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Use standalone media to deploy Windows without using the network

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Applies to: Configuration Manager (current branch)

Standalone media in Configuration Manager contains everything required to deploy an OS on a computer. The media includes the boot image, OS image, task sequence policy, applications, drivers, and more. Standalone media deployments let you deploy operating systems in the following conditions:

  • In environments where it isn't practical to copy an OS image or other large packages over the network.

  • In environments without network connectivity or low-bandwidth network connectivity.

Use standalone media in the following OS deployment scenarios:

Complete the steps in one of these OS deployment scenarios. Then use the following sections to prepare for and create the standalone media.

Unsupported task sequence actions

When you use standalone media, Configuration Manager doesn't support the following actions in the task sequence:

  • The Auto Apply Drivers step. Automatic application of device drivers from the driver catalog isn't supported. To make a specific set of drivers available to Windows Setup, use the Apply Driver Package step.

  • Installing software updates.

  • Installing software before deploying the OS.

  • Associating users with the destination computer for user device affinity.

  • Dynamic package installs with the Install Package step.

  • Dynamic application installs with the Install Application step.

Known issue with Install Package step and media created at the central administration site

An error might occur if your task sequence includes the Install Package step and you create the stand-alone media at a central administration site (CAS). The CAS doesn't have the necessary client configuration policies. These policies are required to enable the software distribution agent when the task sequence runs. The following error might appear in the CreateTsMedia.log file: WMI method SMS_TaskSequencePackage.GetClientConfigPolicies failed (0x80041001)

For stand-alone media that includes an Install Package step, create the stand-alone media at a primary site that has the software distribution agent enabled.

Alternatively, use a custom Run PowerShell Script step. Add it after the Setup Windows and ConfigMgr step and before the first Install Package step. The Run PowerShell Script step runs the following commands to enable the software distribution agent before the first Install Package step:

$namespace = "root\ccm\policy\machine\requestedconfig"
$class = "CCM_SoftwareDistributionClientConfig"
$classArgs = @{
    ComponentName = 'Enable SWDist'
    Enabled = 'true'
    LockSettings='TRUE'
    PolicySource='local'
    PolicyVersion='1.0'
    SiteSettingsKey='1'
}
Set-WmiInstance -Namespace $namespace -Class $class -Arguments $classArgs -PutType CreateOnly

Configure deployment settings

When you use standalone media to start the OS deployment process, configure the deployment to make the OS available to media. On the Deployment Settings page of the deployment, for the Make available to the following setting, select one of the following options:

  • Configuration Manager clients, media, and PXE

  • Only media and PXE

  • Only media and PXE (hidden)

Create the standalone media

You can specify whether the standalone media is a USB flash drive or CD/DVD set. The computer that will start the media must support the option that you choose as a bootable drive. For more information, see Create standalone media.

Install the OS from standalone media

To install the OS, insert the standalone media to the computer, and then power it on.

Next steps

User experiences for OS deployment