Scribd
Upload
359 views4 pages

How To Resolve Missing MSI or MSP Packages During SQL Server Service Packs

This document provides guidance on resolving missing MSI or MSP packages during SQL Server updates. The issue occurs when these package files are missing from the Windows Installer cache. A script is available to identify which packages are missing by examining the package paths. To resolve the missing packages, the script output should be reviewed to determine which packages are absent, then the original installation media should be used to copy the missing files into the Windows Installer cache folder. Running the script and replacing any missing packages allows the SQL Server update to complete successfully.

Uploaded by

Adarsh Sharma
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
359 views4 pages

How To Resolve Missing MSI or MSP Packages During SQL Server Service Packs

This document provides guidance on resolving missing MSI or MSP packages during SQL Server updates. The issue occurs when these package files are missing from the Windows Installer cache. A script is available to identify which packages are missing by examining the package paths. To resolve the missing packages, the script output should be reviewed to determine which packages are absent, then the original installation media should be used to copy the missing files into the Windows Installer cache folder. Running the script and replacing any missing packages allows the SQL Server update to complete successfully.

Uploaded by

Adarsh Sharma
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 4

How to Resolve missing MSI or MSP packages during

SQL Server Service Packs, Hotfix or Cumulative Updates

Issue:
You receive the following error message when you perform an upgrade: 
Cause:
These problems may occur when the Windows Installer database file (.msi) or the Windows Installer
patch file (.msp) is missing from the Windows Installer cache. The Windows Installer cache is located in
the following folder:
%windir%\installer
When a product is installed by using Windows Installer, a stripped version of the original .msi file is
stored in the Windows Installer cache. Every update to the product such as a hotfix, a cumulative
update, or a service pack setup, also stores the relevant .msp or .msi file in the Windows Installer cache.

Any future update to the product such as a hotfix, a cumulative update, or a service pack setup, relies on
the information in the files that are stored in the Windows Installer cache. Without this information, the
new update cannot perform the required transformations.

Sometimes in a hurry to clear up space on C drive, System Administrator might delete some of the files
in this folder. There is no error while deleting, but the actual problem comes up when installing the
hotfix/service pack related to the deleted file’s product.

Resolution:
To complete the steps in this procedure, you have to copy the FindSQLInstalls.vbs script from the "More
Information" section to a local folder on the computer where you are trying to update your SQL Server
installation.

VB Script available in:


\\Inpunfsp01\shared\Managed_Services\MSSQL\Shailendra\FindSQLInstalls.vbs

Note The FindSQLInstalls.vbs script collects the information to correct invalid package paths. And, this
script is used against the source locations to make sure that all MSP packages are in the Windows
Installer cache directory. Any missing packages will be re-added if the original source media is available.

To resolve these problems by using a script, follow these steps:

1. Locate the directory to which you saved the script content.

2. Open an elevated command prompt to the directory to which you saved the script, and run the
following command:

C:\cscript scriptname.vbs scriptoutput.txt

3. Open the output file from step 2 in a text editor such as Notepad, and identify the problems that are
causing the failure. To do this, search the text file for string patterns such as the following:

 Package does not exists

 re-establish path to the directory


4. Based on the results in step 3, take the steps that are required.

The script will collect information about what packages may or may not be missing from the installer
cache.  Note: that the output of the script will put a text file in the same folder as the script itself.  It will
also overwrite any files that might already be present.  If you wish to run this multiple times, I would
suggest changing the file names accordingly.

The output of the script looks like this:

You will see that in the above example, it’s shouting at me stating that the MSI file doesn’t exist in the
path C:\Windows\Installer\198dfe5a.msi.  

But its unable to recreate the file since the source file itself isn’t available Z:\1033_ENU_LP\redist\
VisualStudioShell\SQLSysClrTypes\SQLSysClrTypes.msi

This is because the install media isn’t located within the CD-ROM drive.  This was expected.

Now that I knew where the missing file might be located, I set out to go find it.  In this particular case, I
located the file on the Service Pack 2 install media.  It could be possible that the missing files might be
located in different Products. Validate the Product Name available in the log in order to identify the
missing files root location.

I copied the required media on the server and search for file SQLSysClrTypes.msi. Once you get the file
you can execute the copy command by changing the source location to your location. .

Note: Find all the copy commands in the text file and use them to populate your Windows installer
folder. Those missing files are causing your issue.
5. At this point, it is rinse and repeat.  Follow the same steps for each file that was missing from the
installer cache.  All in all, there were 40 files that were missing in my case.  Once I had all of the files
replaced, I re-ran the Setup and it executed successfully.

You might also like