Last week, I innocently decided to build myself a new Server 2012 R2 image – and then sysprep it so I could easily spin up a new host for whatever I needed.
Yes, I know I could use Server 2016 – but the vast majority of my customers are using 2012 R2 – and what good is a lab exercise if it does not reflect what you will be doing in production? So, off I go to build myself my squeaky clean image.
The install went so easy. And the then update nightmare begins. I have no idea why it has to be so &^%#$@! difficult. It’s not like I am trying to do something that is way out there. I just want to get all the operating system updates applicable up to and including today.
As we should know by now, Server 2012 R2 will go through multiple iterations of updates for a variety of reasons. One of them being what some people called SP1 to R2 – specifically KB2919355. Roughly 800MB of (eh?) goodness. After that is another 190+ updates.
For my new image, KB2919355 refused to be seen, let alone install. Dang. Last time this happened I had to throw the server away. Oddly, and why I am ranting today, is that the next server build, like 5 minutes later, went right through with zero issues. This time, I resolved to figure it out rather than give in.
Here is what I found. This may or may not work for you. It may or may not trip your trigger – you may just wish to throw things away and start the Server 2012 R2 Update Roulette game over again.
After doing some reading about the well-known issue that is KB2919355, I downloaded the components of the KB separately. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=42334. I also downloaded KB2919442 separately from here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=42162.
Then I installed/ran them in the following order:
- kb2932046
- kb2934018
- kb2937592
- kb2938439
- kb2959977
- kb2919442
- clearcompressionflag.exe
- Chant, light the candles, and spatter the chicken blood. Reboot
- kb2919355
Oh joy. Only 190 more to go.
YMMV
