Configuring Administrator Approval

An alternative to pre-staging computers or allowing unrestricted access to Windows Deployment Services images is to require administrator approval before allowing installation. You accomplish this on the PXE Response tab of each server. You can also configure this by setting the PXE Server Initial policy when you install Windows Deployment Services, as described in the section titled "Installing Windows Deployment Services" earlier in this tutorial.

To require administrative approval for unknown computers, begin by granting Domain Admin permissions to the computer account of the Windows Deployment Services server. Instructions on how to do this can be found at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc754005.aspx under the heading "Approve a Pending Computer." Then perform the following steps:

1. In the Windows Deployment Services management console, right-click the server and then click Properties.
2. On the PXE Response tab, click Respond To All Client Computers (Known And Unknown) and then select the Require Administrator Approval For Unknown Computers check box.
   Systems booted to Windows PE will enter a pending state until an administrator approves their installation. You can view systems in this state in the Pending Devices item of the Windows Deployment Services management console.