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MDT Warning: Unable to set working directory, the application returned an unexpected code 2

Posted on 07/10/202003/09/2026 Christian By Christian No Comments on MDT Warning: Unable to set working directory, the application returned an unexpected code 2
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Error code 2

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. Please see Synology Surveillance365: Cloud-Based Camera Management Without an On-Premises Surveillance Server, and Strategic breakdown and step by step guide to upgrading to VBR 13.1.

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.

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.

HMDT application

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

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.

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Windows Server Tags:Microsoft Deployment Tool kit, Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT), OS, WDS, Windows Deployment Services, Windows Server 2016

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