Exchange CU Update broke server

[ITGURU]

So here goes... i had an exchange 2013 server with cu 6 installed happily running no issues for years, never had a reason to apply updates and with starting to think about migration to 2016 wanted to bring the server up to date with the cumulative updates.

 

Noticing that microsoft only provide downlaoad links for the last 2 updates i had no choice but to jump up drastically to update the server.

 

All seemed to be going well until the step of installing language packs. The setup failed and told me it failed due to another version of the product being installed so install halted and all services disabled.

 

I searched and searched the internet which led to copying files from other working servers, deleting reg keys, all to no avail. In add/remove programs it had already changed the entry to exchange server 2013 with cu 18 . changing the services back to automatic and rebooting including iis resulted in owa and ecp being broken and unable to load .

 

I found language packs from another server and uninstalled what i could with no change when trying to re-run the setup. I was now in state of a broken inaccessible server by outllok, owa and ecp. at one point it did ask for the language pack msi for CU6 but i not longer had the files and no where to be found online.

 

My last resort was to spin up a new vm and install exchange on a second server. as the information store was still accessible in the broken server i was able to carry out mailbox migrations to the second server using the ecp on the new server.

 

What would be the normal solution in this situation be when an update refuses to install and breaks it.

 

i now cannot uninstall exchange from the original server as it says an error - re-run setup. Therefore i don't see any other way to get the original server working again or without manually removing it somehow and finding some instructions online.

 

Any exchange experts able to help get the original server back functioning or advise to do a manual removal of it including from AD?

 

Thanks.

[ITGURU]

Finally getting somewhere on the bodged install!

I found a download for resolving issues installing or uninstalling software https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/help/17588/fix-problems-that-block-programs-from-being-installed-or-removed

I entered the product ID that it was looking for the original source for as I knew what that was and wasn't in the list.

I then re-ran the CU setup with recover switch and it's now installing it and got passed Language Packs: Completed!

Fingers crossed!

[forkies]

Glad you got this resolved. Not nice when things break during routine maintenance! The only advice I have for future is take a full backup prior to any maintenance so you can easily roll back (I have had to do this once before won't exch2010). Especially with exchange as it does seem to break every now and then when applying cumulative updates.

 

When I had my issue and had to restore, running the setup again just worked, no reason it shouldn't have worked the first time!

[ITGURU]

Glad you got this resolved. Not nice when things break during routine maintenance! The only advice I have for future is take a full backup prior to any maintenance so you can easily roll back (I have had to do this once before won't exch2010). Especially with exchange as it does seem to break every now and then when applying cumulative updates.

 

When I had my issue and had to restore, running the setup again just worked, no reason it shouldn't have worked the first time!

 

That's one reason why I don't usually apply them! As the saying goes if it aint broke don't fix it but I needed it to be on a higher update to support exchange 2016 integration.

 

I wasn't sure if just restoring the entire WindowsImageBackup from a backup by booting from the server install disc would have restored it back to the working state easily or whether id' have to clean install windows first then restore from the backup?

 

In my 14 years I've never had to restore exchange or had a exchange server break, touch wood, until now.

[3s-gtech]

I've done the majority of the CU updates, from around CU3 up to CU17, on my Exchange 2013 box. Not had many issues other than the fun one where it disabled Automatic start for all Exchange services post update, but it's extremely nerve wracking every time (even with backups).

[skell]

Agreed. I've been working with Exchange since 2007, and each update just about wrecks me.

[ITGURU]

Agreed. I've been working with Exchange since 2007, and each update just about wrecks me.

 

That's why I never touch it when it's running . Even the windows updates cause me to cross everything after a reboot!