How to Fix Windows Server 2016 Essentials Not updating

Question

Hi,

I would like to enquire if anyone in the community can assist me with an issue I am having on a Windows Server 2016 Essentials machine. We ran Windows Updates as per our usual maintenance schedule and the update(KB5027219) was downloaded, tried to install and then reverted the changes.

I thought perhaps that the update did not take properly so deleted the update from the download repository redownloaded and scheduled the installation again, and it failed again.

So I restored a backup of the Server to the office Hyper V server as a VM(Created a Checkpoint) and began troubleshooting the issue, My first thought was some form of corruption on the OS side so I tried the following;

1. Ran an SFC scan now, but this scan did not finish, The Error was: Windows Resource Protection could not perform the requested operation.
2. Ran a DISM online restore health and got error 1726: Remote Procedure Call failed, I tried restarting the service and Forcing the service to start in the registry.
3. Ran the DISM with the installation ISO as the Source, same error.
4. Uninstalled the ESET Antivirus and Tried again no change.
5. Tried downloading the app from the Microsoft Repository and installing it.
6. Tried downloading the app through the Server Management console.
7. Tried Running the Setup from an installation media and keeping all data and apps, but this was not completed successfully.

Booted into safe mode removed all updates installed in the last 3 Months and ran the DISM again, got an error saying it could not download the files to repair, and the same result when selecting the installation ISO as the source.

I am not sure what else to do to try and resolve this, any feedback that you can provide will be highly appreciated.

Answer 1

It appears that you've encountered a challenging issue with your Windows Server 2016 Essentials machine after a failed update (KB5027219). Since you've already attempted several troubleshooting steps without success, here are some additional actions you can take to address this problem:

1. Check for Pending Updates: Before proceeding, ensure that there are no other pending updates on the system. Install any pending updates, and then attempt to install the problematic update again.
2. Check Disk Health: Run a disk check utility to ensure that there are no disk-related issues causing the update failure. You can use the chkdsk command with the /f and /r options to scan and repair disk errors.

      chkdsk /f /r
   

3. Review Event Logs: Examine the Windows Event Viewer logs for more detailed error messages related to the update failure. Look for any specific error codes or event descriptions that may provide clues about the root cause of the problem.
4. Temporarily Disable Security Software: Sometimes, security software can interfere with Windows updates. Temporarily disable any security software, including firewall and antivirus programs, and then attempt to install the update again.
5. Manually Download and Install the Update: Visit the Microsoft Update Catalog (https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Home.aspx) and manually download the update package (KB5027219) specific to your system architecture. Try installing it manually rather than relying on Windows Update.
6. Perform a Repair Installation: If the issue persists, consider performing a repair installation of Windows Server 2016 Essentials. This process allows you to repair the operating system without losing your data and applications. You'll need the original installation media or an ISO file for this.
7. Contact Microsoft Support: If none of the above steps resolve the issue, it may be necessary to contact Microsoft Support for further assistance. They can provide more specialized guidance and potentially offer a solution or workaround for the update problem.

Remember to back up important data and configurations before attempting any major system changes or repairs. Additionally, consider testing any actions on a non-production system or virtual machine to avoid further disruption to your server.

Answer 2

Hello

Thank you for your question and reaching out.

1. Disable any Antivirus program or Windows firewall you may have for temporary purpose.

2. Cleanup below Temp folders location -> Open Start -> Run -> Type below location one-by-one and press enter 
    ->  C:\Windows\Temp
    ->   %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Temp

3. Please try to reset Windows update components manually using steps mentioned in this article,

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-client/deployment/additional-resources-for-windows-update


Other References :

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-client/deployment/windows-update-issues-troubleshooting
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-server/deployment/troubleshoot-windows-server-update-guidance

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