How to create a bootable USB SCCM imaging stick

Creating a bootable USB stick from an SCCM task sequence lets you image machines that don’t have working network/PXE access, or where PXE booting isn’t practical. Here’s the full process using the Task Sequence Media Wizard.

Requirements

Plug a USB memory stick into the SCCM server before you start. Sizing matters: a Windows XP image needs at least an 8GB stick, while a Windows 7 (or later) image needs at least 16GB — undersized media will fail partway through the wizard.

Creating the media

1. Once the USB stick is recognised by the server, open the SCCM console and browse to Computer Management > Operating System > Task Sequences.
2. Right-click the task sequence you want to put on the stick and select Create Task Media.
3. On the Task Sequence Media Wizard, choose Stand-Alone Media and click Next.
4. On the Media Type page, select USB Flash Drive and click Next.
5. You’ll get a warning that this formats the media — click Yes to continue (this erases the stick, so make sure it’s empty or backed up first).
6. On the Security page, set a password to protect the media — this is worth doing every time, since a lost stick with an unprotected image is a real risk.
7. Select the task sequence you want to run (your Operating System Image sequence) and click Next.
8. On the Distribution Points page, add each of your DPs to the media so the content is available locally on the stick, then click Next.
9. Work through the remaining wizard pages with the defaults, and SCCM will build the USB stick with the task sequence and image baked in.

Building the media can take a while depending on server and USB speed and how much content is being copied across — leave it to finish rather than pulling the drive early, as an interrupted build will leave you with unusable media.

Resources

• SCCM
• SCCM