 05-05-05) PXE boot the computer. If you only have access to a virtual machine such as hyperV then PXE boot and before entering the PXE password press F8, then type Date and enter the date 05-05-05. Note: Please make sure that the last deployed task sequence contain the boot image used above otherwise this prestart won't be used. You can do this by right clicking on the last deployed task sequence and verify what boot image is listed in the Advanced tab like below. Once done, PXE boot the computer with that you plan on testing with. If it's a virtual machine like mine, press F8 and type date to set the date to something incorrect like 05-05-05 as shown below Note: Without the prestart command and script provided here, the above date would be enough to produce the problem mentioned at the start of this guide ! Now you are ready to enter the PXE password, so go ahead and enter it, then press next, if you did the above correctly the prestart will pop up a command prompt window before running the script After a while, you'll see the list of task sequences displayed even though the computer had an incorrect BIOS date, now that is a result, no reboot needed ! So how does it all work ? well the script makes a connection to the specified server using a domain user, once this completes successfully (and it's required), we use a NET TIME command to sync the bios DATE/TIME with that on the server specified. You can see this in action by reviewing the SMSTS.log in CMTRACE In the screenshot below we see the first command prompt we opened to forcefully change the date manually. Notice how the logging jumps from the real date/time to 2005, that's the incorrect date now in 'action'. scroll down a bit until you see it executing the prestart command as shown in the screenshot below, notice how before the prestart the date is 05-05-2005 but after it's changed to the correct date and that the date change correction occurs before the Management point is contacted the rest of the smsts.log file will look like any normal one processing and downloading policy before displaying the list of task sequences, this would not be possible without the fix above. job done ! Troubleshooting The script generates three log files listed below WinPE_TimeSync.log WinPE_Net_Use.log WinPE_Net_Time.log please refer to these logs when troubleshooting non-working scenarios, for comparison purposes you can see what my successful log files look like below: WinPE_TimeSync.log WinPE_Net_Use.log WinPE_Net_Time.log Also to note, the script outputs the net use and net time commands to the CMD prompt window (for troubleshooting), but you can REM those lines out by changing any line that begins with: wscript.echo strCommand to 'wscript.echo strCommand cheers niall Related Reading http://www.windowsnetworking.com/kbase/WindowsTips/Windows7/AdminTips/Miscellaneous/HowtosynctimeinWindowsPE.html http://stackoverflow.com/questions/4121679/error-1219-occurs-when-i-try-to-map-a-network-drive-multiple-server You can download a Microsoft Word copy of this guide here. How can I sync the BIOS date in WinPE to avoid PXE boot failure with System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager .zip

personally i'd recommend you keep a backup of the current one and just import the new R2 one, there are quite a few changes to it and I don't have specifics on what those changes are, sorry. what error message do you see in the smsts.log when it bombs out ?

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see the link i posted above, there's no simple way to do a refresh as it involves capturing users data either locally (hardlinking) or using a remote store (state migration point) before wiping the hard disc and installing the OS then restoring the data.

so you are installing SQL remotely yes ?

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I haven't checked this HTA for a while now as it's based on Configuration Manager 2007, I have a Configuration Manager 2012 version of this task sequence below CM12 in a Lab - The CM12 BitLocker FrontEnd HTA - video CM12 in a Lab - The CM12 BitLocker FrontEnd HTA which does indeed partition a blank hdd when needed in the following group so, are you using CM12 or CM07 ?

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the function, Enable Automatic Client Upgrade doesn't patch the clients with updates like CU1, CU2, CU3, instead it's used for sending out the major version of the client that the hierarchy is currently at (so if you are at R2, it can update all clients to R2...) in your first screenshot above however, you are showing the Software Update Point method of distributing and then installing the client agent, and again, it's for major versions (not updates) that is why when you install the CU hotfixes, you get separate packages which allow you to distribute those versions using standard package/program methods...

ok i misread as the title of your thread is upgrading to R2 via SP1, so you are now upgrading to SP1 from RTM, have you seen this post yet and have you followed the advice ?

are you sure you are upgrading to R2 or are you actually using the SP1 media.... ? this post covers the upgrade from SP1 to R2 http://www.windows-noob.com/forums/index.php?/topic/8451-how-can-i-install-system-center-2012-r2-configuration-manager/

great ! i had a brief look, and it is not listed as an issue that is fixed that I can see., the only OSD issues are listed below Operating system deployment The Run Command Line task sequence action does not start if the package and deployment are configured to download all content locally before the action starts. This occurs only when the same package is shared across multiple task sequences. The Task Sequence Agent (TSAgent) does not use the logging related values that are set in the following registry subkey on a client: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\CCM\Logging

the following links will do a refresh no problem CM12 in a Lab - The CM12 BitLocker FrontEnd HTA - video CM12 in a Lab - The CM12 BitLocker FrontEnd HTA they are listed in my index of guides http://www.windows-noob.com/forums/index.php?/topic/4045-system-center-2012-configuration-manager-step-by-step-guides/ and you could checkout the System Center 2012 Coinfiguration Manager Unleashed book from SAMS, I wrote chapter 16 and contributed to a few others cheers niall

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ok if you look at the Content Status for the package that contains your Endpoint Protection Definition Updates, what is the status ?

hi Mike, first of all why would you install a CAS., it's really not needed unless you intend supporting 100,000 clients, adding a CAS will be sure to cause you issues further down the line when it comes to replication, secondly, if you do decide to use a CAS, and later create a task sequence on a CAS or any of it's primary servers, that task sequence will appear on all primaries, I'd highly advise against installing a CAS unless you really need it, the guides here will show you how to install a Standalone Primary

check the system status of your site, is all ok or not ?

what happens if you press ALT + TAB

well if you feel it's a bug (and I still don't think it is, but I'm happy to be corrected) then you can file a bug on connect here - http://connect.microsoft.com

I don't think it's a bug, what happens is the operating system is now booting into Windows and uses whatever bootloader is now laid down on the hard disk (instead of WinPE which the boot wim containing the logic for F8 has), and there is no logic built into Windows or it's boot loader to press F8, this is temporary though, after the setup windows and configmgr step is done you'll be able to press F8 again, you can however try to press left shift and F10 when it's in this state to see if a command prompt comes up...

you can force a machine policy on those machines at the end of OSD or via another method, this will speed things along as expected. here's a script Eswar created http://eskonr.com/2011/01/script-to-trigger-sccm-machine-policy-or-hardware-inventory-action-agent-on-sccm-clients/

i need more logs, do the below please and attach the logs here The following Log files will also aid in troubleshooting definition updates retrieval. Browse to C:\Windows\Temp and look for the following log files...:- MpCmdRun.Log MpSigStub.Log To get extensive logfiles open an administrative command prompt and CD to the following directory on the client, C:\Program Files\Microsoft Security Client\Antimalware and execute the following command MpCmdRun.exe -getfiles the following will be output the log files are store in C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Microsoft Antimalware\Support and that directory in turn will contain a CAB file (MPSupportFiles.cab) which has several relevant log files to examine.

well we'll need the logs from a client with the issue, zip them up and attach them to this thread, they'll be in c:\windows\ccm\logs and attach the c:\windows\windowsupdate.log also can you also confirm if normal software distribution is working on these clients or has that stopped also ? and what version of Configuration Manager are you running ?

to do that you need to check auditing as described here http://www.windows-noob.com/forums/index.php?/topic/4037-sccm-console-user-activity-logging/