KB974417 install fails – working solution!

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I recently installed a new Microsoft WSUS server. Most of it went just fine. Except for a few updates that weren't needed according to windowsupdate.com, but were required according to WSUS.

Especially KB974417 was pretty annoying. I tried installing it a dozen times, but after each reboot, WAU came back telling the update was ready to install. I checked out the eventvwr, and got the following useless message:
Event Type: Error
Event Source: HotFixInstaller
Event Category: None
Event ID: 5000
Date: 3/16/2010
Time: 3:06:25 PM
User: N/A
Computer: PC1
Description:
EventType visualstudio8setup, P1 microsoft .net framework 2.0-kb974417, P2 1033, P3 1642, P4 msi, P5 f, P6 9.0.40302.0, P7 install, P8 x86, P9 w2k3r2, P10 0.

Installing it manually

I downloaded the file from the Microsoft website, to find that the update itself thought itwasn't needed as well: None of the products that are addressed by this software update are installed on this computer. Click Cancel to exit setup.

So what I did:

  1. When running NDP20SP2-KB974417-x86.exe, all files are extracted to c:\[random-hex-string].
  2. Go there, using explorer
  3. Doubleclick the .msp file to install
  4. Reboot your computer
  5. Wait for WAU to synchronise with the WSUS server. When it asks to install "the update", allow it. Windows Update will detect the update is already deployed in a second and remove the yellow icon from the taskbar. The computer will disappear from the "updates needed" reports in 5 minutes to an hour.

My setup

I tested this on Windows XP and Windows 2003 Server. It may work on other versions of Windows as well, but I haven't tested that.

Request

Please please please link this page on any website or forum discussing KB974417 problems.

© GeekLabInfo KB974417 install fails - working solution! is a post from GeekLab.info. You are free to copy materials from GeekLab.info, but you are required to link back to http://www.geeklab.info

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53 comments on “KB974417 install fails – working solution!”

  1. Hey, this solution seems to work just find... still waiting for status in wsus to change, but the manual install (as described in your posting) worked out just fine on a Windows 2003 R2 Server Std edition - Thanks !

    BTW, I first extracted the contents of the .exe with Winrar... Seemed easier to me... :)

  2. Hi Maarten, thanks for your comment. You're the first to comment on my new blog. :-) [edit: ohw, oeps, you're second]

    WSUS is always a little slow, but probably it'll be updated in a few minutes.

    Thanks for your suggestion to use Winrar. People can read it in your post, I don't want to give too much options in the main post - and after all Winrar is not installed by default, so this may not work for everybody.

  3. Excellent! Plenty of chatter about this KB problem out there, but this simple approach (in no way intuitive!), worked perfectly to solve the problem. Thank you!

  4. Thanks so much!!!! This worked like a charm.

    I previously tried all the other tricks found elsewhere that say to run the .net cleanup tool and reinstall .net manually and none of those worked.

  5. Thank you so much for this solution!!
    I worked for me aswell and I didnt even have to restart the computer.
    After dubbelklicking the msp-file I ran wuauclt.exe /detectnow

  6. Nailed it, thank you! Been looking everywhere for the fix with that KB974417 security update.

  7. Hello ,

    thank you for the solution. I works on a plain installed W2K3R2 Server.

    Great !
    Br
    Thomas

  8. I never in a million years would've gotten the notion at things that way. This should make my afternoon a whole lot easier.

  9. Thanks, this solution works fine and has finally fixed the issue i've been having.

  10. Unfortunately, this isn't working for me. Windows update pops up again asking for it, I click ok to install, and it attempts and still fails. Do I just need to wait it out for the update to happen with WSUS?

  11. Scratch my last comment, it worked. I had to download it manually, and could not use the one that WSUS pushed down. I extracted the exe with Winrar like in post two, and I've been using that to get it to update. Thanks for this, was bashing my head against the wall.

  12. Excellent solution!! This saved me hours of monkeying around with the MS solution they provided. Oh, and the winRAR tip was also very handy.

  13. Works like a charm! I spent hours monkeying around with this, but when I searched on Google for "KB974417 HotFixInstaller 5000" your blog was #1! Thanks!

  14. Works fine, thanks a lot.

    Btw. you can also use the option "-X" to extract the file.
    "NDP20SP2-KB974417-x86.exe -X"

  15. Great tip thanks. Had this exact problem on just one workstaion out of around 300. WSUS did its thing fine on all the rest but had the exact same problem on one machine. Had been going in circles before reading this.

  16. We had this problem on a Windows Server 2003 and your solution worked a treat. Thanks very much!

  17. Awesome post! Worked as advertised for me and saved me a ton of additional work.

    Thank you

  18. Thanx for the time saver - I had only been researching about 20 minutes when i stumbled upon your solution. I used Google to search on the error message in the event viewer to find this site. Excellent work! Thank you for your work around to this puzzler.

  19. Yeh cool! It actually worked! Now why doesn't Microsoft post this solution up on there website!

  20. Should KB974417 be listed in the "Add and Remove Program" list? As I can't find it in there.

  21. Another solution:

    Open add/remove programs and select the Show updates option.
    Under Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 Service Pack 2 select KB976569 and uninstall it.
    Run windows update to install KB974417 successfully
    Run windows update again to reinstall KB976569

  22. sorry, the KB to uninstall and reinstall is KB976569. I reversed the numbers.

    Edit by admin: I updated your original comment

  23. @Andrew: Thanks for your input. Your solution may be easier for users that have only 1 pc with this problem. But for admins with hundreds of computers, my solution is scriptable ;-)

  24. Thanks for this, David!

    For the impatient WSUS users out there.... running "wuauclt /detectnow" at the command prompt will force an immediate check of required updates and download of any needed updates from the WSUS server.

  25. hey im having a little trouble grasping this(really bad at compooter stuff lol) so i was wondering if anyone can lend a hand xD

    well i manually downloaded the NDP20SP2-KB974417-x86.exe from the website

    installed at NDP20SP2-KB974417-x86.exe

    opened explorer and am i suppose to put the c:\[random-hex-string] into the link section? if so i did that if not please correct me

    then after doing that i click on theNDP20SP2-KB974417-x86.exe, install it then restart correct?

    If what i wrote is all correct the problem that im having is that when i reboot and install the updates again, it still keeps asking over and over so any help is much appreciated! Sorry for being a noob even at the easiest instructions :X

  26. Dear Chris, Thanks for your reply. Personally, I think that, if you don't know how to do this, best thing you can do, is ask a neighbour/family member to help. If you do it wrong, you could end up with a broken system, so let's not take that risk.

  27. i have a problem with the procedure...... what is "[random-hex-string]"
    & where should i put this "c:\[random-hex-string]" thanks

  28. pfffffff....IS NOT WORKING FOR ME!

    I'm having the same problem...done all the steps to....downloaded the file from Microsoft website.... uninstall the KB 976569....extracted the .exe file with Winrar and used that to get it to update!! ...and I keep getting the windows automatic updates popup, told me that I need to install the KB 974417 again and again..and again!!! What should I do...it's getting very anoing??? Help ..please????...

  29. I forgot to tell you some details....I'm running on Windows XP Home SP3...for some time now...and had no problems until yestarday!!!

  30. Hi Bobo, Please follow the instructions. I never said to uninstall something or to do a regular install. If you follow the instructions exactly step-by-step, you will probably succeed.

  31. ok...i will try that! Thanks for the advice! :)
    Maybe I'm doing something wrong....When I extracted with winrar....it seems that I have 2 files that I don't know which to double click on...1. NDP20SP2-KB974417 (windows installer patch) and 2. HotFixInstaller (application)!!!
    So...which one shoul I double click on?....
    Thank you...and forgive my english :)...

  32. Andrew says:
    April 28, 2010 at 11:03 pm

    Another solution:

    Open add/remove programs and select the Show updates option.
    Under Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 Service Pack 2 select KB976569 and uninstall it.
    Run windows update to install KB974417 successfully
    Run windows update again to reinstall KB976569

    If you don't have KB976569 installed and KB974417 still doesn't install. Install KB976569 first then remove it, then install KB974417 and it worked for me! :D

  33. I found that uninstalling KB976569 first, installing KB974417 and then reinstalling KB976569 also worked for me.

  34. David (admin)
    Can you explain how to create a script for this process?

  35. @RandyD:
    1. Extract all files to a network share
    2. Make a batch file doing the rest

  36. None of the products that are addressed by this software update are installed on this computer. Click Cancel to exit setup.

    The above message shows up when the servie that the aupdate is aimed at is not installed in the computer. To install this service in XP PRO do this.
    open add/remove, click windows components, select network services >Details >tick UPnP user interface.

    This allows KB974417 to be installed.

  37. Thanks for the tip. My system extracted the file to D:\[random-hex-string] rather than to the C drive. HTH someone else.

  38. Well I have tried all the fixes mentioned and it still failed to install KB974417 so I bit the bullet and ran the clean up tool then did all the updates and everything is now fine and yes KB974417 is in add / remove programs.
    Truly appreciate your suggestions and advice.
    I actually saved the download to my desktop and unpacked it with winrar, as suggested, but got no confirmation that anything installed.

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