SMS/SCCM Clients installation Troubleshooting Check list

Seen Lot of questions/helps in many forums on the SCCM client issues like client is not reported to SCCM console ,site code unsuccessful, Client is installed but Console shows NO and many more.
Here is the check list which i have prepared to follow in brief .There may be other issues which are not mentioned here but mostly, issues lies under the below conditions.
There are a variety of Client deployment methods that are available to you when installing the client. Each has its advantages and disadvantages along with the need to meet specific business requirements.
If you choose to go SCCM client push installation method, Ensure you have created Client push installation account which should have Admin rights on the target computer else it may fail .Client push installation Step by Step Guide is here http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb632380.aspx and with Screen shots how to configure from Windows-Noob
Once you initiated the Client push installation from SCCM console( right click on computer,say install client etc ),you can start monitoring CCM.log from your \Logs. For more info on how SCCM client push installation works,please refer this article for process and troubleshooting .
The procedure  is same what ever the installation method you choose.The CCMSETUP.EXE will be downloaded to the system (c:\windows\system32\ccmsetup) and is executed. The ccmsetup.exe reads the manifest file (and also mobileclient.tcf) and fetches the remaining files(prerequisites files listed below ) to continue the client installation.

 Some of the components that are used in the client deployment process include the following:

 • CCMSetup.exe: Used to Install, uninstall and upgrade the SCCM 2007 client using client push installation or manual installation. It is low bandwidth aware and is the single way to launch client deployment. You also do not need to use CCMClean to uninstall the client as the uninstall switch can be used instead.
• BITS: BITS 2.0 is required for Windows 2000 clients. BITS 2.5 is used for most of the Windows operating systems with the exception of Windows Vista which uses BITS 3.0.
Note: When installing BITS 2.0 on Windows 2000 SP4 machines, a restart is required. This means that if you do not have BITS 2.0, then ccmsetup will stop the install and wait until the next process of reboot before it starts the next process.
• Microsoft Windows Installer v3.1 v2 (KB 893803): Update to all operating systems except Windows Server 2003 SP1 and later
• Windows Update Agent (WUA) version 7.0.6000.363: Used on clients to support detection of applicable updates and deployment
• MSXML6.msi – Windows installer script for installing the Core XML Services
• MSRDC (Remote Differential Compression): Required for branch DP to support binary differential replication. For more information on binary differential replication, please visit http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb693953.aspx .
Regarding windows 2000 clients, they don’t support MSRDC, so Windows 2000 clients cannot be branch DP’s. Windows XP and later will install this utility and the associated windows server code will be used to install the bits.
• Wimgapi.msi: Imaging API for custom tools for image management
• CCMSetup.msi: Windows installer package for deploying of the SCCM 2007 client using AD GPO. You cannot run CCMSetup.msi to install clients manually.

You can monitor CCMSETUP.LOG ,CLIENTMSI.LOG from your ccmsetup folder. It will take few min to complete the installation .Once you see, client installation succeeded,You may confirm that,installation is done but it doesn’t mean,client is healthy and able to receive policies /send information to Management Point.
Below are the SMS Related services which should (applicability depends on the client perform actions let say BITS is not used when you run the Application from DP) be running on the Client to be healthy all the time.

1. Automatic Updates
2. Background intelligence Transfer service
3. Remote Registry
4. SMS agent Host
5. Terminal Services
6. Windows Installer
7. Windows Management Instrumentation

To know if the client is healthy and able to send /receive polcicies /able to talk to Management point or not ,there are few Log files which you should look into:
CCMSETUP.LOG—–>Logs the Client installation activities
ClientLocation.log—->  Records site assignment tasks. Can help to troubleshoot scenarios where the client is not assigned to a Configuration Manager 2007 site.
LocationServices.log—> Records attempts to find management points and distribution points.Can help to troubleshoot scenarios where the client cannot find a management point or distribution point.
AND open the configuration manager Applet from control Panel and go to actions tab,check if you are able to if you are able to see more than 5 policy agents displaying or not which means that client is healthy and sent its inventory information to SCCM site server. You should be able to see the Client with SCCM client Installed and assigned Yes
more information about  SCCM client log files,please refer TechNet
Now its time to do the actual troubleshooting why client is not getting the above policy agents or not reported to SCCM console with Client YES and Installed YES

1.Check the Firewall Enabled or Disabled if enabled,allow the ports to talk to site server.Guide to add Ports to the firewall to allow the required files or policies to download.
2.Check Boundaries (could be (AD site or IP Range or IP Subnet) of the Agent are specified in the site server
3.Schema extension and ensure attributes published into AD system management container (you can see component status if there are any errors while updating the system Management container with attributes)
4.Check the if there no DNS issue in the client and that client is able to resolve the SCCM server NetBIOS as well as FQDN without any issues.
5. Check if the Client is able to talk to Management Point or not using the following Links.
http:// —-should give you blank page
http:// give you some random numbers
6.Check if WMI is working or not if not try repairing the WMI by stopping WMI service and renaming repository folder (C:\Windows\System32\wbem) and start the service.
If the above test fails make sure that MP is working fine. You can check mpcontrol.log on the site server to find the error and make sure that the same works.
4.Check the Locationservices.log( Finds management points and distribution points) and clientlocation.log( Site assignment tasks) and ClientIDManagerStartup.log(Creates and maintains the client GUID)

If you see anything apart from the above discussed,you may can post the query on SCCM forums also I would like to hear if i miss anything from above steps.