Server 2016 recent update issues

Question

I have two domain controllers where windows updates have begun to fail. The first failed update from "update History" was KB5013952 it does not show up now on check for new updates list. The second and third failed updates are KB5014026 and KB5014702

Here is the list if fixes I tried to date:

After retrying several times I tried to download and install them from the update catalogue, manually. With no luck.
I ran the update troubleshooter which identified a problem that the troubleshooter was unable to fix.

Then I stopped the windows update service and tries to delete the contents of the windows\softwaredistribution\datastore folder and was not able to due to an "folder is in use by another process" error

I tried the rum the recommended dsim command from an administrator command window the 1st tow ran fine when I ran the final command:
dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth
I got the error Not enough storage is available to complete this operation.

Then I tried to run the sfc /scannow command
and got the following error service cannot start

I tried to manually restart the service it reported as restarted but the sfc /scannow command failed with the same error.

Please note that when I tried to start the "Windows Modules Installer Services" earlier in the troubleshooting, it was not present on the services list.

I do not know what to try next, this rabbit hole has me stumped. Can someone help me unravel this one.

Thanks

Steve Weatherbee
Cumberland Public Libraries

Answer 1

I've run into the not enough storage error before (actually, my current RDS server is having this problem when running dism). I'm curious as to what other Microsoft employees will say, but my attempts at fixing this all failed. I'm in the process of migrating my server to another VM and removing the problematic one.

I've tried even an in-place upgrade of the same version which errored out before starting stating that it can't do it.

as these are DC's, which is pretty easy to migrate, I'd spin up a new VM, add the ADDS role and promote it to a DC. CONFIRM that everything transferred over using replmon, dcdiag, and make sure it's a global catalog, and then turn off the 2 domain controllers (after making sure they are not used for DNS/DHCP anymore and that the new DC is handling these) and see if your network continues to work. LEAVE THEM OFF FOR 2 WEEKS... then if everything is good, start it up, and dcpromo it back to a member server and then disjoin the server from the domain and wipe it. Don't just delete the system because it needs to be properly removed.