If the client gets an IP address but still cannot download the variables, a network firewall or access control list (ACL) might be blocking the necessary traffic. Ping works, but web requests to the MP fail.
If the client receives an IP address too late, WinPE times out looking for variables.dat .
On the distribution point, navigate to: HKLM\Software\Microsoft\SMS\DP Add or modify DWORD MaxVariableSize – set to 8192 (8KB) or 16384 (16KB). Restart the SMS Executive and WDS services. unable to download pxe variable file. exit code 14 sccm
Starting SCCM current branch 1906, PXE can operate without WDS. If you are using a DP with WDS, try switching to the “Enable a PXE responder without Windows Deployment Service” option. This often resolves legacy file transfer timeouts.
: If the client is on a different subnet than the PXE server, incorrect or missing IP helpers on the router can block the request. MP/DP Connectivity If the client gets an IP address but
If this issue only happens on specific VLANs or remote sites, the physical network architecture might be dropping the traffic.
The Exit code 14 error occurs at the beginning of Phase 3. The client has successfully booted into WinPE, but WinPE fails to load the correct network driver. As a result, the environment has no network connectivity. The SCCM client service, unable to find a network connection, throws the ERROR_NOT_ENOUGH_MEMORY (code 14) error because it cannot perform the necessary network operations. If you are using a DP with WDS,
Right-click your -> Properties -> Drivers tab, and add the driver.
Even with an IP address, WinPE may still lack the correct network driver to fully initialize the network stack for the specific SCCM operations (like downloading the variable file). Alternatively, a network configuration issue (like a slow IP release) could be the problem.
This is the most frequent solution. If a previous attempt failed or was interrupted, the cached files on the local hard drive or RAM disk (X:) can become corrupted, preventing the new variable file from writing correctly.
How to Fix "Unable to download PXE variable file. Exit code 14" in SCCM