Hi

I was recently asked to setup a Windows 7 image in SCCM for the new Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook laptops.

These don't come with a built in NIC so we had to buy a ethernet dongle to connect to the network. I am trying to boot to this USB device via PXE but I dont see the option to boot from the USB device (its not listed). In the bios I did change the boot order to have USB on the top of the list.

It doesnt even see it plugged in, the light on the dongle is not lit up. 

I was able to create a boot disk (WinPE created by SCCM 2007) on a USB stick. This is the only way I have been able to successfully connect to the sccm infrastructure and image my machine successfully.

On the laptop, the right port is USB 3.0 and I had to add some extra drivers to my boot image. 

I really need the ablility to PXE boot this laptop since this is our current process for imaging.

Does anyone have any advice? Thanks

You have to check with the vendor of the Ethernet dongle so that have the ability to do pxe-boot.

You can only PXE-boot from a NIC that the BIOS recognizes. Your USB Ethernet has to show up on the BIOS as a boot option.

I don't have a Dell XPS 13, so I'm not sure if it supports booting from USB Ethernet.

My suggestion is for you to try the following:

1. turn off the notebook.

2. plug-in the USB Ethernet.

3. connect an Ethernet cable and make sure that it is on a network that has access to the PXE server

4. turn-on the machine and see if the PXE boot option shows-up on the BIOS

If that does not work, you would have to contact Dell.

• Marked as answer by Sabrina Shen Friday, July 27, 2012 5:41 AM

You can only PXE-boot from a NIC that the BIOS recognizes. Your USB Ethernet has to show up on the BIOS as a boot option.

I don't have a Dell XPS 13, so I'm not sure if it supports booting from USB Ethernet.

My suggestion is for you to try the following:

1. turn off the notebook.

2. plug-in the USB Ethernet.

3. connect an Ethernet cable and make sure that it is on a network that has access to the PXE server

4. turn-on the machine and see if the PXE boot option shows-up on the BIOS

If that does not work, you would have to contact Dell.

• Marked as answer by Sabrina Shen Friday, July 27, 2012 5:41 AM

You can only PXE-boot from a NIC that the BIOS recognizes. Your USB Ethernet has to show up on the BIOS as a boot option.

I don't have a Dell XPS 13, so I'm not sure if it supports booting from USB Ethernet.

My suggestion is for you to try the following:

1. turn off the notebook.

2. plug-in the USB Ethernet.

3. connect an Ethernet cable and make sure that it is on a network that has access to the PXE server

4. turn-on the machine and see if the PXE boot option shows-up on the BIOS

If that does not work, you would have to contact Dell.

• Marked as answer by Sabrina Shen Friday, July 27, 2012 5:41 AM

You can only PXE-boot from a NIC that the BIOS recognizes. Your USB Ethernet has to show up on the BIOS as a boot option.

I don't have a Dell XPS 13, so I'm not sure if it supports booting from USB Ethernet.

My suggestion is for you to try the following:

1. turn off the notebook.

2. plug-in the USB Ethernet.

3. connect an Ethernet cable and make sure that it is on a network that has access to the PXE server

4. turn-on the machine and see if the PXE boot option shows-up on the BIOS

If that does not work, you would have to contact Dell.

• Marked as answer by Sabrina Shen Friday, July 27, 2012 5:41 AM

You can only PXE-boot from a NIC that the BIOS recognizes. Your USB Ethernet has to show up on the BIOS as a boot option.

I don't have a Dell XPS 13, so I'm not sure if it supports booting from USB Ethernet.

My suggestion is for you to try the following:

1. turn off the notebook.

2. plug-in the USB Ethernet.

3. connect an Ethernet cable and make sure that it is on a network that has access to the PXE server

4. turn-on the machine and see if the PXE boot option shows-up on the BIOS

If that does not work, you would have to contact Dell.

• Marked as answer by Sabrina Shen Friday, July 27, 2012 5:41 AM

You can only PXE-boot from a NIC that the BIOS recognizes. Your USB Ethernet has to show up on the BIOS as a boot option.

I don't have a Dell XPS 13, so I'm not sure if it supports booting from USB Ethernet.

My suggestion is for you to try the following:

1. turn off the notebook.

2. plug-in the USB Ethernet.

3. connect an Ethernet cable and make sure that it is on a network that has access to the PXE server

4. turn-on the machine and see if the PXE boot option shows-up on the BIOS

If that does not work, you would have to contact Dell.

• Marked as answer by Sabrina Shen Friday, July 27, 2012 5:41 AM

You can only PXE-boot from a NIC that the BIOS recognizes. Your USB Ethernet has to show up on the BIOS as a boot option.

I don't have a Dell XPS 13, so I'm not sure if it supports booting from USB Ethernet.

My suggestion is for you to try the following:

1. turn off the notebook.

2. plug-in the USB Ethernet.

3. connect an Ethernet cable and make sure that it is on a network that has access to the PXE server

4. turn-on the machine and see if the PXE boot option shows-up on the BIOS

If that does not work, you would have to contact Dell.

• Marked as answer by Sabrina Shen Friday, July 27, 2012 5:41 AM

I successfully got my XPS 13 to PXE boot to Windows Deployment Services (WDS). It would be similar for SCCM.

Requirements

• BIOS A08 (didnt test with lower versions)
• Startech.com USB-to-Ethernet dongle part # USB21000S2
• Drivers for the right-side USB 3.0 port installed into your WDS boot image (see instructions below). The left-side USB port is USB 2.0 and doesnt need any drivers.

Steps to capture an image

1. Install the drivers for the right-side USB 3.0 port into your WDS boot image
   1. Get the driver from Dell (support.dell.com, enter your Dell service tag, drivers, under Chipset, Fresno Logic xHCI (USB 3.0) Controller or http://www.dell.com/support/drivers/us/en/555/DriverDetails/Product/xps-13-l321x?driverId=R9WKR&osCode=W764&fileId=2998648840&languageCode=en )
   2. Run the driver and choose to Extract without installing
   3. I assume you know how to add a driver package to WDS and add it to a boot image.
2. Plug the dongle into the left-side USB port (doesnt work in the right port)
3. Power on the computer, F12, select Network and PXE boot
4. Plug in the external hard drive into the right-side USB port as the target for the captured image
5. Then do the usual WDS process to capture the image

This would be almost identical to deploy an image with WDS.

Here is another useful related link http://en.community.dell.com/techcenter/b/techcenter/archive/2012/07/25/dell-xps-driver-cabs-are-now-available.aspx

• Proposed as answer by Jeff S IT Friday, March 15, 2013 8:47 PM

I successfully got my XPS 13 to PXE boot to Windows Deployment Services (WDS). It would be similar for SCCM.

Requirements

• BIOS A08 (didnt test with lower versions)
• Startech.com USB-to-Ethernet dongle part # USB21000S2
• Drivers for the right-side USB 3.0 port installed into your WDS boot image (see instructions below). The left-side USB port is USB 2.0 and doesnt need any drivers.

Steps to capture an image

1. Install the drivers for the right-side USB 3.0 port into your WDS boot image
   1. Get the driver from Dell (support.dell.com, enter your Dell service tag, drivers, under Chipset, Fresno Logic xHCI (USB 3.0) Controller or http://www.dell.com/support/drivers/us/en/555/DriverDetails/Product/xps-13-l321x?driverId=R9WKR&osCode=W764&fileId=2998648840&languageCode=en )
   2. Run the driver and choose to Extract without installing
   3. I assume you know how to add a driver package to WDS and add it to a boot image.
2. Plug the dongle into the left-side USB port (doesnt work in the right port)
3. Power on the computer, F12, select Network and PXE boot
4. Plug in the external hard drive into the right-side USB port as the target for the captured image
5. Then do the usual WDS process to capture the image

This would be almost identical to deploy an image with WDS.

Here is another useful related link http://en.community.dell.com/techcenter/b/techcenter/archive/2012/07/25/dell-xps-driver-cabs-are-now-available.aspx

• Proposed as answer by Jeff S IT Friday, March 15, 2013 8:47 PM

I successfully got my XPS 13 to PXE boot to Windows Deployment Services (WDS). It would be similar for SCCM.

Requirements

• BIOS A08 (didnt test with lower versions)
• Startech.com USB-to-Ethernet dongle part # USB21000S2
• Drivers for the right-side USB 3.0 port installed into your WDS boot image (see instructions below). The left-side USB port is USB 2.0 and doesnt need any drivers.

Steps to capture an image

1. Install the drivers for the right-side USB 3.0 port into your WDS boot image
   1. Get the driver from Dell (support.dell.com, enter your Dell service tag, drivers, under Chipset, Fresno Logic xHCI (USB 3.0) Controller or http://www.dell.com/support/drivers/us/en/555/DriverDetails/Product/xps-13-l321x?driverId=R9WKR&osCode=W764&fileId=2998648840&languageCode=en )
   2. Run the driver and choose to Extract without installing
   3. I assume you know how to add a driver package to WDS and add it to a boot image.
2. Plug the dongle into the left-side USB port (doesnt work in the right port)
3. Power on the computer, F12, select Network and PXE boot
4. Plug in the external hard drive into the right-side USB port as the target for the captured image
5. Then do the usual WDS process to capture the image

This would be almost identical to deploy an image with WDS.

Here is another useful related link http://en.community.dell.com/techcenter/b/techcenter/archive/2012/07/25/dell-xps-driver-cabs-are-now-available.aspx

• Proposed as answer by Jeff S IT Friday, March 15, 2013 8:47 PM

I successfully got my XPS 13 to PXE boot to Windows Deployment Services (WDS). It would be similar for SCCM.

Requirements

• BIOS A08 (didnt test with lower versions)
• Startech.com USB-to-Ethernet dongle part # USB21000S2
• Drivers for the right-side USB 3.0 port installed into your WDS boot image (see instructions below). The left-side USB port is USB 2.0 and doesnt need any drivers.

Steps to capture an image

1. Install the drivers for the right-side USB 3.0 port into your WDS boot image
   1. Get the driver from Dell (support.dell.com, enter your Dell service tag, drivers, under Chipset, Fresno Logic xHCI (USB 3.0) Controller or http://www.dell.com/support/drivers/us/en/555/DriverDetails/Product/xps-13-l321x?driverId=R9WKR&osCode=W764&fileId=2998648840&languageCode=en )
   2. Run the driver and choose to Extract without installing
   3. I assume you know how to add a driver package to WDS and add it to a boot image.
2. Plug the dongle into the left-side USB port (doesnt work in the right port)
3. Power on the computer, F12, select Network and PXE boot
4. Plug in the external hard drive into the right-side USB port as the target for the captured image
5. Then do the usual WDS process to capture the image

This would be almost identical to deploy an image with WDS.

Here is another useful related link http://en.community.dell.com/techcenter/b/techcenter/archive/2012/07/25/dell-xps-driver-cabs-are-now-available.aspx

• Proposed as answer by Jeff S IT Friday, March 15, 2013 8:47 PM

I successfully got my XPS 13 to PXE boot to Windows Deployment Services (WDS). It would be similar for SCCM.

Requirements

• BIOS A08 (didnt test with lower versions)
• Startech.com USB-to-Ethernet dongle part # USB21000S2
• Drivers for the right-side USB 3.0 port installed into your WDS boot image (see instructions below). The left-side USB port is USB 2.0 and doesnt need any drivers.

Steps to capture an image

1. Install the drivers for the right-side USB 3.0 port into your WDS boot image
   1. Get the driver from Dell (support.dell.com, enter your Dell service tag, drivers, under Chipset, Fresno Logic xHCI (USB 3.0) Controller or http://www.dell.com/support/drivers/us/en/555/DriverDetails/Product/xps-13-l321x?driverId=R9WKR&osCode=W764&fileId=2998648840&languageCode=en )
   2. Run the driver and choose to Extract without installing
   3. I assume you know how to add a driver package to WDS and add it to a boot image.
2. Plug the dongle into the left-side USB port (doesnt work in the right port)
3. Power on the computer, F12, select Network and PXE boot
4. Plug in the external hard drive into the right-side USB port as the target for the captured image
5. Then do the usual WDS process to capture the image

This would be almost identical to deploy an image with WDS.

Here is another useful related link http://en.community.dell.com/techcenter/b/techcenter/archive/2012/07/25/dell-xps-driver-cabs-are-now-available.aspx

• Proposed as answer by Jeff S IT Friday, March 15, 2013 8:47 PM

I successfully got my XPS 13 to PXE boot to Windows Deployment Services (WDS). It would be similar for SCCM.

Requirements

• BIOS A08 (didnt test with lower versions)
• Startech.com USB-to-Ethernet dongle part # USB21000S2
• Drivers for the right-side USB 3.0 port installed into your WDS boot image (see instructions below). The left-side USB port is USB 2.0 and doesnt need any drivers.

Steps to capture an image

1. Install the drivers for the right-side USB 3.0 port into your WDS boot image
   1. Get the driver from Dell (support.dell.com, enter your Dell service tag, drivers, under Chipset, Fresno Logic xHCI (USB 3.0) Controller or http://www.dell.com/support/drivers/us/en/555/DriverDetails/Product/xps-13-l321x?driverId=R9WKR&osCode=W764&fileId=2998648840&languageCode=en )
   2. Run the driver and choose to Extract without installing
   3. I assume you know how to add a driver package to WDS and add it to a boot image.
2. Plug the dongle into the left-side USB port (doesnt work in the right port)
3. Power on the computer, F12, select Network and PXE boot
4. Plug in the external hard drive into the right-side USB port as the target for the captured image
5. Then do the usual WDS process to capture the image

This would be almost identical to deploy an image with WDS.

Here is another useful related link http://en.community.dell.com/techcenter/b/techcenter/archive/2012/07/25/dell-xps-driver-cabs-are-now-available.aspx

• Proposed as answer by Jeff S IT Friday, March 15, 2013 8:47 PM

I successfully got my XPS 13 to PXE boot to Windows Deployment Services (WDS). It would be similar for SCCM.

Requirements

• BIOS A08 (didnt test with lower versions)
• Startech.com USB-to-Ethernet dongle part # USB21000S2
• Drivers for the right-side USB 3.0 port installed into your WDS boot image (see instructions below). The left-side USB port is USB 2.0 and doesnt need any drivers.

Steps to capture an image

1. Install the drivers for the right-side USB 3.0 port into your WDS boot image
   1. Get the driver from Dell (support.dell.com, enter your Dell service tag, drivers, under Chipset, Fresno Logic xHCI (USB 3.0) Controller or http://www.dell.com/support/drivers/us/en/555/DriverDetails/Product/xps-13-l321x?driverId=R9WKR&osCode=W764&fileId=2998648840&languageCode=en )
   2. Run the driver and choose to Extract without installing
   3. I assume you know how to add a driver package to WDS and add it to a boot image.
2. Plug the dongle into the left-side USB port (doesnt work in the right port)
3. Power on the computer, F12, select Network and PXE boot
4. Plug in the external hard drive into the right-side USB port as the target for the captured image
5. Then do the usual WDS process to capture the image

This would be almost identical to deploy an image with WDS.

Here is another useful related link http://en.community.dell.com/techcenter/b/techcenter/archive/2012/07/25/dell-xps-driver-cabs-are-now-available.aspx

• Proposed as answer by Jeff S IT Friday, March 15, 2013 8:47 PM

And now, in their wisdom, Dell have removed the left USB 2.0 port in favour of a USB 3.0 port....

Hello, I am assuming you have successfully pxe-booted XPS 13 L322X. Is that correct? Does the XPS13 L322X support pxe-boot? I have been trying to pxe-boot XPS 13 L322X with USB21000S2 recommended by DELL but it does not work. I have contacted DELL to check to see if the XPS13 L322X supports pxe-boot but they have not provided me the clear answer on it. I am using SCCM 2012 and I am using WinPE 3.0 boot image which is available from http://en.community.dell.com/techcenter/enterprise-client/w/wiki/2065.dell-driver-cab-files-for-enterprise-client-os-deployment.aspx. Appreciate any input. 

Unfortunately not, still working on that. As I only have 2 of these, I've resorted to building from a USB, but even then Domain Join doesn't work as I haven't worked out which combination of drivers I need to include.

Hello
The WinPE 3.0 driver CAB does contain the driver for Startech.com USB-to-Ethernet dongle (USB21000S2) so you can import the CAB to SCCM. I am using a dynamic media to boot up the XPS 13 with USB21000S2 as PXE-boot never works for XPS13 L322X. Once it boots up from the media everything works fine. As the boot image contains the driver for USB21000S2, joining a computer to a domain completes with no issue.

The only problem is that XPS13 L322X never contacts the WDS server after getting an IP address from the DHCP server. I tried capturing packets by using the network monitor on the secondary site server with PXE role enabled when it started to pxe-boot, but the XPS 13 never talks to the server. No packet is detected between the XPS 13 and the WDS server. Pxe-boot is working fine for all other DELL's computers. So, I am just wondering the BIOS of the XPS 13 L322X might not be pxe-enabled yet. Did anyone successfully pxe-boot the XPS 13 L322X? 

all you have to do is add the usb 3.0 and ethernet dongle drivers to the boot image. we image a load of these things daily without issue. 

• Edited by Brucee2 Wednesday, June 05, 2013 8:24 PM

all you have to do is add the usb 3.0 and ethernet dongle drivers to the boot image. we image a load of these things daily without issue. 

• Edited by Brucee2 Wednesday, June 05, 2013 8:24 PM

all you have to do is add the usb 3.0 and ethernet dongle drivers to the boot image. we image a load of these things daily without issue. 

• Edited by Brucee2 Wednesday, June 05, 2013 8:24 PM

all you have to do is add the usb 3.0 and ethernet dongle drivers to the boot image. we image a load of these things daily without issue. 

• Edited by Brucee2 Wednesday, June 05, 2013 8:24 PM

all you have to do is add the usb 3.0 and ethernet dongle drivers to the boot image. we image a load of these things daily without issue. 

• Edited by Brucee2 Wednesday, June 05, 2013 8:24 PM

all you have to do is add the usb 3.0 and ethernet dongle drivers to the boot image. we image a load of these things daily without issue. 

• Edited by Brucee2 Wednesday, June 05, 2013 8:24 PM

all you have to do is add the usb 3.0 and ethernet dongle drivers to the boot image. we image a load of these things daily without issue. 

• Edited by Brucee2 Wednesday, June 05, 2013 8:24 PM

Could you be more specific? You see my boot image contains the following USB NIC dongle driver and USB 3.0 drivers. What driver am I missing? I created a dynamic boot media by loading this boot image and it works without issue once the XPS 13 boots from the media. Once the boot media is loaded from the dynamic media, it starts loading all contents from the local site server through the USB NIC dongle. So, I was confident that required drivers were all included in the boot image.

My problem is the XPS 13 never contacts the site server after it obtains an IP address from DHCP server. As a result, it can not find the boot image on the site server and can not load it to the memory. Is this an issue of the boot image?

Here are step by step instructions that I haven't tried.

Not sure if this will help or not (maybe will help some others) but I noticed in the new Dell XPS 13 (early 2015) and in some other newer Dell BIOS settings there is a 'disable USB 3.0' meaning the ports should appear as USB 2.0 ports. This should avoid the need for USB 3.0 drivers in the media. I just got an XPS and realized the lack of NIC issue...  now I'm waiting for the USB-Ethernet dongle to come in. Dell has a part that is named "Dell USB 3.0 to ethernet PXE boot" so hopefully it's recognized by the newer Dell BIOSes (plural of BIOS?).

When will wireless PXE boot become a thing?

Hi DC500 - did you successfully PXE a 2015 XPS 13. I'm just looking at buying one and need to Borg it to my company image via PXE. Knowing it can be done would be great. How would be a-maze-in!

I am using the XPS 13 with SCCM2012. I was only able to PXE with DELL dongle FM76N  REV A01. This is actually realtek driver based device.