Deploy Windows 8.1 Using PXE and Configuration Manager

Applies To: Windows 8.1

In this topic, you will learn how to deploy Windows 8.1 using Microsoft System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager deployment packages and task sequences. This topic will walk you through the process of deploying the Windows 8.1 Enterprise image to a Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) machine named PC0001.

For the purposes of this topic, we will use two additional machines: DC01 and CM01. DC01 is a domain controller and CM01 is a machine running Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard. DC01, CM01, and PC0001 are all members of the domain contoso.com for the fictitious Contoso Corporation. For more details on the setup for this topic, please see Proof-Of-Concept Environment.

See also

• Integrate Configuration Manager with MDT 2013

• Prepare for Zero Touch Installation of Windows 8.1 with Configuration Manager

• Create a Custom Windows PE 5.0 Boot Image with Configuration Manager

• Add a Windows 8.1 Operating System Image Using Configuration Manager

• Create an Application to Deploy with Windows 8.1 Using Configuration Manager

• Add Drivers to a Windows 8.1 Deployment with Windows PE Using Configuration Manager

• Create a Task Sequence with Configuration Manager and MDT

• Finalize the Operating System Configuration for Windows 8.1 Deployment with Configuration Manager

• Deploy Windows 8.1 Using PXE and Configuration Manager

• Monitor the Windows 8.1 Deployment with Configuration Manager

• Refresh a Windows 7 SP1 Client with Windows 8.1 Using Configuration Manager

• Replace a Windows 7 SP1 Client with Windows 8.1 Using Configuration Manager

1. Start the PC0001 machine. At the Pre-Boot Execution Environment (PXE) boot menu, press Enter to allow it to PXE boot.

   Figure 36. PXE booting PC0001.

2. On the Welcome to the Task Sequence Wizard page, type in the password Passw0rd! and click Next.

3. On the Select a task sequence to run page, select Windows 8.1 Enterprise x64 RTM and click Next.

4. On the Edit Task Sequence Variables page, double-click the OSDComputerName variable, and in the Value field, type PC0001 and click OK. Then click Next.

Figure 37. Typing in the computer name.

Figure 38. The initial stages of the task sequence.