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If PXE reaches a Configuration Manager distribution point and displays “There are NO Task Sequence deployments for this client machine. Aborting the request,” the usual problem is that Configuration Manager found no task-sequence deployment applicable to the computer’s identity. First determine whether the device is being treated as known or unknown; then check the deployment’s target collection and whether it is available to media and PXE.
This message is generally a policy-targeting failure, not proof that DHCP, TFTP, or the boot image is broken. The title mentions Windows 10, but the same Configuration Manager PXE policy checks apply to supported operating-system deployment scenarios generally.
What the error means
A PXE request can reach the PXE-enabled distribution point and still fail before a task sequence is offered. Configuration Manager identifies the client using its MAC address or SMBIOS identifier, looks for an applicable deployment, and returns no boot action when it finds none. Microsoft’s PXE troubleshooting example shows the client found in the database, no advertisements found, and the request aborted.
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The key distinction is whether Configuration Manager sees this device as a known computer record or as an unknown computer. A task sequence deployed to All Unknown Computers will not necessarily be offered to a client that already has a matching device record. Conversely, a deployment aimed only at known-device collections will not cover a genuinely unknown computer.
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This differs from earlier-stage PXE failures such as PXE-E51 (no DHCP or proxyDHCP offers), PXE-E52 (proxyDHCP offer but no DHCP offer), PXE-E53 (no boot filename), PXE-E55 (no proxyDHCP response on port 4011), or PXE-E77/PXE-E78 (discovery or boot-server problems). Those point toward PXE discovery or network delivery rather than a missing task-sequence assignment.
Fastest way to troubleshoot it
- On the PXE-enabled distribution point, open
SMSPXE.logand search for the client’s MAC address or SMBIOS GUID. - In the Configuration Manager console, go to Assets and Compliance > Devices and search for the device by name, MAC address, SMBIOS GUID, or serial number where available.
- If it is a known device, make sure it belongs to the collection targeted by the task-sequence deployment.
- If it is genuinely unknown, enable unknown-computer support on the PXE-enabled distribution point and target All Unknown Computers or the applicable unknown-computer collection.
- For either case, verify that the task-sequence deployment is available to media and PXE, is active, and has not expired.
- Check that the boot image is enabled for PXE deployment and that it and the task-sequence content have reached the distribution point answering the client.
- Retry PXE and compare the new
SMSPXE.logentry with the previous one.
If the computer is already in Configuration Manager
When a matching device record exists, configure the deployment for that known identity rather than assuming an unknown-computer deployment will apply.
- In Assets and Compliance > Devices, confirm the device record and its identity. Search using both its MAC address and SMBIOS GUID if possible.
- Place the device in a dedicated imaging collection, or confirm that it is already a member of the collection you intend to target.
- Deploy the task sequence to that collection. In the deployment settings, set Make available to the following to an option that includes Configuration Manager clients, media and PXE or Only media and PXE. A client-only deployment may appear in Software Center but will not be offered during PXE.
- Check that the deployment is still active, has not expired, and is appropriate for the deployment schedule and scenario.
Do not delete a device record as a first step. A stale record may explain why an expected unknown device is classified as known, but deleting it can remove history, collection membership, device variables, approvals, or deployment status. Confirm the record and its relationships, then decide whether to target it directly or remove it under your organization’s normal change controls.
Check for duplicate identity data
Search for duplicate MAC addresses or SMBIOS identifiers, especially after motherboard replacements, imports, cloning, VM-template reuse, or docking-station changes. If an identifier points to another device, Configuration Manager may select the wrong record or reject the request. Correct the identity conflict before repeatedly changing deployments.
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If the computer should be unknown
“Unknown” has a specific meaning in Configuration Manager: there is no matching computer record in the site database. A machine can be un-imaged and still be known because it was previously discovered, imported, or used. Microsoft explains the unknown-computer workflow in its guide to preparing for unknown-computer deployments.
- Open the properties of the PXE-enabled distribution point and select the PXE tab.
- Enable Enable unknown computer support.
- Deploy the task sequence to All Unknown Computers, or to the intended collection containing the applicable unknown-computer object.
- Set the deployment availability to include media and PXE.
- Confirm that the boot image and all referenced task-sequence content are distributed to the PXE-enabled distribution point.
Configuration Manager supplies two unknown-computer objects in All Unknown Computers: one for x86-only systems and one for systems capable of x86 and x64. These describe the destination computer’s architecture; choosing the x64-capable object does not by itself choose which Windows edition or architecture the task sequence installs.
Verify the deployment settings
| Check | What to verify |
|---|---|
| Target collection | It contains the known device, or is All Unknown Computers for a genuinely unknown device. |
| Availability | Make available to the following includes media and PXE. |
| Purpose | Available presents a task sequence for technician selection. Required is for controlled automatic assignment and should be narrowly scoped. |
| Deployment schedule | The deployment is active, not expired, and valid for the current date and time. |
| Unknown-computer support | Enabled on the PXE-enabled DP when imaging unknown devices. |
| Boot image | The boot image is configured to deploy from the PXE-enabled distribution point and is distributed there. |
| Content | The OS image and other referenced packages, drivers, applications, and scripts have successful distribution status on the DP the client uses. |
| Security | If the DP requires a PXE password, the technician supplies it. |
For a controlled imaging workflow, Available is often safer: a technician can select the intended task sequence. It does not mean imaging starts automatically. A Required OS deployment can run automatically according to its schedule and unattended-deployment settings, so limit it to a carefully scoped collection. See Microsoft’s task-sequence deployment guidance.
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SMSPXE.log: did the DP find a deployment?
On the PXE-enabled distribution point, search SMSPXE.log for the client’s MAC address or SMBIOS GUID. Useful phrases include:
Client lookup replyno advertisements foundNo boot actionThere are NO Task Sequence deploymentsUnknownDuplicateSMBIOSorDuplicateMACAddress
If the log shows the client lookup followed by no advertisements found and No boot action. Aborted., focus on device identity, collection membership, deployment availability, and unknown-computer support. If the client identifier does not appear in the log at all, investigate whether the PXE request is reaching the correct DP and whether relay or routing is working.
smsts.log: only after WinPE starts
If the client loads WinPE, the failure has moved beyond the initial task-sequence offer. Inspect smsts.log; a commonly used WinPE location is X:WindowsTempSMSTSLogsmsts.log. The log can move as the task sequence progresses, so use Microsoft’s log-location and PXE troubleshooting guidance for the phase you are diagnosing.
When to investigate networking instead
Do not start by changing DHCP or installing WDS when the PXE responder has already looked up the client and reported no applicable task sequence. Investigate network delivery when the request never appears in SMSPXE.log, the client receives no PXE response, or boot files cannot be downloaded.
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Relevant traffic includes DHCP on UDP 67 and 68, TFTP on UDP 69, and BINL/proxyDHCP on UDP 4011. When clients and the PXE-enabled DP are on different subnets, IP helpers are generally needed. Microsoft advises against using DHCP options 60, 66, and 67 for modern Configuration Manager PXE configurations; use the supported relay/IP-helper design for the environment instead.
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A useful isolation test is to connect the client to the same switch or subnet as the PXE-enabled DP. If PXE works there, focus on VLAN routing, relay, firewall, or IP-helper configuration. Use SMSPXE.log and, if needed, a packet capture to distinguish a request that never reaches the DP from a policy lookup that returns no task sequence. Configuration Manager supports a PXE responder without WDS in appropriate configurations, so installing or removing WDS is not a universal fix; check how the DP is configured.
After changing settings
Give collection membership and policy changes time to take effect, then retry the PXE boot. Review the new SMSPXE.log entry rather than relying only on the screen message. Confirm that Configuration Manager now returns an applicable deployment and boot action. If WinPE starts but the sequence later fails, switch to smsts.log and investigate that later stage separately.
If the error remains, confirm which DP actually answered, recheck the device’s collection membership and duplicate identifiers, verify the deployment has not expired, and confirm boot-image and package distribution status on that DP. For a deployment to unknown computers, re-verify that the client truly has no matching record and that unknown-computer support is enabled.
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