Monday, January 29, 2018

Finding a Device in SCCM for Unknown Computer TS Deployment

1. Currently I have a task sequence deployed to the "All Unknown x86/ x64 Computers" device collection. SCCM will only PXE boot machines it has never seen before in its database.



2. I PXE boot the new client PC and it downloads the policy and completes imaging successfully.

3. At this point SCCM knows about this computer via MAC address but lets say I need to reimage the client computer later on in life or right now as a test.

4. When trying to reimage I get the error that fails on "looking for policy" and then it aborts.


5. The reason why you cannot reimage it is because SCCM can tell that it was already imaged with the same exact MAC address and task sequence name. This is by design.

6.  What do to do reimage it?  You have two options.

a. You could add known device collections to the task sequence.

b. Alternatively you can remove the device from SCCM so it is treated again as an unknown device.

How do you find the device though if you don't know the previous hostname?

Look at the SMSPXE.log file on the SCCM Distribution Point.  Find the "Client boot action reply" entry in the log file and get the ItemKey number.


Now search for the ItemKey in SCCM "Assets and Compliance" --> Devices.


Deleting the device asset from SCCM will then once again treat the resource as an unknown computer.

Hope this post has been helpful.