The main function of MDT and WDS is to ease the installation of Windows on remote PCs via the Pre-execution Environment (PXE). PXE requires the use of a Windows Server configured with the Windows Deployment Services (WDS) role. WDS gets the image from the MDT server and then uses WinPE to run the boot.wim file to boot the target machine up and then install the device.

For more on the configuration of MDT and WDS, see the following guides: ADK, MDT, and WDS: How to configure and deploy Windows using Microsoft Deployment Toolkit, and Windows Deployment Services for Windows 10. For WDS/DHCP scenarios: How to configure DHCP Server option 60, 66 and 67 for Windows Deployment Services, Uninstall WDS: How to remove Windows Deployment Services role via the GUI and PowerShell, What happens when WDS and DNS is installed on the same server: DNS issues with WDS. How to create a capture image on Windows Deployment Services, Windows Deployment Services: WDSUTIL CommandLine Options on Windows Server 2019.

The following error was prompted because the application itself was available over MDT, and there was a madatory rule to have the application installed, but the application files (directory) was not available on the MDT Deployment Share file system.

Solution: Since the working directory no longer exists that is assigned to the application to be installed, we will need to copy the application directory (files) to the DeployShare file system. In this way, the installation will run and complete without errors.

Unable to set working directory

Here are some other errors related to MDT and WDS I have written on. How to fix error 0xc1510114: The wim file needs to be remounted, error 0x80070002: When trying to mount an image file, error code 15601: How to resolve DISM unspecified error when removing preinstalled packages, error 0xc1420127: The specified image in the specified wim is already mounted for read and write access, DISM Error 87: The package is unknown and Error 740: Elevated permissions are required to run DISM.

For more information on the differences between ADK, MDT, Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager (SCCM), Intune, Autopilot, and WSUS. No bootable media found system halted: Unable to PXE boot WDS to Virtualbox.

I hope you found this blog post helpful. If you encounter issues like “Unable to set working directory,” please let me know in the comment section, and I’ll do my best to assist you.