ConfigMgr Standalone Media Creation Guide| Fully Offline | SCCM

This post helps to manage the Operating System deployment with the configuration manager without any access to the network. Let’s see the fully Offline Standalone Media Using the ConfigMgr Creation Guide.

Introduction

Standalone media includes the task sequence that automates the steps to install the OS and all other required content. This content includes the boot image, OS image, and device drivers.

Prerequisites

  • Task Sequence with all content dependencies should be created.
  • Distributing all content associated with the task sequence requires at least one distribution point.
  • Create an output folder to save the media files.

Supported Deployment Scenarios

We can use standalone media with the following OS deployment scenarios:

  • Bare Metal – Deploy an operating system on a new computer or wipe an existing device.
  • InPlace Upgrade – This process automatically migrates existing data, settings, drivers, and applications and automatically upgrades from an earlier version of Windows.
  • Refresh – Refresh an existing device by saving the user state, wiping the disk, then restoring the user state to the new version of the OS.

Limitations

The following actions aren’t compatible with standalone media.

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  • The Auto Apply Drivers step in the task sequence. Instead, use the Apply Driver Package step to make a specified set of drivers available to Windows Setup.
  • The Download Package Content step in the task sequence, As the management point information, is not available on standalone media. so the step fails to try to enumerate content locations.
  • Installing software updates.
  • Installing software before deploying the OS.
  • Custom task sequences for non-OS deployments.
  • Associating users with the destination computer to support user device affinity.
  • The dynamic package installs via the Install Packages step.
  • The dynamic application installs via the Install Application step.

For more detailed information Unsupported actions for stand-alone media.

Creating a standalone Media in SCCM

In the Configuration Manager console, go to the Software Library workspace, expand Operating Systems, select the Task Sequences node and select Create Task Sequence Media to start the Create Task Sequence Media Wizard..

Fully Offline Standalone Media Using  ConfigMgr Creation Guide
Select Create Task Sequence Media – Fully Offline Standalone Media Using ConfigMgr Creation Guide

On the Select Media Type page, Select Stand-alone media to deploy OS without network access. Click Next.

Fully Offline Standalone Media Using  ConfigMgr Creation Guide
Select Media Type – Stand-alone media to deploy OS without network access.

On the Media Type page, I will select the CD/DVD set. Then configure the Media size to unlimited from the drop-down list as I’m not sure about the size of the Task Sequence.

Adaptiva

It is always best to store the output in a local or shared folder drive If the capacity of the CD/DVD media is too small to store the entire content, it creates multiple files and prompt to insert next media.

Fully Offline Standalone Media Using  ConfigMgr Creation Guide
Select CD/DVD set – Media size – Fully Offline Standalone Media Using ConfigMgr Creation Guide

Under Media File click Browse. Specify the name and path of the output file (Media file). The wizard writes the output files to this location. Click Save.

Fully Offline Standalone Media Using  ConfigMgr Creation Guide
Specify the name and path of ISO – Fully Offline Standalone Media Using ConfigMgr Creation Guide

Staging folder: The media creation process can require a lot of temporary drive space.

Media label: Starting in version 1902, add a label to task sequence media. This label helps you better identify the media after you create it. The default value is Configuration Manager. This text field appears in the following locations:

  • If you mount an ISO file, Windows displays this label as the name of the mounted drive.
  • If you format a USB drive, it uses the first 11 characters of the label as its name
  • Configuration Manager writes a text file called MediaLabel.txt to the root of the media. By default, the file includes a single line of text: label=Configuration Manager.

If you customize the label for media, the file MediaLabel includes uses your custom label instead of the default value.

ConfigMgr Standalone Media Creation Guide| Fully Offline | SCCM 1
Detailed Information Media Label – Appeared after ISO creation.

Include autorun.inf file on media: Starting in version 1906, Configuration Manager doesn’t add an autorun.inf file by default. This file is commonly blocked by Symantec Endpoint Protection (SEP) or other antimalware products.

Review the provided information, Click Next.

ConfigMgr Standalone Media Creation Guide| Fully Offline | SCCM 2
Review the specify media type, file and custom location. Click Next.

On the Security page, I have specified a password and clicked Next.

Protect media with a password – it only encrypts the task sequence steps and their variables. It doesn’t encrypt the remaining content of the media.

Then select the date range for this stand-alone media to be valid: This setting is disabled by default. You can specify the validity for media by setting a start date, expiration date.

ConfigMgr Standalone Media Creation Guide| Fully Offline | SCCM 3
Specify a password to protect task sequence media.

On the Stand-Alone CD/DVD page, click Browse to select the task sequence that deploys.

Fully Offline Standalone Media Using  ConfigMgr Creation Guide
Click Browse to select the task sequence that will run from standalone media.

Verify the list of content referenced by the task sequence. Click Next.

Detect associated application dependencies and add them to this media: add content to the media for application dependencies.

Note – If you don’t see expected application dependencies, deselect and then reselect this option to refresh the list.

Fully Offline Standalone Media Using  ConfigMgr Creation Guide
Review the task sequence reference content, click Next. – Fully Offline Standalone Media Using ConfigMgr Creation Guide

On the Select Application page, specify additional application content to include as part of the media file.

Fully Offline Standalone Media Using  ConfigMgr Creation Guide
Fully Offline Standalone Media Using ConfigMgr Creation Guide

On the Select Package page, specify additional package content to include as part of the media file.

Fully Offline Standalone Media Using  ConfigMgr Creation Guide
Fully Offline Standalone Media Using ConfigMgr Creation Guide

On the Select Driver Package page, specify additional driver package content to include as part of the media file.

Fully Offline Standalone Media Using  ConfigMgr Creation Guide
Fully Offline Standalone Media Using ConfigMgr Creation Guide

On the Distribution Points page, specify the distribution points that contain the required content. Select the DP and click Add.

Wizard only displays distribution points that have the content.

Important – Distribute all of the content associated with the task sequence to at least one distribution point before you continue.

Fully Offline Standalone Media Using  ConfigMgr Creation Guide
Select the distribution points and click Add.

Here, I have only DP that has all the content distributed. Once the associated DP containing task sequence content is added, Click Next.

ConfigMgr Standalone Media Creation Guide| Fully Offline | SCCM 4
Review the selected distribution points and click Next.

On the Customization page, you can specify the following options. I am leaving default, Click Next.

Fully Offline Standalone Media Using ConfigMgr Creation Guide - SCCM
Fully Offline Standalone Media Using ConfigMgr Creation Guide – SCCM

Review the task sequence media details, and click Next.

ConfigMgr Standalone Media Creation Guide| Fully Offline | SCCM 5
Review the specified settings

The build process has started. It will include the boot image, OS image, device drivers, and all other required content. The process takes a longer time to complete.

ConfigMgr Standalone Media Creation Guide| Fully Offline | SCCM 6
Task Sequence Media Status

After completion successfully, click close to exit the wizard.

ConfigMgr Standalone Media Creation Guide| Fully Offline | SCCM 7
Task Sequence Media Wizard completed

The stand-alone media files (.ISO) are created in the specified path. copy the output files to a bootable USB drive for offline deployment or you can use CDs based on your requirements.

ConfigMgr Standalone Media Creation Guide| Fully Offline | SCCM 8
Standalone Media – Output File.

Troubleshooting

Look at the log to check the activities or troubleshoot issues.

CreateTSMedia.log - Provide detailed information for task sequence media creation. This log is located in <ConfigMgr Installed Drive>\Program Files\Microsoft Configuration Manager\AdminConsole\AdminUILog

Resources – Standalone Media Using ConfigMgr Creation Guide – SCCM

Create stand alone media in Configuration Manager

4 thoughts on “ConfigMgr Standalone Media Creation Guide| Fully Offline | SCCM”

  1. Hi, I have created a task sequence to SCCM which install IoT machine and needed programs via PXE boot. I also exported Task Sequence to Offline install ISO so I can put it on the USB stick and install the IoT machine via USB stick. Now I need that Offline.ISO to be converted to WIM file, but dunno how it can be done. Should I capture it from IoT machine or can I just convert the Offline ISO to WIM somehow?

    Reply
    • Hello Josh, We need to understand your requirement & deployment approach with WIM. If you looking for WIM with all references added in Task Sequence or ISO. In that case you can capture the prepared machine. However keeping all settings and customizations inside machine is not recommended. It may cause an issue.

      You can raise your queries here – http://htmdforum.com/ for quick help.

      Reply
  2. Ok, I have a nicely working Task Sequence which installs Win10 and all needed software, one software is installed via active setup as user account promoted to admin, when computer reboots at the end of TS, then autologon is used and this application installs fine. How does this behaviour change if I sysprep and capture this freshly installed computer? I have told to customer that they can now do the offline installations with offiline ISOs and USB, but they want also WIM file for installation for some reasons, they say that they need multiple wim files to same USB sticks on the field. I instructed them that this USB stick can also have multible iso files added ie. with yumi. Just wondering if all installed software will work after sysprep and wim capture when captured WIM is applied to new computers?

    Reply
    • That’s really good point. Its not a best practice to include all stuffs and perform capture! Mostly the licensed apps or antivirus product may cause an issue.
      Had you checked this post, Hopefully you get to know more – anoopcnair.com/sysprep-capture-windows-10-image-using-dism/

      Expecting to use HTMD Forum (http://htmdforum.com/)for quick response!

      Reply

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