How to get the related logs for troubleshooting operating system Deployment

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General log for all operating system deployment and task sequence log events are SMSTS.log nad the steps below will help you to get these for the troubleshooting.

Enable the Debug Shell on your boot image

Boot images have an option to enable a command shell while running in Windows PE. This is turned off by default for security reasons (since it would allow an end user to open a command shell during the re-imaging process) but can be enabled on the Windows PE property page.

· Locate your boot images in the Operating System Deployment section of SCCM

Right-click on your chosen boot image (for example 32 bit) and choose Properties

· Select the Windows PE tab from the properties, and place a checkmark in Enable command support then click apply now.

· Update the boot image on the distribution points

When you PXE boot your clients and you want to troubleshoot any Windows PE deployment issues, press F8 once Windows PE has loaded and you'll get a command prompt, in addition this will keep Windows PE operational in situations where whatever error you were getting would cause Windows PE to reboot with no warnings thereby giving you a chance to read the logs....

· You can see that log file in any of these locations. (Depending on which phase they are)

1) X:\Windows\Temp\SMSTSLog
2) C:\_SMSTaskSequence\SMSTSLog
3) C:\Windows\System32\CCM\Logs
4) C:\Windows\System32\CCM\Logs\SMSTSLog (or in the c:\windows\SysWOW64\ccm\logs\Smstslog folder on x64 machines)

 

 Few related links

https://blogs.technet.com/carlossantiago/archive/2009/01/19/how-can-i-increase-the-size-of-the-smsts-log-file.aspx  : How Can I Increase The Size Of The Smsts.log File 

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb932135.aspx  : Log Files for Operating System Deployment

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb632813.aspx : Troubleshooting Operating System Deployment

 

 Hope this infromation will be useful

Sudheesh Narayanaswamy

System center Support

Comments

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    How to get these smsts.log files when OS installation fails? I mean how to move this file to another machine for analysis?
  • Anonymous
    August 13, 2014

    Thanks lot Sudeesh !!

    adding below as adition

    =====smsts.log file location during the build ===========


    During OS Deployment
    --------------------------------------------
    Before your hard drive is formatted and partitioned
    X:windowstempsmstslog

    After your hard drive is partitioned formatted
    ---------------------------------------------
    X:smstslog and then is in C:_SMSTaskSequencelogssmstslog

    Within Windows
    Within Windows before the SCCM agent is installed:
    ----------------------------------------------
    C:_SMSTaskSequencelogssmstslog

    Within Windows after the SCCM agent installed:
    ---------------------------------------------------
    C:windowssystem32ccmlogssmstslog

    When the Task Sequence completes
    ------------------------------------------------

    on a x86

    C:windowssystem32ccmlogs

    on x64 Systems

    C:windowsSysWOW64ccmlogs