The task sequence cannot be run because the program files cannot be located

After installing ConfigMgr with multiple remote Site servers (distribution points), we decided to configure half off them with a Fast connection, and half of them with a Slow connection. This can be configured on the boundary group, which contains one or multiple boundaries and is connected to all site servers. That way you are sure that content is downloaded from the local server and no or less WAN traffic takes place. But than it happens..

 

When starting deployment on Site servers deployment fails with the following error: Failed to run Task sequence. The task sequence cannot be run because the program files for ******** cannot be located on a distribution point. For more Information, contact your System Administrator or Helpdesk Operator.
In this case the package is the ConfigMgr client package.

We did the following to troubleshoot the issue:
-Check if boundary groups are connected to site servers and boundaries are set
-Redistribute and Validate the ConfigMgr client package on multiple site servers (multiple times)
-Check if VLAN communication is working on security, firewall and access control list

The following errors are seen in SMSTS.log
-Content location request for PR100003:3 failed. (Code 0x80040102)
-Failed to resolve PackageID=<?>
-Failed to resolve selected task sequence dependencies. Code(0x80040102)
-ThreadToResolveandExecuteTaskSequence failed. Code(0x80040102)

When looking on Microsoft TechNet forums, the error code has a relation with boundaries, boundary groups and/or the network access account. This was in our situation not the case. After deploying systems on site servers with a Fast connection, everything seems to be okay? When deploying systems on site servers with a Slow connection however not. When changing connection speed on boundary groups back from Slow to Fast the issue is gone. Above issue is because you have configured a boundary group on a Slow connection, not specific because the boundaries, boundary groups and/or network access account is configured wrong. https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/949574ac-c947-4ff4-a817-263014246ee2/osd-failed-package-cannot-be-located-on-distribution-point
 

When looking on Microsoft TechNet Library, the following is mentioned: You can configure the network connection speed of each distribution point in a boundary group. Clients use this value when they connect to the distribution point. By default, the network connection speed is configured as Fast, but it can also be configured as Slow. The network connection speed and the deployment configuration determine whether a client can download content from a distribution point when the client is in an associated boundary group. https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg712679.aspx
 
Strange thing is, that nothing is found on this specific configuration. I rest my case and leave it on Fast connection for now. For it seems you cannot start OS deployment on systems which are using a site server with Slow connection boundary group? That makes no sense however, because on software packages you can decide what to do on Slow or Fast connections. On a task sequence deployment this cannot be configured. Hope that someone can explain this behaviour, because otherwise Slow connection is kind of useless if you ask me.
https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/2fbd2270-88e4-4fff-add1-5839b6b9b712/prevent-osd-over-wireless-and-vpn-networks

Another one bites the dust!

An error occurred while starting the task sequence (0x8007000E)

Just when you thought you seen all error messages during ConfigMgr deployment, there's a new one popping up: "An error occurred while starting the task sequence (0x8007000E)". This on multiple systems randomly showed, before task sequence is starting. When starting deployment again it's possible that it's working, or showing the error message again. That's definitely not what you want.
 

 

When looking on Microsoft TechNet i found the following post: An error occurred while starting the task sequence (0x8007000E). It mentions:
 
-Actually, 0x8007000e ="Not enough storage is available to complete this operation." This refers to memory (RAM), not disk storage.
-The task sequence could not save the policy to the TS Environment. The TS environment has run our of space. Your task sequence has too many apps, or too many updates, or too many steps, or too many referenced packages.
-The task sequence will try to download all polices that at targeted to the client machine. So, if you targeted updates to a collection and the client machine is a member of that collection, the task sequence will download the policy for those updates. The task sequence cannot distinguish what the policies mean unless it downloads them. All it knows is that they are meant for that client. So, if a lot of policies are targeted to the client, the task sequence will run out of environment space.
-This issue is not fixed in  2012 SP1 :-(
-One note:  In SCCM 2012 R2, the XML max size goes up to 32MB.  So, you can have over 3 times as many deployments in R2 without hitting that barrier.  (That's the sales pitch for R2 today) I still recommend that you break your WSUS deployments out.  I'm seeing much better SQL performance by doing this.  
-Deleting the old software update groups, and clean up WSUS then restarting the server worked for me too.

Long story short, I found 66 Software Update Groups (SUGs) in ConfigMgr, for only 4 Automatic Deployment Rules. Most has lots of expired and superseded updates. I deleted most of them, and leave only the SUGs needed. You can choose "Add to an existing SUG" instead of "Create a new SUG" for that and remove all old SUGs left. After that deployment was working immediately again!

Another reason for me to put updates in an existing SUG always! That's better for overview, keeping ConfigMgr fast/clean, and less deployment issues too. Problem solved ;)

Unknown computer bug in ConfigMgr 2012

When re-deploying an already deployed system with ConfigMgr 2012, an error message is sometimes displayed: "Failed to Run task sequence, There are no task sequences available for this computer". This because the system is already available in the ConfigMgr console as a "unknown" system. Because of that the "All Unknown Computers" deployment isn't used and a deployment on a known computers collection isn't used also. This because in system properties: "Unknown Computer = 1" is detected. No way to install this system again!?

As a workaround it's possible to delete the created object in ConfigMgr collections to re-deploy a system again. After deleting the system(s) the error message: "Failed to Run task sequence, There are no task sequences available for this computer" will be gone. Unfortunately after re-deployment the same thing happens again, so it's no real solution to this problem. Another solution to resolve this is mentioned HERE. It says: Add a query rule to the Collection that grabs new computers where the System Resource “Unknown Computer” property = “1”.

I tried that solution myself also, but it don't seems to work either. A "Unknown Computer Bug Update" can be found HERE. It mentions: 
"The final response back from Microsoft via Connect was that this would be submitted to the Product Group as a Design Change Request". Hope it will be solved soon! Strange enough I don't have this issue at all ConfigMgr 2012 implementations? Anyone?

Update: For it seems this is only a problem when working with workgroup systems. When working with domain members there isn't any error message. That explaines why I haven't see this problem before.

Update 16-6: Unchecking "Unknown Computer Support" on the DP/PXE in question restarting the executive on the Primary and then reselecting "Unknown Computer Support" on the DP/PXE in question and restarting the executive resolves this issue. The problem you're running into is an corrupt policy on the MP. By Unchecking the option mentioned this will create a new policy and your unknown systems should pick up the TS when in WinPE.

Failed to run task sequence error in ConfigMgr 2007

When using (multiple) driver packages in a ConfigMgr task sequence it's possible that the following error message is displayed: "Failed To Run Task Sequence". This error message will be displayed before the task sequence will actually run, because ConfigMgr checks all packages that are connected in a task sequence.

When looking in the SMSTS.log file the following error message is displayed: "Failed to find ccm_SoftwareDistribution object for AdvertID="<AdvertID>", PackageID="<PackageID>", ProgramID="*". The Package ID displayed here refers to the driver package which is not found by the ConfigMgr task sequence.

To resolve the error message it's needed to update at least the driver package listed in the SMSTS.log file at "PackageID="<PackageID>". When no driver package is updated once before, do the same for all drivers packages which are connected in the task sequence.

Just select Distribution Points > Update Distribution Points on all driver packages needed, and look in the Package status for a new source version displayed. When starting the task sequence again (after reboot) the error message must be resolved.