WinPE PnP Regression in ADK 26100+ — All NICs Fail with CM_PROB_REINSTALL / STATUS_PNP_REBOOT_REQUIRED (Breaks Network Deployment)

Daniel Sharp 20 Reputation points
2026-06-05T01:57:29.8133333+00:00

Summary

WinPE images built from ADK 26100.1, 26100.2454, and 28000.1 (24H2 kernel) fail to initialize all network adapters. Every NIC enters CM_PROB_REINSTALL (Code 18) with Problem Status 0xC0000493 (STATUS_PNP_REBOOT_REQUIRED). Because WinPE never reboots, the device nodes remain permanently non‑functional, resulting in complete loss of network connectivity.

This affects all NICs, including Microsoft’s own ROOT\KDNIC, proving the regression is in the WinPE PnP subsystem, not in any injected driver.

Environment

ADK Versions Tested

25398.1 (22H2 kernel) — Working

26100.1 — Broken

26100.2454 — Broken

28000.1 — Broken

Hardware Tested

Intel laptop — Realtek RTL8125

AMD desktop — Aquantia AQC107, Intel I211

Host OS

Windows 11 24H2

Problem Description

In WinPE from ADK 26100+:

All NICs fail with:

Problem Code: 18 (CM_PROB_REINSTALL)

  **Problem Status:** 0xC0000493 (STATUS_PNP_REBOOT_REQUIRED)
  
  WinPE cannot reboot, so the flag never clears
  
  Device nodes remain permanently disabled
  
  Network stack never initializes
  
  Network‑based OS deployment becomes impossible

Critical Evidence — ROOT\KDNIC Failure

The inbox Microsoft virtual NIC ROOT\KDNIC shows the same failure state:

CM_PROB_REINSTALL

STATUS_PNP_REBOOT_REQUIRED

This confirms the issue is not driver‑related — it is a PnP manager regression in WinPE.

Repro Steps

Build WinPE using ADK 26100+

Boot into WinPE

Run:

Code

pnputil /enum-devices /problem 18

Observe all NICs (including ROOT\KDNIC) stuck in CM_PROB_REINSTALL

Network connectivity is unavailable

Expected Behavior

WinPE should initialize NICs without requiring a reboot cycle.

Actual Behavior

PnP marks devices as requiring a reboot, which WinPE cannot perform, leaving devices permanently disabled.

Impact

This regression breaks:

Factory‑floor imaging

Enterprise OS deployment

MDT/SCCM/ConfigMgr network boot

Any WinPE‑based automation requiring network access

This is a blocking issue for OEMs and IT deployment teams.

Confirmed Workaround (Production‑Safe)

Add the following to startnet.cmd after wpeinit:

Code

pnputil /enum-devices /problem 18 /format csv > %TEMP%\prob18.txt

for /f "usebackq skip=1 tokens=1 delims=," %%i in ("%TEMP%\prob18.txt") do (
    pnputil /remove-device "%%i"
)

pnputil /scan-devices

Explanation:

/remove-device deletes the stale node containing the reboot-required flag

/scan-devices forces PnP to create a fresh node

CSV mode avoids whitespace issues in instance IDs

After this sequence, NICs initialize normally.

Requested Fix

Please update the WinPE PnP manager to:

Suppress STATUS_PNP_REBOOT_REQUIRED when WinPE is running under MiniNT, since WinPE has no reboot cycle to resolve this state.

This behavior existed in previous ADK versions and is required for WinPE to function as documented.

Additional Diagnostic Data Available

I can provide:

pnputil logs

CM_PROB state dumps

Device node comparisons (22H2 vs 24H2 WinPE)

  • Kernel debugger traces

Before/after device tree snapshots

Summary

WinPE images built from ADK 26100.1, 26100.2454, and 28000.1 (24H2 kernel) fail to initialize all network adapters. Every NIC enters CM_PROB_REINSTALL (Code 18) with Problem Status 0xC0000493 (STATUS_PNP_REBOOT_REQUIRED). Because WinPE never reboots, the device nodes remain permanently non‑functional, resulting in complete loss of network connectivity.

This affects all NICs, including Microsoft’s own ROOT\KDNIC, proving the regression is in the WinPE PnP subsystem, not in any injected driver.

Environment

ADK Versions Tested

25398.1 (22H2 kernel) — Working

  26100.1 — *Broken*
  
     26100.2454 — *Broken*
     
        28000.1 — *Broken*
        
        ### **Hardware Tested**

           Intel laptop — Realtek RTL8125
           
              AMD desktop — Aquantia AQC107, Intel I211
              
              ### **Host OS**

                 Windows 11 24H2
                 
                 ## **Problem Description**

                 In WinPE from ADK 26100+:
                 
                    All NICs fail with:
                    
                          **Problem Code:** 18 (CM_PROB_REINSTALL)
                          
                                **Problem Status:** 0xC0000493 (STATUS_PNP_REBOOT_REQUIRED)
                                
                                   WinPE cannot reboot, so the flag never clears
                                   
                                      Device nodes remain permanently disabled
                                      
                                         Network stack never initializes
                                         
                                            Network‑based OS deployment becomes impossible
                                            
                                            ## **Critical Evidence — ROOT\KDNIC Failure**

                                            The inbox Microsoft virtual NIC **ROOT\KDNIC** shows the *same* failure state:
                                            
                                               CM_PROB_REINSTALL
                                               
                                                  STATUS_PNP_REBOOT_REQUIRED
                                                  
                                                  This confirms the issue is **not driver‑related** — it is a **PnP manager regression in WinPE**.
                                                  
                                                  ## **Repro Steps**

                                                     Build WinPE using ADK 26100+
                                                     
                                                        Boot into WinPE
                                                        
                                                           Run:
                                                           
                                                           Code
                                                           ```sql
                                                           pnputil /enum-devices /problem 18
                                                           ```
                                                           
                                                              Observe all NICs (including ROOT\KDNIC) stuck in CM_PROB_REINSTALL
                                                              
                                                                 Network connectivity is unavailable
                                                                 
                                                                 ## **Expected Behavior**

                                                                 WinPE should initialize NICs without requiring a reboot cycle.
                                                                 
                                                                 ## **Actual Behavior**

                                                                 PnP marks devices as requiring a reboot, which WinPE cannot perform, leaving devices permanently disabled.
                                                                 
                                                                 ## **Impact**

                                                                 This regression breaks:
                                                                 
                                                                    Factory‑floor imaging
                                                                    
                                                                       Enterprise OS deployment
                                                                       
                                                                          MDT/SCCM/ConfigMgr network boot
                                                                          
                                                                             Any WinPE‑based automation requiring network access
                                                                             
                                                                             This is a **blocking issue** for OEMs and IT deployment teams.
                                                                             
                                                                             ## **Confirmed Workaround (Production‑Safe)**

                                                                             Add the following to **startnet.cmd** after `wpeinit`:
                                                                             
                                                                             Code
                                                                             ```python
                                                                             pnputil /enum-devices /problem 18 /format csv > %TEMP%\prob18.txt

for /f "usebackq skip=1 tokens=1 delims=," %%i in ("%TEMP%\prob18.txt") do ( pnputil /remove-device "%%i" )

pnputil /scan-devices ```

                                                                             **Explanation:**
                                                                             
                                                                                `/remove-device` deletes the stale node containing the reboot-required flag
                                                                                
                                                                                   `/scan-devices` forces PnP to create a fresh node
                                                                                   
                                                                                      CSV mode avoids whitespace issues in instance IDs
                                                                                      
                                                                                      After this sequence, NICs initialize normally.
                                                                                      
                                                                                      ## **Requested Fix**

                                                                                      Please update the WinPE PnP manager to:
                                                                                      
                                                                                      > **Suppress STATUS_PNP_REBOOT_REQUIRED when WinPE is running under MiniNT**, since WinPE has no reboot cycle to resolve this state.
                                                                                      
                                                                                      This behavior existed in previous ADK versions and is required for WinPE to function as documented.
                                                                                      
                                                                                      ## **Additional Diagnostic Data Available**

                                                                                      I can provide:
                                                                                      
                                                                                         pnputil logs
                                                                                         
                                                                                            CM_PROB state dumps
                                                                                            
                                                                                               Device node comparisons (22H2 vs 24H2 WinPE)
                                                                                               
                                                                                                  Kernel debugger traces
                                                                                                  
                                                                                                     Before/after device tree snapshots
Windows for business | Windows Client for IT Pros | Devices and deployment | Other
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Answer accepted by question author

Brian Huynh 3,395 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
2026-06-05T03:07:30.1533333+00:00

Hello Daniel Sharp, thank you for posting in the Microsoft Q&A community and providing such an incredibly detailed report.

The issue you described with network adapters failing to initialize in WinPE built from ADK 26100.1, 26100.2454, and 28000.1 with CM_PROB_REINSTALL (Code 18) and STATUS_PNP_REBOOT_REQUIRED (0xC0000493) appears to be a regression in the PnP manager or a behavioral change in the 24H2 Windows kernel under the MiniNT environment. During device initialization, the PnP manager is inappropriately flagging the NIC instances with a required reboot. Because WinPE runs entirely in a RAM disk and cannot survive a reboot cycle to clear pending PnP states, the network devices remain permanently disabled. The fact that the Microsoft virtual adapter ROOT\KDNIC is also affected strongly points to a core WinPE PnP subsystem issue rather than a driver-specific fault.

Currently, the official standard resolution for enterprise deployment blocking issues caused by new ADK releases is to revert to the previous known-good version until a servicing patch is released. The Windows 11 ADK version 22H2 (build 25398.1) is fully supported and remains a reliable baseline for MDT, SCCM, and custom WinPE deployment scenarios.

However, if you must remain on the 24H2 ADK, your provided workaround is an excellent programmatic mitigation. For the benefit of the community and other IT pros encountering this issue, here is the formalized integration into startnet.cmd to clear the stuck state:

wpeinit
@echo off
echo Attempting to clear stuck PnP NIC devices (Code 18)...
pnputil /enum-devices /problem 18 /format csv > "%TEMP%\prob18.txt"
 
for /f "usebackq skip=1 tokens=1 delims=," %%i in ("%TEMP%\prob18.txt") do (
    echo Removing stale device: %%i
    pnputil /remove-device "%%i"
)
 
echo Rescanning PnP hardware...
pnputil /scan-devices

I recommend opening a formal Support ticket directly from your enterprise portal referencing this exact behavior, as well as submitting via the Windows Feedback Hub, to ensure it is actively tracked as a high-impact enterprise blocker.

If this helps clarify the current path forward, please consider hitting "Accept Answer" so other users facing this failure can easily find your workaround.

For official documentation please reference:

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  1. AI answer

    2026-06-05T01:57:43.3833333+00:00

    There is no information in the provided context that documents a known WinPE PnP regression in ADK 26100+ or an official fix/workaround for NICs failing with CM_PROB_REINSTALL / STATUS_PNP_REBOOT_REQUIRED in 24H2-based WinPE.

    The only WinPE/ADK networking regressions and fixes described in the context are:

    1. A Windows PE Network/WinPE-Dot3Svc optional component issue in Windows 10 1607/1703, fixed by installing KB4025632 from the Microsoft Update Catalog.
    2. A Windows PE boot image networking initialization issue with the Windows 10 1511 ADK when used with Configuration Manager, causing error 0x80220014 during “Initializing hardware devices.”
    3. General guidance to use the latest ADK and WinPE add-on, apply ADK servicing patches, and apply Windows security updates to WinPE images.
    4. A note that Configuration Manager can use older WinPE versions as boot images (for example, the last 32‑bit WinPE from the Windows 10, version 2004 ADK), although they can’t be customized in the ConfigMgr console.

    From this context, the only supported, documented mitigation pattern that aligns with a blocking WinPE networking issue is:

    • Use a known‑good ADK/WinPE version for deployment scenarios until the newer ADK/WinPE is fixed, as has been done historically when specific ADK releases had WinPE networking defects.
    • Keep WinPE images fully updated with the latest Windows updates and ADK servicing patches, as described in the ADK documentation.

    There is no documented mechanism in the context to change WinPE’s PnP behavior (for example, suppressing STATUS_PNP_REBOOT_REQUIRED under MiniNT), nor any official acknowledgment of the specific CM_PROB_REINSTALL regression described.

    Given the constraints of the context, the only actionable guidance that is supported is:

    1. Prefer a working ADK/WinPE version (such as an earlier, validated release) for production deployment until a newer ADK is explicitly documented as fixed for this scenario.
    2. Ensure the latest ADK, WinPE add-on, and cumulative/security updates are applied to WinPE images, following the documented process for updating/customizing WinPE.
    3. For Configuration Manager/MDT environments, continue using older, working WinPE boot images if necessary, as supported, while monitoring official documentation for updated WinPE/ADK releases that address networking issues.

    No official confirmation, fix, or registry/boot-time configuration for the described 24H2 WinPE PnP regression is present in the supplied material.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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