Microsoft Windows SQL 2005 Hotfix

I had an issue installing a Hotfix for SQL Server 2005. My developer machine has SQL Server 2005 and SQL Express 2005 installed. I was initially trying to install the Hotfix file through Windows Automatic Updates but it kept failing. I went to the msdn site and downloaded the separate executable and fired the install off.



Everything seemed to be ok... The process fired back the response that I needed to stop the SQL services in order to upgrade them so I did this. A few seconds later it failed again.

Time: 09/16/2008 17:33:26.984
KB Number: KB948109
Machine: STEELRABBIT
OS Version: Microsoft Windows XP Professional Service Pack 3 (Build 2600)
Package Language: 1033 (ENU)
Package Platform: x86
Package SP Level: 2
Package Version: 3068
Command-line parameters specified:
Cluster Installation: No

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Prerequisites Check & Status
SQLSupport: Passed

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Products Detected Language Level Patch Level Platform Edition
SQL Server Database Services 2005 (MSSQLSERVER) ENU SP2 2005.090.3068.00 x86 DEVELOPER
SQL Server Database Services 2005 (SQLEXPRESS) ENU SP2 2005.090.3042.00 x86 EXPRESS
SQL Server Tools and Workstation Components 2005 ENU SP2 9.2.3068 x86 DEVELOPER

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Products Disqualified & Reason
Product Reason

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Processes Locking Files
Process Name Feature Type User Name PID

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Product Installation Status
Product : SQL Server Database Services 2005 (MSSQLSERVER)
Product Version (Previous): 3068
Product Version (Final) :
Status : Failure
Log File : C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\90\Setup Bootstrap\LOG\Hotfix\SQL9_Hotfix_KB948109_sqlrun_sql.msp.log
Error Number : 1635
Error Description : Unable to install Windows Installer MSP file
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Product : SQL Server Database Services 2005 (SQLEXPRESS)
Product Version (Previous): 3042
Product Version (Final) :
Status : Failure
Log File : C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\90\Setup Bootstrap\LOG\Hotfix\SQL9_Hotfix_KB948109_sqlrun_sql.msp.log
SQL Express Features :
Error Number : 1635
Error Description : Unable to install Windows Installer MSP file
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Product : SQL Server Tools and Workstation Components 2005
Product Version (Previous): 3068
Product Version (Final) :
Status : Failure
Log File : C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\90\Setup Bootstrap\LOG\Hotfix\SQLTools9_Hotfix_KB948109_sqlrun_tools.msp.log
Error Number : 1635
Error Description : Unable to install Windows Installer MSP file
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Summary
One or more products failed to install, see above for details
Exit Code Returned: 1635

I saught the help of our administrator to see if we could work out the issue. We noticed that the error log was failing to read the MSP file from my x:\ drive. A virtual drive linked to a folder on my c:\ drive. We presumed that that Microsoft in their infinite wisdom decide that extracting their patch files to c:\ drive is a hazard. Or that it trys to extract them to the drive with the most amount of free space. As the x:\ and c:\ drives have the same amount of space the installers decide to use the x:\ drive as I guess Microsoft presume the c:\ drive will only get smaller as programs are installed and configured.

The fix for this was to delv into the msdn site and find an article that gives the command line options for hotfix files.

Solution:

1. Open a command line window where the downloaded hotfix file is located.
2. Execute the hotfix file with the /x option. (eg. SQLServer2005-KB948109-x86-ENU.exe /x)
3. Choose a location to extract the install files to. (eg. c:\temp)
4. Run the Hotfix.exe from the location the files were extracted.

I'll have a search for the real reason the files were extracted to my x:\ drive at some point. As for why the installer couldn't read from this location is bewildering.