Go to , right-click your active Boot Image, and select Properties .
If you have an IP, try to ping your Distribution Point (DP) or Management Point (MP). :
Success here indicates the network path is working, pointing elsewhere for the root cause. Failure suggests a problem with the DP or network infrastructure. unable to download pxe variable file. exit code 14 sccm
From then on, John makes sure to regularly review the SCCM logs and updates the PXE boot files to support the latest BIOS configurations, ensuring smooth and successful deployments.
Helpdesk reports all new Dell OptiPlex 7090 models fail with exit code 14, but existing HP machines work fine. Go to , right-click your active Boot Image,
Through years of troubleshooting in the field, Exit Code 14 can be traced back to four primary families of issues.
| Phase | Action | The role of network driver | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | The client gets an IP address and downloads the initial network boot program (NBP) from the WDS server. | Not yet required — This phase uses the client's BIOS/UEFI network stack. | | Phase 2: TFTP Download | The client downloads the boot.wim file (WinPE) using the Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP). | Not yet required — The BIOS/UEFI stack continues to handle the download. | | Phase 3: WinPE Network Initialization | The client boots into WinPE, which attempts to load its own network driver to communicate with the SCCM server. | Required — This is where the client's specific NIC driver is needed. | Failure suggests a problem with the DP or
Go to Assets and Compliance > Devices , find the record, and ensure it isn't marked as "Blocked." Additionally, if you are using a USB-to-Ethernet adapter, ensure that MAC address isn't in the "Duplicate Hardware Identifiers" list. Summary Checklist F8 -> ipconfig: Do you have a valid IP? Check Time: Is the BIOS time correct? Boundaries: Is the client IP in a valid Boundary Group? Drivers: Does the Boot Image have the latest NIC drivers? Logs: Does smsts.log show a 401 or 404 error?