Windows Update Error - "The system cannot find the file specified"

[michaelf]

Hello, I'm hoping one of you lovely people can offer some help with an error I've been struggling with for the past few days. I have a couple of 2008 r2 boxes which steadfastly continue to fail when installing certain updates with the error:

 

Code 80070002 Windows Update encountered an unknown error

 

I've tried downloading the update manually and running it which gives a slightly different error (The following updates were not installed) and in the event log:

 

Windows update "Security Update for Windows (KB4074598)" could not be installed because of error 2147942402 "The system cannot find the file specified." (Command line: ""C:\Windows\system32\wusa.exe" "C:\temp\Updates\windows6.1-kb4074598-x64_87a0c86bfb4c01d9c32d2cd3717b73c1b83cb798.msu"        ")

 

Which persists no matter from where I try to run the file. I've tried clearning the software distribution folder, several reboots and the steps outlined here https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/askcore/2011/02/15/how-to-use-dism-to-install-a-hotfix-from-within-windows/ all without succcess.

 

The update in question, and the only one showing as available when running windows update is kb4338818 but WSUS also lists failures on the Feb and June update. It's also interesting to note that the server lists an option to "install updates and shutdown" which it will try to do but evidently fails at because the option is still there on the next reboot.

[Fazza]

Have you tried doing it as a different user - such as a local admin account rather than a domain admin account? When I get odd things happening with Windows Updates this tends to fix the installation issues so might be worth a try.

[michaelf]

Thanks for the suggestion, I've given that a shot but still the same issue.

[sigma]

I think I'd avoid kb4338818 as there are know issues with it. I can't from home, but it might have been superseded?

 

I've been following the "Security Only" update track and so will install KB4338823 which is apparently clean. (No WSUS on my 2008 servers).

 

Have you tried downloading and installing KB4074598 from the Microsoft Catalog?

[michaelf]

Thanks for the suggestions, and some interesting info about that particular update. I've been through and downloaded the failed updates individually from the catalogue, including KB4338823 and it's on running the MSU file that I get the somewhat confusing Windows update "Security Update for Windows (KB4074598)" could not be installed because of error 2147942402 "The system cannot find the file specified." (Command line: ""C:\Windows\system32\wusa.exe" "C:\temp\Updates\windows6.1-kb4074598-x64_87a0c86bfb4c01d9c32d2cd3717b73c1b83cb798.msu" ") error

[sigma]

I'm thinking that because you are installing the monthly rollup KB4338823, and KB4074598 is likely part of the rollup from February, that will keep failing every month until it is superseded in the rollup. I think the failure of KB4074598 is the one you have to solve, and then everything else should fall into place.

 

Is IE11 installed?

[michaelf]

That sounds like a logical conclusion. IE11 is indeed installed,

[michaelf]

Can I be cheeky and ask if anyone has any more ideas with this>

[michaelf]

For the benefit of anyone encountering this via a Google search, I was able to resolve this by following the advice in the linked Reddit article and chose to hide tha failed update, check for updates, at which point the previous month's update appeared. I then repeated the process untill an update installed without error (in my case this was KB4019264). I then unhid the updates, checked again, and it installed without issue.

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/windows/comments/6tj7m9/this_windows_7_update_keeps_failing_security/dm16jk7

 

I suspect therefore that @sigma is correct in the suggestion that the cause of the failiure was required files from a previous update.