We have an AWS EC2 Instance with OS: Windows Server 2016, and we are unable to update the Windows/Patch

Question

We have an AWS EC2 Instance with OS: Windows Server 2016, and we are unable to update the Windows/Patch

We tried to install the following KB articles manually and failed

KB5055170

KB5055661

KB5048671

We have also tried with built-in troubleshooter UI, PowerShell:

msdt.exe /id WindowsUpdateDiagnostic

Manually reset Windows Update Components using:

net stop wuauserv

net stop cryptSvc

net stop bits

net stop msiserver

ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old

ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 catroot2.old

net start wuauserv

net start cryptSvc

net start bits

net start msiserver

The command DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth was not completed

sfc /scannow constantly shows that a system restart is required, and we are also unable to Windows updates manually.

Also we have checked that

• No antivirus is running in the instance
• Proxy is not configured
• DISM failed. No operation was performed.

Please guide further what steps can be performed to troubleshoot the issue

Answer 1

Hi Prashant,

As mentioned, the installation of three packages (KB5055170, KB5055661, KB5048671) failed, even when attempted manually. Additionally, the "Restore Health" operation was unsuccessful.

To further troubleshoot, could you please:

Check the current update status of the machine:

• What is the most recent patch installed?
• Was the January 2025 SSU (Servicing Stack Update) installed before attempting these updates? You can verify this by running: "winver" and sharing a screenshot of the output. I will help clarify the system’s current state.

Confirm if you’ve tried installing via DISM. If not, below are the correct steps to proceed after ensuring the January 2025 SSU is installed:

Steps for Manual Installation via DISM:

1. Download the required update (.msu) from the Microsoft Update Catalog.
2. Extract the .msu to .cab files using: expand -F:* Update.msu C:\temp (Replace Update.msu with your actual filename)
3. Install the update using DISM: DISM /Online /Add-Package /PackagePath:"C:\temp<filename>.cab"
4. Reboot and verify installation.

Please do let me know it goes!