KB948109 - repeated install problems

[occam]

Since the release of this 'important' Vista patch (KB948109) yesterday,
I've made several unsuccessful install attenmts. All failed. I still
keep being offered it

The patch has to do with SP1 update to the SQL server 2005

(I had no problems installing the other 8 (6 Windows + 2 MS Office) patches.

Supplementary question - I never use this (SQL server 2005), it came
pre-installed on Vista Business. Can I uninstall it, or does another
part of Windows or Office use it?

 

[Bill Sanderson]

I had some trouble with this patch on my laptop.

One possibility was that I was low on disk space--I did some work to remedy
that. In the end, I had two updates that failed, and I installed each
separately, and that finally worked.

I believe that I installed the SQL-related update you reference from a
direct download, rather than WU.

 

[occam]

I had some trouble with this patch on my laptop.

One possibility was that I was low on disk space--I did some work to
remedy that. In the end, I had two updates that failed, and I installed
each separately, and that finally worked.

I believe that I installed the SQL-related update you reference from a
direct download, rather than WU.

Thanks Bill

I also tried the direct download method, but did not help. In
themeantime, the problem appears to be quite widespread (and nothing to
do with low disc space, imo)

http://www.vistaheads.com/forums/mi...257222-kb948109-update-error-code-0x733f.html

 

[Pat Willener]

Regarding your second question: if you don't use the SQL Server, and if
you don't have any applications using it, then you can safely uninstall it.

For the update problem, if I had it (my update for SQL Server 2000
installed with no problem), I would make sure that
- the SQL Server is stopped
- firewall & active anti-malware disabled (network disconnected)
- all other applications shut down

then try the offline update again.

 

[occam]

Regarding your second question: if you don't use the SQL Server, and if
you don't have any applications using it, then you can safely uninstall it.

This is part of the problem. Yes, the SQL server process is running
(which is why the install is not happening). I have no idea what is
starting the SQL server process however, it sure as hell is not me.

"if you don't have any applications using it"...
This is part of my original question - does MS office or anything else
which is Windows specific need this process? (I am certain all other
non-MS apps installed do NOT need this.)

 

[Pat Willener]

This is part of the problem. Yes, the SQL server process is running
(which is why the install is not happening). I have no idea what is
starting the SQL server process however, it sure as hell is not me.

"if you don't have any applications using it"...
This is part of my original question - does MS office or anything else
which is Windows specific need this process? (I am certain all other
non-MS apps installed do NOT need this.)

The SQL Server can be started automatically at startup - that is an
option in the SQL Service Manager. You can launch the SQL Service
Manager from the Start menu, then uncheck the option. You also stop the
SQL Server with the Service Manager. (I am describing what I see on my
SQL Server 2000; it might be slightly different in the 2005 version.)

I don't think Office uses the SQL Server; office has Access to perform
database functions. (I don't know about Office 2007 however, as I am
still with 2003.)

 

[Bill Sanderson]

That (733F) is the error I got.

I'm not sure what I did to fix it--I think that I may have blown away both
softwaredistribution\downloads and \datastore, after stopping bits and wuau
whatever it is called....

I was in a bit of a haze--but I know I did that on one machine--so that's
probably what fixed it for me.

Ugly fix, but not too hard to do.

 

[Bill Sanderson]

I'm not sure why I have stuff installed that needs this patch either.
However, I do work with SBS servers, and SQL server is in use for various
purposes on those servers. I may have downloaded a monitoring tool--not
sure. I do trust the patch folks to know that I need patching, at any rate.

 

[Dave M]

That (733F) is the error I got.

I'm not sure what I did to fix it--I think that I may have blown away
both softwaredistribution\downloads and \datastore, after stopping
bits and wuau whatever it is called....

I was in a bit of a haze--but I know I did that on one machine--so
that's probably what fixed it for me.

Ugly fix, but not too hard to do.

Bill, would an install under SAFE mode with networking take care of the
running services? Is that even possible, or are the Msft installers not
available while in SAFE boot? I think I've read that they aren't somewhere
specifically when the OS is Vista, but I'm not certain of that.

 

[Bill Sanderson]

I'm not sure of the answer about installing under safe mode--the installer
service is not running by default, but I think I've tried starting it, but I
can't recall whether that actually worked--under XP maybe, under Vista, I
suspect not.

In any case--the issue in my case--and maybe for everyone getting that error
code--seems to be that the installer is confused about where it is in the
process, and the way to fix it is to blow away all the contents of those
subdirectories, and start over from scratch. You have to stop the Windows
Update service (and maybe BITS) to blow away one of the two--the download
subdirectory content can be removed pretty much any time--I do this
routinely.

In this process you lose your history of installed updates, but that does
not mean that it will go get them all again--it'll check what's actually out
there and just bring in the patch you are missing.