Do NOT add a boot file for WDS from Windows 6.3 (2012R2/8.1) with Update

If you have a Windows Deployment Service (WDS for short) hosted by Windows Server 2012 R2 (w or w/o update), never try to add a boot file from Windows Server 2012 R2 with Update (MSDN CD) or Windows 8.1 with Update (MSDN CD). If you do so, all capture image, no matter which version of boot file is based on, or it’s created by this server or others, just cannot work. After the loading finished, you will get an error in winload.exe with the status code 0xc000000f.

If you have been in this jam, you have to restore the whole boot folder from the backup before you attach the new version boot files. Don’t forget to stop the WDS before you replace the folder. Delete the new boot file only won’t work.


Update: There is another way to fix the broken capture image file directly. But you have to do that for every capture file. http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windowsserver/en-US/a164b948-1778-42bd-8d77-9cef1ca70866/image-capture-boot-image-fails-with-0xc000000f?forum=winserversetup

11 thoughts on “Do NOT add a boot file for WDS from Windows 6.3 (2012R2/8.1) with Update

  1. I’m having a similar issue. Fresh install of 2012 R2 x64. For install and boot images, I used Windows 7 Enterprise with SP1 x86 from MSDN. Created Capture image from the Boot WIM of Win7 Enterprise SP1 x86, and same failure, 0XC000000F with required file is missing or contains errors (winload.exe).

    Any insight to resolution? I just redid the 2012 server install thinking that was the issue and didn’t use the 2012 WIMs, went straight to Windows 7 WIMs.

  2. I have been working with Microsoft Technical Support on this issue. Case 114072911658380

    The case is now archived with Microsoft as they have escalated this to the relevant team. They have reproduced this bug and they are working on an official fix / workaround article. This may come in the form of a support article or a patch, but a fix is being worked on.

    I have done my best to pressure the product group to officially put up a “fash publish” support.microsoft.com article, but so far this has not happened. I am hopeful that this will however happen soon.

    Nick “The Naked MVP” Whittome
    nickwhittome.com

  3. I had exactly the same issue. Essentially you just mount your .wim and unmount it. Restart your WDS server and your set!

    1.
    dism /mount-wim /wimfile:W:\RemoteInstall\Boot\x86\Images\Capture.wim /mountdir:C:\MountDir /index:1
    2.
    dism /unmount-wim /mountdir:C:\MountDir /commit

    3.
    Restart wds service in wds console

  4. I’ll get Windows Boot Manager error when trying to deploy P10 image. This happens on some workstations. Here is one example:

    File: \Boot\BCD
    Status:0xc000000f
    Info: The Boot Configuration Data for your PC is missing or contains errors.

    Workstation model: Lenovo X1 Tablet
    Workstation name: FIR90MC6VF
    MAC address: 3C:18:A0:07:6C:5E

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