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What does PXE error 0x80072746 mean?
The hexadecimal code corresponds to Winsock error 10054, WSAECONNRESET: an existing connection was forcibly closed by the remote host. In PXE logs, it may appear as PXE: recvfrom() failed for PXE. 0x80072746 during TFTP. The wording identifies a reset connection, not which device initiated it or why. It does not by itself prove that DHCP is broken, the boot image is corrupt, the distribution point needs reinstalling, or the computer’s drive has failed. A ConfigMgr troubleshooting discussion describes the error’s generic connection-reset meaning; Microsoft’s PXE process documentation explains where TFTP fits in the boot sequence.
Identify the stage where PXE stops
PXE boot proceeds through distinct stages: the client requests network configuration, receives PXE boot information, downloads a network boot program and its files over TFTP, starts WinPE, then retrieves ConfigMgr policy and task-sequence data. Microsoft describes the NBP downloading boot files before the WinPE RAM disk is created. The distinction matters: a driver added to WinPE cannot repair a DHCP relay failure that happens before WinPE exists.
| What you observe | Likely area to investigate |
|---|---|
No network address, or an address beginning 169.254. |
DHCP, VLAN, relay/IP Helper, NIC link or firmware, or an early network-driver issue. |
Address is assigned, but there is no client request in SMSPXE.log |
Routing, relay/IP Helper, ACLs, or PXE service reachability to the distribution point. |
| Boot-file download begins and then resets or stalls | TFTP path, firewall or ACL, packet handling or block size, boot-file availability, or client NIC/firmware behavior. |
| WinPE starts but has no working network | WinPE NIC driver, dock or USB Ethernet support, or a model-specific adapter issue. |
| WinPE has network access and reaches policy retrieval | Investigate ConfigMgr policy, deployment, management-point connectivity, and certificates rather than the initial TFTP transfer. |
A visible 0x80072746 during a file transfer places attention on that exchange, but logs and a packet capture are needed to locate the reset’s source. For Microsoft’s sequence, see Understand PXE boot in Configuration Manager.
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Start with logs and controlled comparisons
1. Record exactly what happened
Capture the full error screen, whether the client obtained an IPv4 address, the last boot file displayed, and whether the failure affects one device, model, switch port, VLAN, distribution point, or every client. These comparisons help separate a shared network or server fault from a client-specific one.
2. Check SMSPXE.log
On the PXE-enabled distribution point, locate SMSPXE.log using the site-system’s ConfigMgr log location. Search around the failure time for the device MAC address, DHCPREQUEST, recvfrom, TFTP, and 0x80072746. Microsoft recommends checking whether the MAC address or DHCP request appears in this log. If it does not, investigate whether the request reached the PXE distribution point before changing its boot image. Consult Microsoft’s advanced PXE troubleshooting guidance for log and network checks.
3. Test the same device on the DP subnet
Connect the affected device to a switch or VLAN on the same subnet as the PXE-enabled distribution point. If PXE works there but fails on its usual subnet, focus on the relay/IP Helper, routing, VLAN ACL, or firewall path. If it still fails, look at the client, local switch port, TFTP settings, DP/PXE health, boot files, firmware, and model-specific behavior. Microsoft recommends this comparison to help distinguish a routing problem from a local PXE/TFTP problem.
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4. Compare one variable at a time
- Try a known-good PXE client on the affected subnet, and the affected device on a known-good subnet.
- Compare another unit of the same model and, if available, a different model on the same port.
- Test native Ethernet instead of a dock or USB adapter, or try a different supported adapter.
- Where supported, compare UEFI and legacy/CSM boot modes, recording Secure Boot state and whether IPv4 PXE was selected.
- Try another PXE distribution point if the site has one.
Changing firmware mode can also change architecture selection, boot program, and NIC initialization; a different result does not establish Secure Boot as the cause.
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Check DHCP, IP Helpers, and network ports
For ConfigMgr PXE across subnets, use correctly configured router IP Helpers to forward traffic to the DHCP server and PXE distribution point. Microsoft’s current ConfigMgr guidance says DHCP options 60, 66, and 67 are unsupported in the standard arrangement; do not add them as a generic fix. DHCP and WDS co-hosted on the same server is a distinct topology with separately documented configuration, including UseDHCPPorts and option 60. Apply that special case only when it matches the actual design. See Microsoft’s advanced PXE guidance.
| Traffic purpose | Port/protocol | Check |
|---|---|---|
| DHCP client and server | UDP 67 and 68 | Verify the DHCP exchange and relay path across the client VLAN. |
| TFTP boot-file transfer | UDP 69 initially | Allow the transfer path, not just the initial request: subsequent TFTP traffic can use a negotiated transfer port. |
| ConfigMgr/WDS BINL or proxyDHCP | UDP 4011 | Verify the PXE service path through relevant ACLs and firewalls. |
Check filtering on the Windows host, endpoint-security product, network firewall, router, and switch ACLs. If temporarily disabling a firewall is used as a controlled diagnostic, restore protection immediately and identify the exact required traffic before creating a narrow rule; do not leave the firewall off.
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Investigate a TFTP transfer reset and distribution-point health
Verify service, content, and boot files
Check the PXE/WDS configuration used by the installed ConfigMgr version, relevant service status and event logs, and SMSPXE.log. Confirm that the boot image is distributed to the PXE-enabled DP and that expected files are present. In a WDS-based setup, Microsoft’s checks include the REMINST share and permissions, architecture-specific files under C:RemoteInstallSMSBootx86 or C:RemoteInstallSMSBootx64, fonts under C:RemoteInstallSMSBootFonts, C:RemoteInstallSMSBootBoot.sdi, and image content under C:RemoteInstallSMSImages<PackageID>. Paths and components vary with the PXE implementation and ConfigMgr version; verify against the actual DP configuration rather than assuming every installation uses identical files.
Test a smaller TFTP block size when evidence points to packet handling
A smaller block size is worth testing when a transfer starts and then resets or times out, especially across a particular switch/router path, with particular NIC firmware, or through a dock or USB Ethernet adapter. Large packets can be dropped or mishandled along the route. Microsoft lists reducing PXE TFTP block size as a troubleshooting measure in its advanced PXE guidance. The applicable setting depends on the ConfigMgr branch and whether the DP uses WDS or another PXE implementation, so do not copy a registry value without confirming current instructions for that configuration.
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Capture traffic if the logs do not settle it
Where permitted, capture simultaneously at the client-side switch (or a mirrored port) and the PXE distribution point; a capture at the router or firewall can help isolate the boundary. Examine DHCP discovery, offer, request, and acknowledgment; proxyDHCP/BINL traffic; TFTP reads and acknowledgments; retransmissions; and any ICMP “fragmentation needed” messages. Determine which endpoint stops responding or sends the reset. Microsoft recommends simultaneous traces on the client-side network and PXE DP when DHCP or TFTP behavior is unclear.
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Check WinPE drivers only if WinPE is reached
If the boot files download and WinPE launches but the adapter is missing or cannot obtain an address, check the NIC driver in the boot image. Add only the required NIC and mass-storage drivers, update the boot image, and redistribute it to the affected DP. An indiscriminate driver collection can add conflicts and complexity; a WinPE driver change is not a remedy for a failure before WinPE starts.
If command support is enabled in the boot image, press F8 in WinPE and run:
ipconfig /allCheck for a valid address rather than 169.254.x.x, the expected subnet mask, and the correct gateway. If useful and permitted, test reachability with:
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ping <default-gateway>
ping <distribution-point>
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ipconfig /renewA failed ping is not conclusive because ICMP may be blocked. Pair it with logs and packet captures. Microsoft identifies a valid IP address in SMSTS.log as a useful sign that WinPE recognized the adapter. During WinPE startup the log may be at X:WindowsTempSMSTSLogSMSTS.log; its location varies by phase. If WinPE networking works but there is no task sequence, move to policy and deployment troubleshooting rather than continuing to tune TFTP. See Microsoft’s driver and log guidance.
When the failure follows a device model
If the same model fails across multiple DPs or subnets while other devices work, investigate that model’s BIOS/UEFI, onboard NIC firmware, PXE implementation, dock, and USB adapter. Test native Ethernet and another supported adapter, record firmware mode and Secure Boot state, and update firmware or drivers using the manufacturer’s applicable guidance. A 2025 field report involving Lenovo ThinkPad L14 Gen 5 systems describes a model-specific failure escalated to Lenovo after disabling host and antivirus firewalls did not resolve it. It is an example of a possible hardware-specific cause, not proof that Lenovo devices generally share this fault.
Quick Recap
Avoid fixes that hide the cause
- Do not reinstall the PXE role or WDS before establishing whether the request reaches the DP and which stage fails.
- Do not leave firewalls disabled; use a temporary test only to identify filtering, then restore protection and allow only verified traffic.
- Do not add every driver to the boot image. Add the necessary NIC or storage driver only when the failure occurs at the corresponding WinPE stage.
- Do not assume DHCP options 60, 66, and 67 are correct for standard ConfigMgr PXE; use the documented topology-specific guidance.
- Do not apply DHCP/WDS co-hosting settings to a server design that does not co-host those roles.
What to collect before escalation
- Device manufacturer, model, and serial number; BIOS/UEFI version and NIC firmware or driver version.
- Ethernet adapter or dock model, boot mode, Secure Boot state, VLAN/subnet, switch port, and PXE DP name.
- The last boot file shown and whether the client received an address.
- A timestamped
SMSPXE.logexcerpt and, if WinPE starts, the relevantSMSTS.logexcerpt. - Results from same-subnet testing, a known-good device, another unit of the same model, alternate adapter, and alternate DP.
- Packet captures from the client-side network and DP, if available and permitted.
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