Unable To Capture Windows 11 Using Endpoint Config Manager Capture Media ISO

Kory Miller 11

I just downloaded Windows 11 yesterday. I built a test Virtual Machine in Hyper-V, put it into "Audit Mode" and made a few customizations. I decided I wanted to capture it and test deployment using EndPoint Configuration Manager.

I downloaded the latest Windows 11 ADK and ADK WinPE Add-On, removed my previous version, rebooted, and installed both ADK and the WinPE Add-On. I rebooted again, went to my Boot images, and updated them successfully. I opened my Endpoint Configuration Manager (showing as version 2107), and navigated to Software Library > Operating Systems > Task Sequences > right-clicked and selected "Create Task Sequence Media". I selected capture media, and created the capture media ISO.

I attached that .ISO to my newly created VM opened the D: drive, and clicked "Launch Media" and immediately received the following error message: "The code execution cannot proceed because VCRUNTIME140_1.dll was not found. Reinstalling the program may fix this problem".

I thought to myself that maybe one of my customizations caused this, so I started over, and just built a fresh Windows 11 Virtual Machine and made zero changes to it. Attached the capture media.iso to it, and attempted to click "Launch Media" again, and received the same error message.

A simple search on this reveals the necessity to install Visual C++ Runtime 2015, 2017, 2019, 2022 in both x86 and x64 versions, or copy VCRUNTIME140_1.dll from a working machine to C:\Windows\System32. I opted to install the Visual C++ Runtime libraries, and viola, I was able to click "Launch Media" and begin entering the settings to start my capture process (initiating a sysprep).

Once the sysprep completed, the machine rebooted as expected, and launched into a Windows PreBoot (PE) environment. I saw the status window for "initializing hardware devices" and after a few seconds it failed. I then receive a message saying "Unable to read task sequence configuration disk. For more information, contact your system administrator or helpdesk operator."

As a test, I tried this same process with a Windows 10 virtual machine utilizing the same Capture Media, network, Hyper-V host, EndPoint Configuration Manager server, etc, and did not have any issues, so I believe this is something with Windows 11.

I have included screenshots for reference.

5 answers

Pavel yannara Mirochnitchenko 11,711 Reputation points

2021-10-07T19:17:25.38+00:00

Why you still want to capture? I quit capturing right after Windows 7. Starting from Windows 8, you can use native install.wim
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2 people found this answer helpful.
sjaak327 whatever 31 Reputation points

2021-10-15T07:58:00.253+00:00

because, installing applications into a running os and then capture is much better than having applications being installed by task sequence.

Jason Sandys 31,151 Reputation points Microsoft Employee

2021-10-18T16:49:37.03+00:00

There are very few folks that share this opinion. Maintaining images is a painful and time-consuming process that most folks can't justify and has no value in most scenarios.

Jason Sandys 31,151 Reputation points Microsoft Employee

2021-10-18T17:03:22.427+00:00

Also, to be clear here, the suggestion here isn't about waiting until the user begins using the endpoint or the deployment process is complete, it's about deploying them during the task sequence process that also deploys the base image.

Loiselle, Jeff 1 Reputation point

2021-12-20T17:33:20.75+00:00

I want to capture because I deploy thousands of machines in PC labs across a single site and it slows the process up considerably if I have to install office 1,500 times in a TS.

I don't understand why people can't just answer the question as asked. This is supported and it's a task that some have a legitimate reason to use. I'm getting this error as well in building barebones image with Office on it. Do you have helpful feedback or not Yannara and Jason?

Jason Sandys 31,151 Reputation points Microsoft Employee

2022-01-03T20:12:19.843+00:00

I don't understand why people can't just answer the question as asked.

Because there is almost always additional layers behind the question so simply answering a question is often a disservice. It's like asking how does one get to London? There are lots of possible answers but without context and details of the scenario, no one knows which is best, however, based on the general question we can provide a lot of info about what works best in the vast majority of scenarios.

To better help folks answer your question, a concise summary of the pertinent details, requirements, and motivations about the scenario is always beneficial -- like being afraid of airplanes or tunnels when trying to get to London as it can drastically impact the answer. Perhaps folks are always offering additional suggestions because they are never quite sure what you are asking or the requirements at hand.

For the scenario at hand, there are additional pros and cons to consider as well besides just deployment time that can and do significantly impact the quality and overall maintainability of this process in the long run. Just because you can doesn't mean you should or that it's a good idea.

If you are over the top committed to this, then you should probably open a support case as there's something depper going on beyond the scope of what can be handled in a forum.

Loiselle, Jeff 1 Reputation point

2022-01-03T20:29:09.48+00:00

Why is the functionality included then as a supported feature? It's either supported for people's various use cases - or it's not.

And if you're just going to push people off to premier support, why bother to have these forums? I guess I'll be watching Office install 1,500 times. Thanks for the help.

Jason Sandys 31,151 Reputation points Microsoft Employee

2022-01-03T20:48:41.603+00:00

As noted, just because you can, does not mean you should. This functionality specifically (the capture disk) was added way back in ConfigMgr 2007 when you had no choice but to create a custom image for Windows XP. Windows Vista changed that though and Windows 10 significantly improved this making it generally not the preferred path.

As for the forums, forums just aren't a great place for deep troubleshooting. Troubleshooting is often an environmentally specific activity that requires hands on involvement and visibility. Forums are great for general Q&A and light, configuration-based troubleshooting.

Not sure why you are watching anything though. If properly automated, you shouldn't have to watch anything.

Pavel yannara Mirochnitchenko 11,711 Reputation points

2022-01-04T06:17:17.45+00:00

@sjaak327 whatever

because, installing applications into a running os and then capture is much better than having applications being installed by task sequence.

You can argue against as long as you like, but here I can tell you that you are wrong. Native installation of apps is always better than having app pre-injected in the image file. Only one reason to have apps inside the image is SPEED. If you are re-installing your computers once a week, like schools and other education departments are doing, then you have yourself a reason there. Working with images and capturing comes from Windows XP timeframe and before it. You are swimming back to the stone age here :)

sjaak327 whatever 31 Reputation points

2022-07-05T12:28:52.583+00:00

Not really of course, and it is massively quicker to do it centrally than using a TS to install all appliations into the image. Now the image deploys completely within 45 minutes or so, instead of several hours. If you need to do one computer per week, this is not a problem as such, if you do about 20 over several countries, this saves massive amounts of time.

sjaak327 whatever 31 Reputation points

2022-07-05T12:31:17.473+00:00

Yes I got that. doing it without an image with the applications I need already included, the TS is finished in 45 minutes, by doing the TS and installing the applcations during TS, it will take about three hours or so. I think I will go the first route if you don't mind.

sjaak327 whatever 31 Reputation points

2022-07-05T12:34:04.697+00:00

Pure nonsense. there is nothing more "native' about installing appliations inside the image as opposed to installing them onto the image right after apply operating system has run, it is literally the same thing. And yes, speed is the reason. a TS running for 45 minutes or one that runs for 3 hours is a huge time gain.

There is nothing stone age about imaging.

sjaak327 whatever 31 Reputation points

2022-07-05T12:40:41.323+00:00

They are making very valid points. Not every use case is the same, for me it makes absolute perfect sense to include appliactions into the image, as it saves enormously at deploy time, and that IS a valid concern considering the number of PC's that need to be deployed.

Obviously he isn't watching office being installed 1500 times, it obviously means it adds considerably to the time it actually takes to deploy a machine, and since multicast is not a fix all solution, that deployment time IS a concern, which is why some people chose to install their applications into the image instead of via a TS. it is all about the time that is saved.

After all is said and done, your repsonse was off-topic. The question was not regarding the usefulness of imaging, but why it suddenly does not work on Windows 11. Be quiet if you have nothing on topic and constructive to add. Move on, scroll down, your opinion is not the only one that matters.

Jason Sandys 31,151 Reputation points Microsoft Employee

2022-07-05T20:49:44.797+00:00

it obviously means it adds considerably to the time it actually takes to deploy a machine

It really doesn't. Similar answer to above, back in the XP days, sure. Currently, not really. With a decent network connection, Office should add no more than 5 minutes. With proper planning, most time factors are easily cancelled out in most scenarios particularly when you factor in the maintenance, testing, and validation that must go into creating a "fat" image. It's far more complicated than a simple image with applications layered on top; ultimately, the benefits almost always outweigh this additional time burden which can be managed. Once again though, as called out, with more scenario specific details, that is, as I've fully acknowledged, a subjective statement.

As for your final paragraph, I only suggest you reflect on your statements and how they may apply to your input here particularly since this thread is seven months old. My comments are completely in line with what should be discussed and are based on 20+ years of deploying Windows and how I know it works best for the vast majority of customers and scenarios. You are free to disregard any and all comments and even refute them with your own experience, but please be respectful.

Jason Sandys 31,151 Reputation points Microsoft Employee

2022-07-05T20:56:59.103+00:00

There is nothing stone age about imaging.

Actually, there is. You can't image ARM devices and "modern" provisioning of Windows involves no imaging whatsoever.

And yes, speed is the reason. a TS running for 45 minutes or one that runs for 3 hours is a huge time gain.

Possibly, but without more details on the overall scenario, my first reaction here is "huge time gain" for who and why is this important or impactful? Also, another initial reaction here is that there are most likely ways of managing this so that even if you do no optimization on the process, this could probably be managed to reduce or eliminate the impact. Those are all assumptions on my part though and, once again, without a lot more details, could be false assumptions, however, based on my fairly extensive experience and knowledge base, this generally holds true.
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Henry van der Kruijf 11 Reputation points

2021-11-01T09:46:03.4+00:00

I had this same problem but my VM capture machine has UEFI. I changed it to BIOS install W11 and captured it. Everyting works now.
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2 people found this answer helpful.
Pavel yannara Mirochnitchenko 11,711 Reputation points

2022-01-04T06:23:56.17+00:00

I bet that is the answer here. Good hint.
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Reza-Ameri 16,831 Reputation points

2021-10-06T17:32:19.953+00:00

From your descriptions and screenshots, it is a bug.
I advise you to open the Feedback Hub app and report this issue.
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Limitless Technology 39,351 Reputation points

2021-10-07T07:36:47.14+00:00

Hello @Kory Miller ,

Thank you for your question.

I believe this is a temporary bug in relation to the final version of windows, I recommend that you create a topic on the windows 11 forum, this way you will be attended directly by a windows 11 agent and he will guide you in what needs to be done .

For this, you need to access the link below and select the option "Ask a question" from the top menu and then describe the entire problem, including images:

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum?sort=LastReplyDate&dir=Desc&tab=All&status=all&mod=&modAge=&advFil=&postedAfter=&postedBefore=&threadType=All&isFilterExpanded=false&page=1

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If the answer is helpful, please vote positively and accept as an answer.
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Kory Miller 11 Reputation points

2021-10-07T09:31:28.1+00:00

@Limitless Technology thank you! I have posted this topic using "Ask a question" as you have suggested. For anyone interested, it can be found at:
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Pavel yannara Mirochnitchenko 11,711 Reputation points

2022-01-04T06:23:09.997+00:00

Windows 11 is still quite new and I have found some other bugs around it, so I would not to hurry to go this road. But, I recall that capturing process generates some logs files, you should start from that. Based on screenshot, it looks like Windows 11 is missing some component which requires for capturing?
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Clark Melton 1 Reputation point

2022-01-04T14:58:59.107+00:00

Yes, it's missing a .NET runtime. I believe it was 3.5 when I last looked at this issue. I tried by installing .NET 3.5 onto the machine before capture and it did take without that specific error, but then I got a generic error and decided to just go a different route because I didn't have the time to go down that road.
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