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Start with smsts.log and identify the exact action that failed. Then repair the specific missing file, content object, distribution point, boundary-group assignment, driver, authentication path, or PXE policy involved. A Network Access Account can solve a content-authentication problem, but it is not a universal fix for 0x80070002.
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Microsoft documents 0x80070002 as the Windows error ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND: The system cannot find the file specified. The same result can be returned when a task sequence cannot access a remote content location, even when the original file still exists on the site server. Configuration Manager downloads or accesses deployment content through distribution points, and the client may be directed to a different distribution point than the one an administrator checked.
This error is often described as an SCCM error because SCCM is still widely used as a search term. Microsoft renamed the product Microsoft Configuration Manager beginning with version 2303; the troubleshooting principles are the same.
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The older HTMD article on this error, published on August 20, 2021, emphasizes configuring the Network Access Account. That can be a valid remedy when the log proves that WinPE or the client cannot authenticate to deployment content. Current Configuration Manager environments also require checking content distribution, boundary groups, boot-image drivers, WIM and package paths, answer files, direct-distribution-point settings, and PXE policy.
What 0x80070002 means in a task sequence
At the Windows level, the code means that a requested file could not be opened. In operating-system deployment, the missing item can be:
- A WIM or operating-system setup file.
- A driver inside a driver package or boot image.
- A Configuration Manager client package.
- An application, software package, script, or toolkit package.
- An unattend or answer file such as
unattend.xml. - A file downloaded from, or accessed directly on, a distribution point.
- A task-sequence state, resume, or working-directory file.
- A local file referenced by a command line or task-sequence variable.
- A network path that is unavailable, incorrectly selected, or inaccessible under the current security context.
Therefore, the final dialog saying Task Sequence Failed with the error code 0x80070002 is not enough to choose a fix. The important evidence is the task-sequence action immediately before the error and the path, package ID, content ID, or distribution point named in smsts.log.
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For the official Windows error definition, see Microsoft’s explanation of error 0x80070002 and ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND.
First response: capture smsts.log from the correct phase
smsts.log is the primary task-sequence activity log. It is normally on the target computer or in the WinPE environment—not on the Configuration Manager site server. Its location changes as the task sequence formats the disk, installs Windows, installs the Configuration Manager client, and resumes after a reboot.
| Deployment phase | Typical log path | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| WinPE, before disk formatting | X:Windowstempsmstslogsmsts.log |
Boot-image startup, network initialization, policy, storage, and early content access. |
| WinPE, after disk formatting | X:smstslogsmsts.log |
Task-sequence activity after the disk preparation step. |
| New Windows installation before the ConfigMgr client is installed | C:_SMSTaskSequenceLogssmstslogsmsts.log |
Windows setup, drivers, setup completion, and task-sequence continuation. |
| After the Configuration Manager client is installed | C:WindowsCCMLogssmstslogsmsts.log |
Task-sequence actions running with the client installed. |
| After task-sequence completion | C:WindowsCCMLogssmsts.log |
The final task-sequence log after completion or later client-side troubleshooting. |
The _SMSTSLogPath task-sequence variable contains the current log directory. If the computer rebooted, check the new location instead of assuming that the original WinPE copy contains the entire sequence.
These locations are documented in Microsoft’s Configuration Manager log-file reference. The current log reference also covers related logs such as SMSPXE.log and TSAgent.log.
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Open the log in WinPE
If the failure happens before Windows is installed, enable temporary command support in the boot image:
- In the Configuration Manager console, open Software Library > Operating Systems > Boot Images.
- Open the boot-image properties.
- On the Customization tab, enable Enable command support.
- Update or redistribute the modified boot image to the PXE-enabled distribution points.
- PXE-boot the device again.
- When WinPE loads, press F8 to open a command prompt.
- Run
ipconfigto verify network connectivity. - Run
cmtrace, then openX:WindowstempSMSTSLogsmsts.log.
CMTrace is included in Configuration Manager boot images and makes it easier to follow the live log. If WinPE has no valid IP address, do not start by changing the Network Access Account; the immediate problem is likely the boot-image NIC driver, VLAN, DHCP, IP-helper, or distribution-point path.
Command support gives anyone with physical access to the device a WinPE command prompt. Use it for controlled testing and disable it, or replace the troubleshooting boot image, after the investigation. Microsoft’s advanced PXE troubleshooting guide and boot-image documentation cover these procedures.
Search for the action, not just the error code
In CMTrace, search upward from the final occurrence of 0x80070002. Look for lines such as:
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Failed to run the last actionFailed to run the actionDownloading fileContent locationThe system cannot find the file specifiedError: 80070002Record these fields:
- The task-sequence step name.
- The package ID, image ID, or content ID.
- The distribution point selected by the client.
- The URL, UNC path, local path, or filename being opened.
- Whether the failure occurred while locating content, downloading it, or opening a local file.
- Whether the device had an IP address.
- Whether the error occurred before or after formatting and rebooting.
The last generic task-sequence dialog does not identify the missing object. The log does.
Use the failed step to choose the troubleshooting branch
| Failure point | First areas to inspect |
|---|---|
| Before disk formatting | WinPE network driver, storage driver, boot-image distribution, PXE policy, DP access, and IP configuration. |
| Apply Operating System Image | WIM availability, image index, content distribution, selected DP, authentication, direct-DP settings, and corrupted content. |
| Apply Driver Package | Driver-package distribution, package path, model-specific content, and whether WinPE has the NIC or storage driver needed to continue. |
| Setup Windows and ConfigMgr | OS source files, setup package, answer file, client package, setup variables, and reboot/resume state. |
| Install Package or application steps | Package or application content, source path, permissions, command line, working directory, and package version. |
| Immediately after reboot | The new smsts.log location, task-sequence resume files, client installation, and whether the task sequence received the expected policy. |
| Immediately after PXE or task-sequence selection | SMSPXE.log, known-versus-unknown computer targeting, stale required deployments, collection membership, and boot-image availability. |
Fix missing or unavailable task-sequence content
A task sequence can reference much more than an operating-system image. Check the boot image, WIM or upgrade package, driver packages, Configuration Manager client package, applications, software packages, scripts, unattend packages, and MDT or toolkit content if those features are used.
Distribute every referenced object
To distribute task-sequence content using the current console workflow:
- Open the Configuration Manager console.
- Go to Software Library > Operating Systems > Task Sequences.
- Select the affected task sequence.
- On the Home tab, select Distribute Content.
- Review the complete content list. Pay particular attention to the boot image, client package, driver package, and any package referenced inside groups or application steps.
- Select the intended distribution point or distribution point group.
- Complete the wizard.
Use Microsoft’s procedure for distributing task-sequence referenced content if the console layout differs in your release.
Verify distribution status
- Open Monitoring.
- Go to Distribution Status > Content Status.
- Select the relevant image, package, driver package, application, or client package.
- Confirm that the distribution point named in
smsts.logreports success.
Do not stop at checking whether the content exists on another distribution point. The client might be selecting a remote or local DP that has no copy, an older version, or damaged files.
Validate, update, or redistribute content
These operations are different:
- Validate: checks whether files on a distribution point match the expected content hashes.
- Update Distribution Points: sends changed source content or a refreshed content version after the source was modified.
- Redistribute: resends the content and overwrites the existing copy on the selected distribution point. It is appropriate for repairing failed, stale, or damaged content.
To validate content from a distribution-point view:
- Go to Administration > Distribution Points.
- Open the affected distribution point’s properties.
- Select the Content tab.
- Select the affected content and choose Validate.
You can also open the content object, view its Content Locations, select the affected distribution point, and choose Validate, depending on the object type and console version.
If validation reports a hash mismatch or damaged content, select Redistribute for that content and distribution point. Then wait for content status to report success before rerunning the deployment. Microsoft describes these operations in Deploy and manage content.
Redistribution cannot correct a misspelled filename, a wrong task-sequence variable, a missing WinPE driver, a bad boundary group, or an invalid answer-file path. It repairs content only when the content itself is stale or damaged.
Check boundary groups and distribution-point selection
Configuration Manager chooses content locations based on the device’s boundary and boundary-group configuration. A package may be available on the main site DP but unavailable on the DP selected for a remote VLAN. The selected DP may also be unreachable, have an incomplete content library, or be affected by IIS, certificate, firewall, or network ACL problems.
Compare the device’s actual IP address with the boundary shown in Configuration Manager, then verify:
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- The device is assigned to the expected IP-range, subnet, or Active Directory site boundary.
- The boundary belongs to the correct boundary group.
- The intended distribution point is associated with that boundary group.
- Every task-sequence content object exists on that distribution point.
- The task-sequence deployment permits the intended fallback behavior.
For task sequences, deployment settings can permit fallback to a distribution point in a neighbor boundary group or to a distribution point in the default site boundary group. The exact labels vary by release, so inspect the deployment’s distribution-point and content-location settings rather than assuming fallback is enabled.
The task-sequence log records content-location sources and priorities. Use that information to identify the DP the client actually tried. Microsoft’s boundary-group and distribution-point guidance explains the selection and fallback behavior.
Use the failure pattern as evidence
- Every device fails at the same step: investigate the task sequence, content version, policy, or site-wide authentication.
- Only one distribution point fails: investigate content validation, redistribution, boundary membership, IIS, certificates, firewall rules, and DP-specific permissions.
- Only a remote site fails: investigate the remote boundary group, route, firewall, and remote DP content.
- Only one package or image fails: investigate that object’s source files, content version, path, and DP status.
Check the Network Access Account only when the log points to access or authentication
The Network Access Account, or NAA, allows access to network content when the device cannot use its computer account. It is not the account used to run task-sequence programs, install software updates, or execute the task sequence.
NAA investigation is justified when the log shows a content-location or download failure and the device cannot authenticate to the selected distribution point. Common scenarios include:
- The computer has no domain computer account yet during OS deployment.
- The device is in a workgroup or untrusted domain.
- The computer account cannot authenticate to the distribution point.
- The deployment uses multicast.
- The task sequence is configured to Access content directly from a distribution point when needed by the running task sequence.
Microsoft documents that HTTPS or Enhanced HTTP can remove the need for an NAA in some workgroup, Microsoft Entra joined, boot-media, PXE, and Software Center scenarios. Other scenarios still require one. Check your Configuration Manager version, site communication mode, media type, and deployment option before creating an account.
Find the NAA settings
The current console path is generally:
- Go to Administration > Site Configuration > Sites.
- Select the site.
- Choose Configure Site Components or the corresponding Settings action on the ribbon.
- Select Software Distribution.
- Open the Network Access Account tab.
Console labels can vary between Configuration Manager releases. Microsoft’s Configuration Manager accounts documentation is the authority for the current behavior.
Use least privilege
If the NAA is required:
- Use a domain-qualified account from the correct trusted domain.
- Grant only read access to the deployment content that must be accessed.
- Ensure the account has Access this computer from the network on the distribution point.
- In multi-domain or cross-forest environments, verify trust and use the appropriate fully qualified domain name.
- Do not grant interactive sign-in rights.
- Do not use the NAA as the domain-join account.
- Do not grant it permission to join computers to the domain.
- Do not add it to local Administrators as a test workaround.
Configuration Manager supports up to 10 NAAs per site. Microsoft recommends creating a new account rather than changing the password on an existing NAA, which can reduce account-lockout and password-propagation problems. A configured NAA is not proof that authentication works: the password may be expired or changed, the account may lack network-logon rights, the wrong domain may be configured, or the selected DP may still be inaccessible.
Configuration Manager 2603 adds further security restrictions around NAA access in supported OS-deployment media scenarios. If the site runs 2603, follow the release-specific guidance instead of copying older instructions that broadly expose or create an NAA. Microsoft’s Configuration Manager 2603 changes page documents those security updates.
Do not make anonymous access the permanent fix
Enabling anonymous access may make a controlled test succeed, but it weakens the deployment security model and can conceal the real permissions or authentication problem. PXE and OS deployment can expose significant risks, including unauthorized imaging and data destruction. If anonymous access is used for diagnosis, treat it as temporary, document the change, and remove it after testing. Prefer the correct certificate, computer-account, NAA, boundary, and distribution-point configuration.
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WinPE must be able to see both the network and the destination storage:
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- Network: a supported NIC driver, valid IP address, DHCP or IP-helper path, and reachable distribution point.
- Storage: a supported storage-controller, RAID, NVMe, or mass-storage driver and a disk that can be read and written.
At the WinPE command prompt, run:
ipconfigIf there is no valid address, investigate:
- The NIC driver included in the boot image.
- Whether the driver matches the WinPE architecture, normally x64.
- Whether the updated boot image was actually distributed to the PXE-enabled DP.
- DHCP, VLAN, switch, and IP-helper configuration.
- PXE-enabled distribution-point availability.
If the disk is missing or the format or partition action fails, investigate:
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- The storage or RAID driver in the boot image.
- BIOS storage mode, such as RAID, AHCI, or vendor-specific controller mode.
- UEFI versus legacy boot mode and the task-sequence partitioning scheme.
- Disk encryption, hardware failure, or disk-write protection.
Microsoft recommends adding only the required network and mass-storage drivers to a boot image, using drivers appropriate for the Windows PE version and architecture, then updating and redistributing the boot image. See Microsoft’s driver-management guidance and PXE troubleshooting guidance.
Some community reports associate this error with RAID or AHCI settings. Treat that as a hardware-specific field report, not a universal Microsoft-documented cause. Confirm the storage failure in the log and in WinPE disk visibility before changing BIOS settings.
Fix WIM and operating-system image failures
For an Apply Operating System Image failure, check the image itself and the way it is being delivered:
- Confirm that the source WIM or upgrade package still exists at its configured source.
- Confirm that the selected image is distributed to the DP named in
smsts.log. - Check the content status and validate the image on that DP.
- Redistribute the image if validation finds a mismatch or if the source was changed after distribution.
- Confirm that the selected image index or edition still exists.
- Confirm that the task sequence references the intended image and current content version.
- Read the exact path or content location in
smsts.log.
An OS image is normally a WIM file and must be distributed to distribution points before it can be used by an OS-deployment task sequence. Microsoft’s operating-system image documentation covers image management and distribution.
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Investigate direct distribution-point access
Task-sequence deployments can be configured to download content locally or access content directly from a distribution point. These modes use different content and authentication paths. Direct-DP access is specifically identified by Microsoft as a scenario that may require the NAA.
As a diagnostic experiment, if the deployment currently uses direct-DP access:
- Record the current deployment setting.
- Temporarily test a mode that downloads the content locally, if the storage and network impact are acceptable.
- Redistribute the affected WIM or package.
- Run the task sequence again and compare the log.
If local download succeeds while direct access fails, investigate the DP authentication path, content permissions, content format, and deployment configuration. A long-running community report associated an Apply Operating System Image failure with direct-DP access and WIM package-share behavior, followed by redistribution. That is legacy, version-dependent community evidence—not a rule that applies to every current Configuration Manager site. Test it against your release and deployment mode rather than applying the workaround blindly.
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A task sequence can produce 0x80070002 even when the package itself is available. The command or setup program may be requesting a filename that does not exist, a wrong relative path, a working directory that was never created, or a local path that exists only on the administrator’s computer.
For every step that references a file, verify:
- The exact filename and extension.
- The directory and relative path.
- The file is present in the package source.
- The package was updated or redistributed after the file was added, renamed, or replaced.
- The task sequence points to the correct package and version.
- Any task-sequence variable expands to the expected path.
- The command line uses a working directory available on the target.
- The file is not being referenced through a drive letter that does not exist in WinPE or the new Windows installation.
For example:
| Task-sequence reference | Actual file in the package | Result |
|---|---|---|
unattend.xml |
unattend-win11.xml |
Windows returns file-not-found even though the package is present. |
Community reports have identified misspelled unattend.xml references as one cause of this error. Check the package contents and the exact path in smsts.log before changing the NAA.
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Check PXE policy and stale deployment state
PXE can work well enough to load WinPE while the device still fails to receive the intended task-sequence policy. This is especially common when a device is already present in the Configuration Manager database but the deployment targets only unknown computers.
Check:
- Whether the computer is known in the Configuration Manager database.
- Whether the task sequence is deployed to the computer’s collection.
- Whether the device is actually a member of that collection.
- Whether unknown computer support is enabled when the deployment is intended for unknown devices.
- Whether the required deployment state is stale or points to an old task sequence.
SMSPXE.logon the PXE-enabled distribution point for policy and advertisement decisions.
Microsoft’s unknown-computer deployment guidance explains the expected configuration. Its PXE troubleshooting documentation explains how to use SMSPXE.log.
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In one accepted Microsoft Q&A case, a device showing 0x80070002 together with 0x800700A1 was fixed by selecting Clear Required PXE Deployments for the unknown computer and retrying. That is a case-specific remedy for stale PXE deployment state, not a general solution for every file-not-found error.
Scenario matrix: symptom to first check
| Symptom | Most likely area | First check |
|---|---|---|
| All devices fail at the same task-sequence step | Missing content, bad path, task-sequence configuration, or site-wide policy | Read smsts.log; check referenced-content status. |
| Only one DP fails | DP content, boundary group, IIS, certificate, firewall, or DP permissions | Identify the DP in the log; validate and redistribute content there. |
| Only physical devices fail | WinPE NIC or storage driver | Run ipconfig; check disk visibility and boot-image drivers. |
| Only one hardware model fails | Model-specific driver or BIOS storage mode | Compare boot-image and driver-package requirements with a working model. |
| Failure starts after a WIM modification | Stale or damaged DP content | Update or redistribute the operating-system image; validate the DP. |
| Failure starts when an answer file is attached | Wrong filename or path | Compare the task-sequence reference with the actual package file. |
| PXE loads but no intended task sequence appears | Policy, collection, or known/unknown computer mismatch | Check SMSPXE.log, collection membership, and deployment state. |
| Changing the NAA fixes the failure | Content authentication or read-access problem | Confirm the account’s permissions and why the computer account could not access the DP. |
| Direct-DP mode fails but local download works | Direct content-access or authentication path | Review direct-DP settings, NAA requirements, content format, and DP permissions. |
Common wrong turns
The files exist on the site server
That proves only that the source share is populated. It does not prove that the selected distribution point has the content, that its content library is healthy, or that the client can reach and authenticate to it.
The NAA is configured, so authentication is not the issue
The NAA may have an expired or changed password, lack Access this computer from the network, use the wrong domain, lack read access, or be unable to reach the selected DP. Conversely, the deployment may use HTTPS or Enhanced HTTP and fail for an entirely unrelated local-file reason.
Redistribute everything immediately
Redistribution is useful after a hash mismatch, incomplete transfer, or source change. It does not repair a typo in unattend.xml, a missing boot-image driver, an incorrect boundary group, an invalid image index, or a stale PXE policy. Identify the failing object first.
Make the NAA a local administrator
This is an unsafe workaround and is unnecessary for ordinary content access. The NAA needs the minimum network and read permissions required by the deployment—not interactive logon, local administrator membership, or domain-join rights.
Assume a VM proves the task sequence is correct
Virtual machines commonly use emulated NIC and storage hardware supported by the default boot image. A physical device may require a vendor NIC, RAID, NVMe, or storage-controller driver. Compare the hardware-specific failure in WinPE before modifying the task sequence globally.
Prevention checklist
- Distribute every object referenced by the task sequence, including nested packages, applications, scripts, driver packages, the client package, and boot image.
- Verify content status on every distribution point used by the relevant boundary groups.
- Validate critical WIMs and packages after distribution or when a DP is suspected.
- Redistribute content after changing source files, answer files, or image files.
- Keep PXE-enabled boot images current and redistribute updated images to the correct DPs.
- Add only the required NIC and mass-storage drivers to boot images.
- Test each supported hardware family, not just a virtual machine.
- Keep subnet, IP-range, and Active Directory site boundaries accurate.
- Document whether each deployment downloads content locally or uses direct-DP access.
- Use computer-account authentication, HTTPS, or Enhanced HTTP where appropriate; configure a least-privilege NAA only for scenarios that require it.
- Never use anonymous access or local-administrator membership as a permanent content-access fix.
- Check known-versus-unknown computer targeting and clear stale PXE state when the evidence points there.
- Keep the site, console, clients, ADK, and boot images aligned with supported Configuration Manager releases.
Microsoft’s supported-version information is maintained on the Configuration Manager updates and servicing page. At the dossier’s August 10, 2026 reference date, Microsoft lists current branch versions 2603, 2509, and 2503 as supported. Release-specific behavior—particularly NAA security behavior—should be checked against the version actually installed in your environment.
Recommended troubleshooting order
- Capture the right
smsts.log. Account for formatting, reboot, and client-installation phase changes. - Find the failed action. Search upward from
0x80070002for the action name, content ID, DP, URL, path, and filename. - Classify the failure. Decide whether it is a local file, package download, DP selection, boot-image driver, storage, authentication, or PXE-policy problem.
- Verify the selected DP. Confirm boundary membership and that every referenced object is distributed there.
- Validate or redistribute only the affected content. Do not assume all content is damaged.
- Correct filenames and variables. Check answer files, scripts, command lines, working directories, and package versions.
- Check WinPE drivers. If there is no IP address or disk, repair the boot image and redistribute it.
- Investigate the NAA only if the log shows a content-access authentication problem. Apply least privilege and account restrictions.
- Check PXE policy. Use
SMSPXE.logfor known/unknown computer, collection, and stale-deployment issues. - Rerun and compare logs. A successful change should move the failure to the next action or allow the sequence to continue; record the exact change that resolved it.
Further reading
- Distribute task-sequence referenced content
- Deploy and manage content
- Boundary groups and distribution points
- Configuration Manager accounts and the Network Access Account
- Security and privacy for OS deployment
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 0x80070002 always caused by the Network Access Account?
No. It is the generic Windows file-not-found error. The missing item may be a WIM, package, driver, answer file, local task-sequence file, or remote content location. Configure or change the NAA only when smsts.log shows a content-access or authentication failure.
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Before disk formatting it is usually at X:Windowstempsmstslogsmsts.log. After formatting it is commonly at X:smstslogsmsts.log. After Windows is applied but before the client is installed, check C:_SMSTaskSequenceLogssmstslogsmsts.log. After client installation, check C:WindowsCCMLogssmstslogsmsts.log.
Will redistributing the task-sequence content fix the error?
It can fix stale, incomplete, or corrupted content on a distribution point. It will not fix a wrong filename, invalid answer-file path, missing WinPE driver, incorrect boundary group, bad authentication configuration, or stale PXE policy.
Why does the task sequence work in a virtual machine but fail on a physical computer?
The physical model may need a NIC, RAID, NVMe, or storage-controller driver that is not in the boot image. Run ipconfig in WinPE, verify disk visibility, check the BIOS storage mode, and redistribute a boot image containing the required drivers.
The Bottom Line
0x80070002 tells you that Configuration Manager could not find or open something; it does not tell you what that something is. Use smsts.log to identify the failed action and selected distribution point, then repair the specific content, path, boundary, driver, authentication, or PXE-policy problem. Treat the Network Access Account as one evidence-based branch—not the default answer.
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