Issue with “Install Software” Task Sequence Step and ConfigMgr Stand-Alone Media Build

We recently encountered an issue that has been around for a while, but no real documentation on it except for a couple posts in the TechNet Forums. Hopefully this post will save you some time.

Consider the following scenario:

1. You are using ConfigMgr OSD, and installing additional applications by using the “Install Software” Task Sequence Step.
2. You use a Central Administration Site (CAS) to create the stand-alone media build.

When you run the stand-alone media build process, the task sequence fails on any step that is configured to “Install a Program.” The errors appear in the smsts.log and execmgr.log, as shown below:

smsts.log:

Failed to invoke Execution Manager to Install Software for PackageID=LAB003EA
InstallSoftware Failed. hr=0x87d01004
Process completed with exit code 2278559748
Failed to run the action: Install FOO Client. The program is disabled. (Error: 87D01004; Source: CCM)
This message may also appear: Failed to invoke Execution Manager to Install Software x80008004      

execmgr.log:

TS Step required to run a disabled program. Rejecting.

This is a known issue. Here are your options for work-around:

• Create the stand-alone media at a Primary site instead of the Central Administration Site (CAS), or
• Replace all “Install Software” TS Steps with “Run Command Line,” or
• Add the following Run Command Line step to the task sequence after the Setup Windows  and Configuration Manager step to enable the software distribution agent before  the first Install Package step runs:

WMIC /namespace:\\root\ccm\policy\machine\requestedconfig path ccm_SoftwareDistributionClientConfig CREATE ComponentName="Enable SWDist", Enabled="true", LockSettings="TRUE", PolicySource="local", PolicyVersion="1.0", SiteSettingsKey="1" /NOINTERACTIVE

You don’t need to do all three steps-choose one.

Greg