Windows 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 won't install!

4 May 2011

tech 1 min read

Error code 800f0818 installing Windows 2008 R2 Service Pack 1?

We rolled out Service Pack 1 to about 10 servers without any issues until today. A brand new installation of Windows 2008 R2 which failed with error code 800f0818. I had trouble finding a definitive guide on how to resolve it so here are steps I took…

Windows Update Error Message

Install System Update Readiness Tool for Windows Server 2009 R2

This can be downloaded from Microsoft. After you’ve installed it, try the service pack again. Some people have reported this was all that was necessary to fix the problem. But for me it was more difficult…

I referenced this Microsoft Technet article to debug this problem.

Check the System Update Readiness Tool log

Check the SUR log at %windir%\logs\cbs\checksur.log and see what files caused problems. eg.

Unavailable repair files:
                 servicing\packages\Package_for_KB2446709_RTM~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.1.1.2.mum
                 servicing\packages\Package_for_KB2446709_RTM~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.1.1.2.cat

Backup these files. eg.

C:\> copy %windir%\servicing\packages\Package_for_KB2446709_RTM~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.1.1.2.cat C:\backup

Take ownership of the files (so you can modify permissions)

C:\>  takeown /f c:\windows\servicing\packages\Package_for_KB2446709_RTM~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.1.1.2.cat

Grant Administrators permissions to overwrite the files. eg.

C:\> icacls c:\Windows\servicing\Packages\Package_for_KB2446709_RTM~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.1.1.2.mum /grant administrators:F

Copy the files from another, working, Windows 2008 R2 machine

C:\> copy \\myworkingpc\c$\windows\servicing\packages\Package_for_KB2446709_RTM~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.1.1.2.mum "%windir%\servicing\packages\"

If you’re unlucky, like me, then you’ll find that you don’t have another PC with the correct files available on it. Check out the Technet article, under Options for obtaining files, it details how you can download the update package and extract the files to a temporary directory.

Once you replaced the files, re-run the System Update Readiness Tool, then re-install the service pack.