How to increase the SMSTS.Log file size for PXE OS Deployments?

1. Create a new text file called SMSTS.ini in notepad with the following text.

[Logging]
LOGLEVEL=0
LOGMAXSIZE=5242880
LOGMAXHISTORY=3
DEBUGLOGGING=1
ENABLELOGGING=True

Make sure the file name is SMSTS.ini but NOT SMSTS.ini.txt.

2. Identity your boot image to be used in the task sequence and locate its wim file from its Properties in SCCM console.

By default this file is located on Configuration Manager primary server in the following path:

<SCCM-INSTALL-DIR>\OSD\boot\i386\boot.wim
<SCCM-INSTALL-DIR>\OSD\boot\x64\boot.wim

If you are using customized, do it the same way. All you need to do is to locate the customized wim image.

Note: Make a backup copy of the file before making any changes to it.

3. Mount wim image file. Refer to – https://wordpress.com/posts/sccmpeek.wordpress.com

4. Copy the SMSTS.INI file to the Windows directory

After entering the PXE password and before selecting a task sequence, SMSTS.log file shows the following message:

4. Update Distribution Points

Location of Task Sequence log smsts.log

The location of the task sequence log file smsts.log varies depending upon the phase of the task sequence:

• In Windows PE BEFORE Format and Partition Disk step: X:\Windows\temp\smstslog\smsts.log (X is the Windows PE RAM drive)
• In Windows PE AFTER Format and Partition Disk step: X:\smstslog\smsts.log, then copied to C:\_SMSTaskSequence\Logs\smstslog\smsts.log when drive is ready
• In the new Windows OS BEFORE the client is installed: C:\_SMSTaskSequence\Logs\smstslog\smsts.log
• In Windows AFTER the client is installed: C:\Windows\CCM\Logs\smstslog\smsts.log
• In Windows AFTER the task sequence completes: C:\Windows\CCM\Logs\smsts.log

References

• Task sequence log locations