Symptoms
When you deploy Windows Server 2012 R2 through Windows Deployment Services (WDS) Pre-Boot Execution Environment (PXE), the server CPU usage spikes to 100%. In this situation, client computers may freeze while waiting for a response from the PXE server.
Cause
This issue occurs because of a race condition on the server that occurs in PXE operations that attempt multi-threaded network transfers. For example:
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A high number of logical processors (32+ logical processors)
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Multiple clients connect to a single PXE
Resolution
To fix this issue, install the May 2016 update rollup for Windows RT 8.1, Windows 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 R2 (KB3156418).
Status
Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.
References
Learn about the terminology that Microsoft uses to describe software updates.
