KB / PXE Boot Without WDS

How to PXE Boot an ISO Without WDS

You need to network-boot a machine — maybe to reimage a desktop, test an unattended install, or deploy Linux on a lab box. The standard Microsoft answer is Windows Deployment Services. The standard Microsoft answer is also massive overkill.

What WDS Actually Requires

To get a single machine to PXE boot using the official stack you need:

A Windows Server license (WDS is not available on Windows 10/11)
The WDS server role installed and configured
A DHCP server configured with options 66 (boot server host name) and 67 (boot file name) — or DHCP and WDS carefully co-located on the same box with option 60
Boot images imported into the WDS image store in WIM format
In most documented setups, Active Directory — standalone mode exists but is poorly documented and frequently broken by updates

That is hours of setup to boot one machine. And if your DHCP is on a router or firewall you cannot easily add options 66/67, you are now reading forum threads about IP helpers and DHCP relay agents.

What PXE Actually Needs

Strip away the enterprise tooling and the PXE boot chain is three simple services:

DHCP — answers the client's DISCOVER with an IP offer plus the boot file name. UEFI x64 clients need a different boot file than legacy BIOS clients (DHCP option 93 identifies the architecture).
TFTP — serves the initial boot files. For Windows: bootx64.efi, BCD, boot.sdi, and boot.wim. For Linux: an iPXE binary, then kernel and initrd.
HTTP — optional but strongly recommended for large files. TFTP is slow and some implementations cap file size; serving install.wim (4+ GB) over HTTP is dramatically faster.

Any process that speaks these three protocols can PXE boot a machine. There is no requirement for a domain, a server OS, or a deployment framework.

The UEFI Detail That Breaks Most DIY Setups

Modern UEFI firmware is strict about TFTP option negotiation (RFC 2347). When the client requests options like blksize and tsize, the server's OACK reply must echo only the options the client requested. Many lightweight TFTP servers reply with extra options — the firmware silently rejects the OACK, retries, and eventually fails with a generic timeout. If you have ever had a VM PXE boot fine while a physical machine refuses, this is usually why.

The 60-Second Alternative

This is the exact problem PXE Forge was built for. It is a single signed Windows executable that bundles all three services with the correct behavior:

Built-in DHCP that detects client architecture and serves the right boot file automatically — Microsoft bootmgr for Windows UEFI, iPXE for Linux UEFI, undionly.kpxe for BIOS
RFC 2347 compliant TFTP that strict UEFI firmware accepts
HTTP server for large file transfer — no TFTP size limits
Point it at an ISO; it caches the contents and serves them — no manual file extraction

It runs on any Windows 10/11 workstation. Download, select ISO, press Start, boot the client.

PXE Forge — Standalone Windows PXE Server

Driver injection, an 8-step unattended install wizard, Windows 11 requirement bypass, and Hyper-V integration are included. 5-boot trial with every feature unlocked.

See PXE Forge →

When You Should Still Use WDS

Honest answer: if you are deploying hundreds of machines on a domain with existing System Center or MDT task sequences, the Microsoft stack earns its complexity. PXE Forge targets the other 95% of cases — labs, small shops, MSP site visits, test benches, and anyone who just needs a machine booted from an ISO today.