UEFI Bios always PXE boots from network and not hard drive

Question

I am using a network PXE boot to install the Windows OS.

I configured Bios for UEFI

I set the boot order with the hard drive first and NIC 2nd

There is no Windows Boot Manager option.

When I try to add the Windows Boot Manager to the Boot Sequence, I get file system does not exist error

After doing the network PXE boot and applying the image the boot order changes.

The Nic is now number one and the hard drive is number two.

This causes the system to go into a loop and keep PXE booting from the network.

If I go into the bios and manually change the boot order the system boots from the hard as it should.

Is there a way to set the bios so the Boot Manager is an option and also to make sure the system boots from the hard drive and not the Nic after the image is applied?

Going into the bios for every system does not seem like a good option.

Answer 1

Hello MPJZ,

Thank you for posting in Q&A forum.

You can try to add a script to a PXE configuration file to automate the process of setting the BIOS Boot Manager option. Here is a sample approach to integrate the PowerShell script into a PXE configuration:

1.Create a Task Sequence: In your deployment tool (e.g., Microsoft Configuration Manager), create a task sequence that includes steps to run the script ((e.g., PowerShell script) after the image is applied.

2.Add Script to Task Sequence: Add a step in the task sequence to run the script. This step should be placed after the operating system deployment step and before the final reboot.

3.Modify PXE Boot Configuration: Ensure that the PXE boot configuration includes the necessary settings to execute the task sequence. This may involve modifying the boot image to include the  script and any required dependencies.

I hope the information above is helpful.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to let us know.

Best Regards,

Daisy Zhou

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Answer 2

I looked and I was not able to find an example of a PXE configuration file.

Would you have a link to where I could find one?

Thanks Daisy!

MPJZ