How can I deploy Windows 8.1 x64 to the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 using System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager ?

[ryandengstrom]

I have a working ConfigMgr 2012 R2 CU1 environment, with all servers on 2012 R2. After following the guide, I am still having trouble pxe booting. After the 'Downloading NBP file...' message, a 'Succeed to download NBP file.' message very briefly appears, followed by moving onto an ipv6 pxe attempt. I did have one successful pxe boot yesterday, but am unsure of what I changed that now prevents this from working. Any ideas? Thanks!

Disregard my previous post. I realized that I didn't have the Surface Ethernet Adapter added as a computer via MAC Address correctly. I am now pxe booting properly.

[anyweb]

great to hear it !

[TrialandError]

We are using SCCM SP1 and I am running into an error importing the Surface drivers. Example: The import Wizard completed with errors - The selected driver is not applicable to any supported platforms. I know there is a hotfix out there for SCCM 2007 but I haven't been able to locate one for 2012. Is there an easy fix for this? We plan to upgrade to R2 in the upcoming months but we have Surfaces coming in now that I would like to re-image.

[anyweb]

can you show a screenshot of the error, or include the relevant error from smsprov.log, it could be just a monitor .inf file it's complaining about in which case it's nothing to worry about,

 

also i've created an automated MDT setup for the Surface Pro 3 which could tie you over until you upgrade to Configuration Manager 2012 R2

 

it's available here.

 

http://www.windows-noob.com/forums/index.php?/topic/11479-how-can-i-deploy-windows-81-x64-to-the-microsoft-surface-pro-3-using-mdt-2013/

[Peter33]

The Pen Driver will come up with this error. You can ignore it.

[TrialandError]

Thanks for the quick replies. Its not just 1 or 2 drivers - It's 90% of them. I attached the requested files (smsprov.log is heavily edited but shows the error). I was hoping for a hotfix similar to http://support.microsoft.com/kb/979492.

 

[anyweb]

it must be because Configuration Manager 2012 SP1 doesn't support Windows 8.1 and most of those drivers are for Windows 8.1

 

here's the release notes for R2 in relation to OSD:

 

The following items are new or have changed for operation system deployment in System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager:

• Support for Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows 8.1. For more information about supported operating system versions, see Prerequisites For Deploying Operating Systems in Configuration Manager.
  
• Support for boot images created by using the Windows Automated Installation Kit (Windows AIK) for Windows 7 SP1 and based on Windows PE 3.1. For more information about customizing and adding boot images to Configuration Manager, see How to Customize Windows PE Boot Images to Use in Configuration Manager.
  
• Added support for PXE boot of IA32 UEFI computers. For more information about operating system requirement for a PXE-enabled distribution point, see the Operating System Requirements for Typical Site System Roles section of the Supported Configurations for Configuration Manager topic.
  
• Ability to create prestaged content files for task sequence content. The Create Prestaged Content action creates a compressed, prestaged content file that contains the files and associated metadata for the content in the task sequence. By default, Configuration Manager detects and adds the dependencies associated with the task sequence to the prestaged content file. You can then manually import the content at a site server, secondary site, or distribution point. For more information about prestaged content, see the Determine Whether To Prestage Content section in the Planning for Content Management in Configuration Manager topic.
  
• Added virtual hard disk management from the Configuration Manager console. You can create and modify virtual hard disks, and upload them to Virtual Machine Manager.
  
• New task sequence steps:
  • Run PowerShell Script: This task sequence step runs the specified Windows PowerShell script on the target computer.
    
  • Check Readiness: This task sequence step verifies that the target computer meets the specified deployment prerequisite conditions.
    
  • Set Dynamic Variables: This task sequence step gathers information and sets specific task sequence variables with the information. Then, it evaluates defined rules and sets task sequence variables based on the variables and values configured for rules that evaluate to true.
    
  Note For more information about task sequence steps, see Task Sequence Steps in Configuration Manager.
• New task sequence built-in variables:
  • SMSTSDownloadRetryCount: Use this variable to specify the number of times that Configuration Manager attempts to download content from a distribution point.
    
  • SMSTSDownloadRetryDelay: Use this variable to specify the number of seconds that Configuration Manager waits before it retries to download content from a distribution point.
    
  • TSErrorOnWarning: Use this variable to specify whether the task sequence engine treats the requirements not met warning from an application as a fatal error. You can set this variable to True or False. False is the default behavior.
    
  • SMSTSMPListRequestTimeout: Use this variable to specify how much time a task sequence waits before it retries to install an application after it fails to retrieve the management point list from location services. By default, the task sequence waits one minute before it retries the step. This variable is applicable only to the Install Application task sequence step.
    
  • _TSAppInstallStatus: The task sequence sets the _TSAppInstallStatus variable with the installation status for the application during the Install Application task sequence step. The task sequence sets the variable with one of the following values:
    • Undefined: Set when the Install Application task sequence step has not been run.
      
    • Error: Set when at least one application failed because of an error during the Install Application task sequence step.
      
    • Warning: Set when no errors occur during the Install Application task sequence step, but one or more applications, or a required dependency, did not install because a requirement was not met.
      
    • Success: Set when there are no errors or warning detected during the Install Application task sequence step.
      
    Note For more information about built-in task sequence variables, see Task Sequence Built-in Variables in Configuration Manager.

For more information, see the Introduction to Operating System Deployment in Configuration Manager topic in the Deploying Software and Operating Systems in System Center 2012 Configuration Manager guide.

[RacquelVigil]

This is somewhat off topic but wanted to share. We recently deployed over 1000 Surface Pro 2 tablets out to our school district with not much to do. "Thankfully". We just received our first pallat of Surface Pro 3 tablets and discovered that even with the PXE boot challanges of try try again and date and time issues (correct with cmd prompt prior to starting task sequence after PXE boot) but now 80% of these tablets overheat and boot to the UEFI screen.

 

After much research I discovered that the overheating is a known issue that Microsoft will not acknowledge. A Microsoft spokesperson said that they are not aware of the issue but they are writing a firmware upgrade anyway (Surface Pro UEFI 3.11.350) to enhance system stability and help prevent the date and time from changing when the battery goes below 3% (? that spells acknowledgement). This firmware upgrade does not help the problem of overheating. I was told by our Microsoft education sales technical rep that our problem is a side effect of our custom image. I ruled out our image by just using the OOBE and the problem can be reproduced all day long. Custom or OOBE.

 

The lots that we received came from lot 1433 and 1434. If your organization plans on doing a mass deployment please purchase a small lot and watch to see if they are affected by the overheating issue. Keep in mind that the more they overheat the worse they get so a one year warranty doesn't mean much when week 53 comes and you have a $1000 brick.

 

I sent a few of ours to Microsoft for field testing but ultimately they will want to replace. For our organization that is a whole pallet.

 

There are tons of reference to this overheating problem and highly recommend research prior to mass deployment.

[anyweb]

what specs were those Surface Pro 3's you have ?

[Rocket Man]

Just wondering is anybody using a Chip and Pin bitlocker encryption config with these devices.

I cant seem to get them to PXE boot again successfully ( 8 attempts) when the device has a PIN applied as the surface pro logo appears before the PIN request and also after the PIN is entered so not sure if there is another method that has to be used other that holding the volume down button when powering on and releasing when the logo appears?

 

Thanks