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If the “SCCM PXE Pending Request ID” changes every time a computer retries network boot, the number is usually not the error. It indicates another PXE request; the useful diagnosis is where that attempt stops and what the PXE-enabled distribution point records for the computer. Start with SMSPXE.log, then follow the failure stage before deleting records or rebuilding the distribution point. This guide applies to Configuration Manager current branch; console labels and PXE components vary by release and by whether the distribution point uses WDS or the Configuration Manager PXE responder.
What a changing Pending Request ID means
The Pending Request ID is associated with a PXE request or pending-device interaction. A new number after another attempt is normally a new request or retry, not a unique error code. By itself, it does not prove that the PXE server is broken or that the device is waiting for approval in the Configuration Manager console. The number confirms repeated attempts, so use the attempt time, client MAC address, SMBIOS GUID, and nearby log entries to find the failure.
Configuration Manager looks up a PXE client using its MAC address or SMBIOS identifier, then checks for an applicable task-sequence deployment and a compatible boot image. See Microsoft’s PXE deployment guidance and explanation of the PXE boot process.
Find the stage where PXE stops
PXE starts with network discovery and DHCP, moves to downloading a network boot program and boot image, and then enters WinPE. A loop or timeout means different things depending on which stage completed.
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| Stage | Typical symptom | First evidence to check |
|---|---|---|
| DHCP/PXE discovery | No response, timeout, or PXE-E16 | Whether the client appears in SMSPXE.log; IP helpers, VLAN and firewall configuration |
| Network boot program or TFTP | “Start PXE over IPv4,” download stalls, or TFTP timeout | SMSPXE.log, PXE responder or WDS health, and TFTP behavior |
| WinPE launch | Windows starts, then the device reboots | SMSTS.log and boot-image network or storage drivers |
| Policy lookup | Pending/repeating screen without a task-sequence wizard | SMSPXE.log, client identity, and policy response |
| Task-sequence startup | WinPE loads but cannot continue | SMSTS.log, network access, and content locations |
Read the PXE server log for one attempt
Find the logs
On the PXE-enabled distribution point, inspect SMSPXE.log. A typical location is C:SMS_DP$smslogsSMSPXE.log; installations can place the log under the configured Configuration Manager installation path. Confirm the actual path on the distribution point. Microsoft describes SMSPXE.log as recording PXE responses and boot-file expansion in its site-system log reference.
For a single test, note its time and search the log for the client’s MAC address or SMBIOS GUID. Then look around that entry for terms such as DHCPREQUEST, Client lookup reply, no advertisements found, No boot action, Error opening file, boot.<PackageID>.wim, BootImageID, and PackageID. The nearby sequence matters more than the request number.
MP_ClientID.log can show management-point responses to client-ID requests originating from PXE or boot media. For distribution and image-processing problems, also review distmgr.log and smsdpprov.log. Microsoft lists the relevant site-system logs in its log reference.
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Interpret the result
- No matching request: the PXE request may not be reaching this distribution point. Check relay/IP helpers, the client VLAN and interface, firewall rules, and whether another DP is answering.
- “no advertisements found” or “No boot action. Aborted.”: the request reached policy lookup, but no applicable boot action was returned. Check deployment targeting, known-versus-unknown identity, duplicates, and site assignment.
- “Error opening file” for a boot WIM: check the image’s distribution state, file presence, and PXE-provider health before resetting the DP.
- WinPE loads before the reboot: move to
SMSTS.logand test networking and drivers from WinPE.
Microsoft’s advanced PXE troubleshooting guide covers no-boot-action cases, boot-image checks, and network troubleshooting.
Fix task-sequence policy and device identity
Check the deployment before changing the record
- Confirm that the task sequence is deployed to the collection containing this device and that the device is actually a member.
- Confirm that the deployment’s availability includes PXE. Documented choices include “Configuration Manager clients, media, and PXE,” “Only media and PXE,” and “Only media and PXE (hidden).”
- Check that the deployment has not expired and that requirements do not exclude the computer.
- Confirm that the task sequence has an appropriate boot image and that the client’s firmware architecture can use it.
- Verify the device’s site assignment and the relationship between the assigned site and the PXE distribution point providing policy.
See Microsoft’s PXE deployment steps and deployment options. A “no boot action” result is not fixed by changing the request ID; it points to policy or identity.
Distinguish a known computer from an unknown one
If the computer should be known, confirm its Configuration Manager record, collection membership, MAC address, SMBIOS GUID, and deployment target. Check for blocked or duplicate records. If it should be unknown, confirm that unknown-computer support is enabled on the PXE-enabled DP, the task sequence is deployed to the unknown-computer collection, and there is no existing record matching its MAC address or SMBIOS GUID.
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Before deleting anything, record the MAC address, SMBIOS GUID, serial number, computer name, and current Configuration Manager resource ID. Compare them with the client lookup in SMSPXE.log. Reused USB-C/dock adapters, cloned machines or VMs, replacement motherboards, and incorrect manually entered MAC addresses can all cause identity mismatches. Configuration Manager provides controls for duplicate hardware identifiers and PXE exclusions in its PXE deployment documentation.
Clear PXE status or remove a stale record only when warranted
When identity and deployment are correct but a required deployment has already been attempted, use the Configuration Manager action Clear Required PXE Deployments for the computer or collection. Microsoft documents it as a way to reset required PXE status so the most recent required deployment can be attempted again. It is different from deleting the device record and is generally the less destructive reset.
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Repair boot-image or distribution-point problems
Verify the boot image on the affected DP
- Confirm that the boot image has Deploy this boot image from the PXE-enabled distribution point enabled and is distributed successfully to that specific DP.
- Check the expected image under
C:RemoteInstallSMSImages<PackageID>, adjusting the drive or path if the DP uses a different location. - Correlate the package ID and image version in
SMSPXE.logwith the intended boot image. Check that the WIM is present, complete, and accessible—not locked or left at an old version. - Use
distmgr.logandsmsdpprov.logto investigate content distribution and WIM processing.
Microsoft documents the RemoteInstallSMSImages<PackageID> location and PXE image requirements in its advanced PXE troubleshooting guide. A log entry such as Error opening file: C:RemoteInstallSMSImages<PackageID>boot.<PackageID>.wim makes the image or DP path a more useful lead than device deletion.
Escalate in a controlled order
- Confirm successful distribution and the correct WIM on the affected DP.
- Redistribute the boot image if the content is missing, outdated, or inconsistent.
- Restart the PXE responder or WDS service used by that DP, then retry while watching
SMSPXE.log. - If provider or WIM errors persist despite verified content, record current DP settings and temporarily disable and re-enable PXE support to reinitialize its components.
- Redistribute the required boot images and test a known device; also test an unknown device if that deployment path is in use.
Disabling and re-enabling PXE interrupts clients using the DP and can take time to reinitialize; it is not a remedy for a wrong task-sequence deployment or broken relay. Before doing it, record whether the DP uses WDS or the PXE responder, unknown-computer support, PXE password, multicast, certificate settings, custom TFTP/RAM-disk values, and DHCP coexistence settings. A community report describes a WIM-open failure followed by this recovery sequence, but it is an environment-specific example rather than a universal prescription: PXE pending-request/WIM incident.
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Test from WinPE
If the WIM loads but WinPE reboots or stalls while preparing network connections, temporarily enable command support in the boot image: open the boot-image properties, select Customization, and enable Enable command support. Update and redistribute the image, then press F8 during WinPE startup.
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Normalize firmware and boot architecture
- Confirm whether the device is booting UEFI or legacy BIOS and choose the matching network-boot entry.
- Check that the UEFI network stack and IPv4 or IPv6 PXE option match the environment.
- Remove obsolete firmware network-boot entries if the device is selecting an old path.
- Check Secure Boot compatibility with the selected boot files; disabling Secure Boot is a diagnostic option only when justified, not a default permanent fix.
- Ensure the available boot image architecture matches the client. Architecture requirements depend on firmware and deployment scenario; Microsoft notes that some x64 BIOS scenarios require both x86 and x64 images, while UEFI matching is stricter. The Windows 11 version 22H2 ADK and later Windows PE add-ons no longer include 32-bit Windows PE.
For firmware-specific labels and architecture requirements, use Microsoft’s PXE deployment documentation. A field report associated this changing-ID symptom with removing stale firmware entries and selecting UEFI IPv4 PXE, but that case does not establish firmware as the cause in other environments: reported repeat-loop scenario. Switching firmware modes can affect an installed operating system; Secure Boot changes also have security implications.
Fix DHCP relay and PXE reachability
If the client never appears in the log on the DP you expect, first test on the same subnet as that PXE-enabled DP. If PXE works locally but not across subnets, investigate router configuration and IP helpers, VLAN ACLs, and firewall rules. Confirm that the client is using the intended network interface and that the request is not being answered by another DP.
For a PXE-enabled DP serving multiple subnets, Microsoft recommends IP helpers rather than DHCP options 60, 66, and 67 in the documented Configuration Manager scenario. See the PXE deployment guidance and advanced PXE troubleshooting.
There is a specific same-server configuration exception: when using the Configuration Manager PXE responder without WDS on a server that also runs DHCP, Microsoft documents setting HKLMSoftwareMicrosoftSMSDPDoNotListenOnDhcpPort to DWORD 1, adding DHCP option 60 with value PXEClient, and restarting the SCCMPXE and DHCP services. This configuration applies to that PXE-responder-without-WDS arrangement; do not apply it indiscriminately to other PXE architectures. Configuration Manager can use WDS through the SMS PXE provider or the responder without WDS, depending on setup; consult Microsoft’s PXE architecture overview.
Use this safe troubleshooting order
- Watch
SMSPXE.logduring one attempt and confirm whether the request reaches the intended DP. - If it arrives, verify that the task sequence is available to PXE and targeted at the right collection.
- Compare the logged MAC/SMBIOS identity with the device record and determine whether the machine should be known or unknown.
- Act on the log result: investigate “no boot action” as policy/identity, and “Error opening file” as image/DP content.
- Verify the WIM’s distribution and package version before reinitializing PXE.
- If WinPE starts, use F8,
ipconfig, andSMSTS.logto test drivers and networking. - Check firmware mode, architecture, network-boot entry, and Secure Boot compatibility.
- Reinitialize PXE on the DP only when logs and verified content point to provider or DP state.
What to include when escalating
Provide the support team with the evidence needed to follow a single failed attempt:
Quick Recap
- The time and full relevant excerpt from
SMSPXE.log, plusSMSTS.logif WinPE started. - Client MAC address, SMBIOS GUID, serial number, and current resource ID.
- PXE DP name, site code, and whether it uses WDS or the PXE responder.
- Firmware mode and network-boot choice.
- Task-sequence deployment target and PXE availability setting.
- Boot-image package ID and distribution status on that DP.
- Whether PXE works on the same subnet as the DP.
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