Symptoms

The Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE) boot images that are included with the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK) for Windows 10, version 1511, are missing information that’s required in order to configure network adapters during operating system installation. Therefore, when the ADK is used with System Center Configuration Manager, an Operating System Deployment task sequence that’s based on a Windows PE version 10.0.10586 image cannot initialize during a restart into the Windows PE environment.

Additionally, you receive the following error message during the “Initializing hardware devices” phase:

And the smsts.log file on the target computer contains entries that resemble the following:

Note This log entry is truncated for readability.

Resolution

Hotfix installation

The following steps are required to update the Windows Image file (boot.wim) with this hotfix, and to update the image on Configuration Manager distribution points. These steps assume that the Windows ADK for Windows 10, version 1511, is already installed, and that the user who performs the steps is a member of the local Administrator group. Be aware that amd64 or x86 should be used in the commands here, depending on the processor architecture that’s required. The steps, as written, assume a 64-bit (amd64) architecture.

The following steps 1–9 are written for new boot images following the installation of the Windows ADK. Instead of creating new boot images, existing boot images based on the same ADK can also be updated using these steps. To update existing boot images, follow these steps but change the paths in the command lines to point to the existing boot images.

Step 1: Preparation

1. Extract the contents of the hotfix. For example, extract the contents to the %userprofile%\downloads folder.
2. Start an elevated “Deployment and Imaging Tools Environment” command prompt.

Step 2: Prepare Windows PE

Create the Windows PE customization working directory, and then mount the image file. To do this, type the following commands, and then press Enter after each command:

Note The copype.cmd amd64 c:\WinPE_amd64 command is not required for an existing boot image.

For information about dism commands, see DISM Image Management command-line options.

Step 3: Save schema.dat state

Back up the permissions that are applied to the existing schema.dat file before you replace it. To back up the file, type the following command, and then press Enter:

Step 4: Update the schema.dat file

To replace the schema.dat file that has the updated version, you must take ownership of the file and grant permissions to the local administrators group. To do this, type the following commands, and then press Enter after each command:

Step 5: Reset permissions and ownership

When the schema.dat file is replaced, the permissions saved in step 5 must be restored by running the following commands:

Step 6: Commit Windows PE changes

Commit the changes to the boot.wim file. To do this, type the following command, and then press Enter:

For information about dism commands, see DISM Image Management command-line options.

Step 7: Add a boot image

Note This step is not required for an existing boot image.

Add the boot images by using the methods that are described in the following TechNet articles:

Step 8: Update distribution points

Update the boot images by using the methods that are described in the following TechNet articles:

Hotfix information for the Windows ADK for Windows 10, version 1511

A supported hotfix is available from Microsoft Support. However, this hotfix is intended to correct only the problem that is described in this article. Apply this hotfix only to systems that are experiencing the problem described in this article. This hotfix might receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, we recommend that you wait for the next software update that contains this hotfix.

If the hotfix is available for download, there is a “Hotfix download available” section at the top of this Knowledge Base article. If this section does not appear, contact Microsoft Customer Service and Support to obtain the hotfix.

Note If additional issues occur, or if any troubleshooting is required, you might have to create a separate service request. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for this specific hotfix. For a complete list of Microsoft Customer Service and Support telephone numbers or to create a separate service request, visit the following Microsoft website:

Note The “Hotfix download available” form displays the languages for which the hotfix is available. If you do not see your language, it is because a hotfix is not available for that language.

Prerequisites

To apply this hotfix, you must have one of the following products is installed in addition to the Windows ADK for Windows 10 version 1511:

• System Center Configuration Manager (current branch)
• System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager
• System Center 2012 Configuration Manager

Restart information

You do not have to restart the computer after you apply this hotfix.

Hotfix replacement information

This hotfix does not replace any previously released hotfix.

File information

Download the hotfix

You can download the hotfix from Microsoft here