Error message when you start a PXE client to connect to a WDS server on a Server 2003 SP1-based computer: “WdsClient: An error occurred while starting networking”

When you start a Pre-boot execution environment (PXE) client to connect to a Server 2003 Service Pack 1(SP1)-based computer. This computer is running Deployment Service (WDS). In this scenario, you receive an error message that resembles the following: “WdsClient: An error occurred while starting networking: a matching network card driver was not found in this . Plse have your Administrator add the network driver for this machine to the PE on the Deployment Services server.” This issue occurs if the WDS boot does not contain a network driver for your third-party network adapter. MY RESOLUTION NOTE: This was done on a WDS Server running on Server 2003 Download the network driver that is missing from the WDS boot . NOTE: In my case, the laptop was a Latitude E6410. • Went to ’s support site and found the latest drivers and downloaded. • Extracted the drivers into a folder and found the x86 7 drivers folder. The file I was looking for was the *.inf file. • But, I went ahd and copied all the drivers to a drivers folder on snsuwds01 under e:\drivers. Update the WDS boot to include the new third-party network driver. NOTE: The following procedure assumes that the Automated Installation Kit (AIK) is installed on the WDS server. If the AIK is not installed on the WDS server, you can perform the same procedure on another computer that does have the AIK installed. Then, map a network drive to the WDS server. 1. On the WDS server, click Start, click Run, type wdsmgmt.msc, and then press O K . 2. Under your WDS server, double-click Boot s. 3. Right-click the boot that you want, and then click “Disable” 4. Right-click the same boot , click “Properties”, and then click “eral” 5. Note the name the boot that is displayed in the File name box. 6. At a command prompt, type the following: C:\program files\ aik\tools\petools\copype.cmd x86 c:\pe-x86 NOTE: I had to manually crte c:\pe-x86 7. Next, type the following: x /info e:\remoteinstall\ boot\x86\s\boot.wim NOTE: boot.wim is the filename from step 5 8. Note the boot index of the bootable that is displayed. To identify the boot index , loe the line that contains “boot index:X.” Note: X is the boot index . The indies that X is marked as bootable and that the is to be updated. The second is the default that you would typically modify. However, always verify which is marked as bootable. 9. Navigate to c:\pe-x86 10. At a command prompt, type the following: x /mountrw e:\remoteinstall\boot\x86\boot.wim 2 mount NOTE: This will crte a “mount” directory under c:\pe-x86 11. Type the following at a command prompt: C:\Program Files\ AIK\Tools\Servicing\dism.exe /:c:\pe-x86\mount /Add-driver /driver:e:\drivers\e6410\NIC\7-x86\E1K6232.inf NOTE: e:\drivers\e6410\NIC\7-x86\E1K6232.inf is the driver for the NIC for the Latitude e6410 I had to download from ’s driver site 12. Type the following at a command prompt: 1. x /unmount /commit mount 13. Enable the boot on the WDS Server by going back into WDS and right mouse clicking the boot modified rlier and selecting “enable”