MDT Invalid credentials: The network was not found

In this article, you will learn how to fix MDT Invalid credentials: The network was not found. The error message ‘Invalid credentials’ is shown when one of your platforms has trouble connecting due to the provided credentials being incorrect or permission errors. Here are some related errors you will come across when modifying Windows Image. How to fix error 0xc1510114: The wim file needs to be remounted, error 0x80070002: When trying to mount an image file, and error code 15601: How to resolve DISM unspecified error when removing preinstalled packages

Why was the error “MDT Invalid credentials” prompted?

This error above was prompted because of permission issues associated with my Deployment Share. Also, I had to append the UserDomain to the bootstrap.ini. Below is the error prompt.

Resolution

To fix this, locate the Deployment Share and right-click on it. Select Properties as shown below.

This will open the Deployment Share Properties Window as shown below.

Open the Advanced Security for the DeploymentShare

Click on the Security tab and click on the Advanced button as shown below in order to set inheritance and take ownership of the share.

This will open the Advanced Security for the DeploymentShare.

Furthermore, Take ownership of the file and set the needed permission. Finally, click on “Replace all child object permission entries with inheritable permission entries from this object.

Next, we will have to edit the bootstrap.ini file in order to append the UserDomain to the bootstrap.ini. Open the Deployment Share file system.

Click on the control folder and edit the bootstrap.ini file and add “UserDomain=your domain here and save your file.

When you are done with the steps above, you will have to regenerate the Lite Touch boot file again. To do this, follow the steps below. 

See this guide for more information about “ADK, MDT, and WDS: How to configure and deploy Windows using Microsoft Deployment Toolkit, and Windows Deployment Services for Windows 10“.

Update Deployment” share

Right-click on the deployment share over the MDT and click on the “Update Deployment” share

After updating the Deployment Share folder. The system generates LiteTouch WIM files, placing them under the boot folder in the created Deployment Share.

To Add the Lite-Touch Images to WDS, follow the steps below.

On the WDS-SERVER, open Windows Deployment Services (WDS), right-click on the Boot Images and then click on Add Boot Image.

This still will go through the Lite Touch WinPE generation and when complete, you can replace the existing Lite Touch PE file on WDS.

When next the client establishes a connection to the WDS server (PXE Server), the error will no longer be there and the installation will complete successfully as shown below.

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.

I hope you found this blog post on “MDT Invalid credentials: The network was not found” helpful. If you have any questions, please let me know in the comment session.