A new feature included with ConfigMgr TP 1609 is the ability to use a single task sequence and convert a machine from BIOS to UEFI and reimage it. Hopefully this new feature makes it into the next release of ConfigMgr (presumably 1610 or 1611).
To complete this exercise, you will need ConfigMgr TP 1609. You must download TP 5 (available here: https://microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/evaluate-system-center-technical-preview), then use the online servicing model to upgrade to 1609. Remember that tech previews are not intended to ran in production environments, and can only be used for 90 days before needing to be reinstalled.
This article uses a pre-production build of ConfigMgr, so everything is subject to change.
Setting Up Your Task Sequence
Once you have TP 1609, create a new task sequence. Before the usual “Install Operating System” group, insert a new group. If you have user state migration, this new group needs to go AFTER the backup group of your task sequence. Here’s what my task sequence looks like (without user state migration):
I will walk through all of the steps of the “Convert to UEFI” section. The rest of it shouldn’t change from your task sequences now.
The two “Restart in Windows PE” steps are the same and can be copied from the “Restart in Windows PE” step below Install Operation System. Here’s what it looks like:
As for the options tab:
In the second restart step, I turn off the notification message because it’s not needed.
The next step, “Change to UEFI” will depend on your hardware manufacturer. I mainly use Dell’s, so here is what the step looks like for a Dell:
It calls the Dell Command | Configure tool (cctk.exe) from a package and converts the machine to UEFI. If you have HP or Lenovo models, you’ll need to figure out the correct setting and use their BIOS tools for this step. There are no options to set for this step.
The “Format Disk for UEFI Conversion” is where the real magic happens. Here’s a screenshot to get us startred:
First, you need to change the disk type to GPT. Then we need two volumes, one 500MB FAT32, and one NTFS that is the rest of the drive. The NTFS volume is straight forward – just set the partition type to primary and 100% of remaining space. The FAT32 partition should look like this:
The most important part is setting the variable. This is what tells the task sequence that we are converting from BIOS to UEFI. The variable you need to set is “TSUEFIDrive”.
After that, you’re all set. Proceed with the remainder of your task sequence as usual.
Disclaimer
All content provided on this blog is for information purposes only. Windows Management Experts, Inc makes no representation as to accuracy or completeness of any information on this site. Windows Management Experts, Inc will not be liable for any errors or omission in this information nor for the availability of this information. It is highly recommended that you consult one of our technical consultants, should you need any further assistance.
