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WDS doesn't start on a PXE enabled remote distribution point in Configuration Manager

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This article fixes an issue in which Windows Deployment Services (WDS) doesn't start on a PXE enabled remote distribution point in Configuration Manager.

Original product version:   System Center 2012 Configuration Manager
Original KB number:   2712387

Symptoms

After enabling the PXE feature of a remote Configuration Manager distribution point (DP), Windows Deployment Services (WDS) and PXE install correctly, however WDS never starts. Attempting to manually start WDS via the Services console results in the following error message:

Windows could not start the Windows Deployment Services Server on Local Computer. For more information, review the System Event Log. If this is a non-Microsoft service, contact the service vendor, or refer to service-specific error code -1056505588.

Looking at the Application System event log on a 64-bit server reveals the following error messages:

Log Name:    Application
Source:     SideBySide
Date:        <Date><Time>
Event ID:    33
Task Category: None
Level:         Error
Keywords:  Classic
User:          N/A
Computer:   <Remote_DP_Server>
Description:
Activation context generation failed for "C:\SMS_DP$\sms\bin\smspxe.dll". Dependent Assembly Microsoft.VC90.CRT,processorArchitecture="amd64",publicKeyToken="1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b",type="win32",version="9.0.30729.4148" could not be found. Please use sxstrace.exe for detailed diagnosis.

Log Name:   Application
Source:        WDSPXE
Date:          <Date><Time>
Event ID:      259
Task Category: WDSPXE
Level:         Error
Keywords:   Classic
User:          N/A
Computer:    <Remote_DP_Server>
Description:
An error occurred while trying to load the module from C:\SMS_DP$\sms\bin\smspxe.dll for provider SMSPXE. If the provider is marked as critical, the Windows Deployment Services server will be shutdown.

Log Name:   Application
Source:        WDSPXE
Date:          <Date><Time>
Event ID:      264
Task Category: WDSPXE
Level:         Error
Keywords:   Classic
User:          N/A
Computer:   <Remote_DP_Server>
Description:
An error occurred while trying to initialize provider SMSPXE. Since the provider isn't marked as critical, the Windows Deployment Services server will remain started.

Error Information: 0x36B1

Log Name:   Application
Source:        WDSPXE
Date:          <Date><Time>
Event ID:      268
Task Category: WDSPXE
Level:         Error
Keywords:   Classic
User:          N/A
Computer:   <Remote_DP_Server>
Description:
All registered providers failed to initialize. Please review the Event Log for specific error messages for each provider. Windows Deployment Server will be shutdown.

Log Name:   Application
Source:        WDSServer
Date:          <Date><Time>
Event ID:      513
Task Category: WDSServer
Level:         Error
Keywords:   Classic
User:          N/A
Computer:   <Remote_DP_Server>
Description:
An error occurred while trying to initialize provider WDSPXE from C:\Windows\system32\wdspxe.dll. Windows Deployment Services server will be shutdown.

Error Information: 0xC107010C

Log Name:   Application
Source:        WDSServer
Date:          <Date><Time>
Event ID:      257
Task Category: WDSServer
Level:         Error
Keywords:   Classic
User:          N/A
Computer:   <Remote_DP_Server>
Description:
An error occurred while trying to start the Windows Deployment Services server.

Error Information: 0xC107010C

Cause

This issue can occur when a dependent component, Microsoft.VC90.CRT, is not available. This component is normally available via a DLL installed by Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable. Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable is normally installed during the Configuration Manager client install via the install file vcredist_x86.exe or vcredist_x64.exe. If the Configuration Manager client has not been installed on the server hosting the PXE enabled remote DP, the Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable will also not have been installed and Microsoft.VC90.CRT will not be available.

Note

Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable is a common install for many different software install packages. It may be installed on the server even if the Configuration Manager client is not installed on the server.

Resolution

To resolve the problem, install the Configuration Manager client on the server hosting the PXE enabled remote DP.

If the PXE enabled remote DP server is not going to also be a Configuration Manager client and therefore the Configuration Manager client install is not desired, Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable can be installed separately on the server by manually running either vcredist_x86.exe (32-bit Windows) orvcredist_x64.exe (64-bit Windows) from the Configuration Manager client install files. These install files can be found in the client install directory on the parent primary site server under the following paths:

  • vcredist_x86.exe: <Configuration Manager_2012_Install_Directory>\Client\i386
  • vcredist_x64.exe: <Configuration Manager_2012_Install_Directory>\Client\x64

Once the Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable has been installed via the Configuration Manager client install or a manual install, manually start WDS via the Services console. WDS should subsequently be able to start automatically.