Windows Update monthly CU installation

Attached you'll find to logs with about 2 months difference and a lot tries of installation.
WindowsUpdate_14062021.log
WindowsUpdate_29082021.log

The file you want is cbs.log.  It should be located at C:\windows\logs\cbs\.  Delete everything there, then run the updates again and check cbs.log for the word "error".

Before you do that, however, try this trick first.

Open PowerShell as administrator, then run these commands

net stop wuauserv    
Rename-Item C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
net start wuauserv
Rmdir C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution.old -recurse

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Try running the updates again and see if they now succeed.

Is this a VM?  If so, make sure the host is fully patched first.

Try downloading the patch directly from Microsoft and manually applying it.  
(Google download and the kb number that's failing)

Build 14393.3986

that is from October 2020
I would first start with manually installing the latest SSU for server 2016.

https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search.aspx?q=kb5001402%202016

then try the August update

https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search.aspx?q=kb5005043%202016

@Adam Leinss: thanks for your input; I already tried renaming softwaredistribution in 02/2021. The cbs.log I will put if update fails again.

@Lee W, MVP : Yes it is a vmWare, what do you mean with fully patched? I'm trying to patch the system. vmWare is with 6.5 U3 on HP ML350e Gen8 with latest HPe vmWare image.

@Seth Simmons: I don't think the build from a LTSC really upgrade, but I have tried your way already already and the ssu is already installed - > those always gets installed.

Hello @Adam Leinss : it looked good - the update was installed, I restarted, it ran into 100% - restarted again - and then rolled back twice - it seems both CU and .NET4.8 update failed.

I had to upload CBS.log into OneDrive - it grows into 100MB after only one run and two restarts?
> ​OneDrive - CBS.log​​​

2021-08-29 20:28:12, Info                  CBS    Failed reading PoqexecCmdline registry key [HRESULT = 0x80070002 - ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND]

2021-08-29 20:28:12, Info                  CBS    Failed to get poqexec cmdline from Components\Configuration. [HRESULT = 0x80070002 - ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND]

2021-08-29 20:28:20, Info                  CSI    00000709 Error STATUS_CANNOT_DELETE while executing operation HardLinkFile on [l:161]'\SystemRoot\WinSxS\amd64_netfx4-clr_dll_b03f5f7f11d50a3a_4.0.15744.880_none_365c3bf885549d7f\clr.dll, \??\C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v4.0.30319\clr.dll'

2021-08-29 20:29:05, Info                  CBS    Appl: Selfupdate, Component: wow64_microsoft-windows-errorreportingfaults_31bf3856ad364e35_0.0.0.0_none_fa54582571b1c0a0 (10.0.14393.3986), elevation:2, lower version revision holder: 10.0.14393.0

2021-08-29 20:29:05, Info                  CBS    Appl: SelfUpdate detect, component: wow64_microsoft-windows-errorreportingfaults_31bf3856ad364e35_10.0.14393.3986_none_efc9a10bcbf85c73, elevation: 2, applicable: 1

2021-08-29 20:29:05, Info                  CBS    Appl: Selfupdate, Component: wow64_microsoft-windows-errorreportingcore_31bf3856ad364e35_0.0.0.0_none_aac3ed993accab50 (10.0.14393.3986), elevation:2, lower version revision holder: 10.0.14393.0

2021-08-29 20:29:05, Info                  CBS    Appl: SelfUpdate detect, component: wow64_microsoft-windows-errorreportingcore_31bf3856ad364e35_10.0.14393.3986_none_a039367f95134723, elevation: 2, applicable: 1

2021-08-29 20:29:08, Info                  CBS    Appl: Selfupdate, Component: x86_microsoft-windows-errorreportingui_31bf3856ad364e35_0.0.0.0_none_f23f204a4a418a02 (10.0.14393.3986), elevation:2, lower version revision holder: 10.0.14393.0

2021-08-29 20:29:08, Info                  CBS    Appl: SelfUpdate detect, component: x86_microsoft-windows-errorreportingui_31bf3856ad364e35_10.0.14393.3986_none_e7b46930a48825d5, elevation: 2, applicable: 1

2021-08-29 20:29:16, Info                  CBS    Appl: Selfupdate, Component: amd64_microsoft-foundatio..ostics-errordetails_31bf3856ad364e35_0.0.0.0_none_8916a05cf3f31199 (10.0.14393.3930), elevation:2, lower version revision holder: 10.0.14393.0

2021-08-29 20:29:16, Info                  CBS    Appl: SelfUpdate detect, component: amd64_microsoft-foundatio..ostics-errordetails_31bf3856ad364e35_10.0.14393.3930_none_7e8770814e3d94f3, elevation: 2, applicable: 1

2021-08-29 20:29:18, Info                  CBS    Appl: Selfupdate, Component: wow64_microsoft-foundatio..ostics-errordetails_31bf3856ad364e35_0.0.0.0_none_936b4aaf2853d394 (10.0.14393.3930), elevation:2, lower version revision holder: 10.0.14393.0

2021-08-29 20:29:18, Info                  CBS    Appl: SelfUpdate detect, component: wow64_microsoft-foundatio..ostics-errordetails_31bf3856ad364e35_10.0.14393.3930_none_88dc1ad3829e56ee, elevation: 2, applicable: 1

2021-08-29 20:29:28, Info                  CBS    Appl: Selfupdate, Component: amd64_microsoft-windows-errorreportingkernel_31bf3856ad364e35_0.0.0.0_none_cee3eb2475f6f1bb (10.0.14393.3115), elevation:2, lower version revision holder: 10.0.14393.0

...

2021-08-29 20:41:28, Info                  CBS    Not able to add %windir%\winsxs\pending.xml to WER report. [HRESULT = 0x80070002 - ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND]

2021-08-29 20:41:28, Info                  CBS    Not able to add %windir%\winsxs\pending.xml.bad to WER report. [HRESULT = 0x80070002 - ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND]

2021-08-29 20:41:29, Info                  CBS    The store corruption status report is incomplete. [HRESULT = 0x80070002 - ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND]

2021-08-29 20:41:29, Info                  CBS    Not able to query DisableWerReporting flag.  Assuming not set... [HRESULT = 0x80070002 - ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND]

2021-08-29 20:41:29, Info                  CBS    Not able to add %windir%\winsxs\poqexec.log to WER report. [HRESULT = 0x80070002 - ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND]

2021-08-29 20:41:29, Info                  CBS    Not able to add %windir%\winsxs\pending.xml to WER report. [HRESULT = 0x80070002 - ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND]

2021-08-29 20:41:29, Info                  CBS    Not able to add %windir%\winsxs\pending.xml.bad to WER report. [HRESULT = 0x80070002 - ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND]

2021-08-29 20:41:29, Info                  CBS    The store corruption status report is incomplete. [HRESULT = 0x80070002 - ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND]

2021-08-29 20:41:55, Info                  CBS    Startup: Processing complete. [HRESULT = 0x80070003 - ERROR_PATH_NOT_FOUND]

Looks like an issue with ntprint.inf

2021-08-29 20:38:30, Info                  CBS            INSTALL index: 167, phase: 1, result 3, inf: ntprint.inf
2021-08-29 20:38:30, Info                  CBS    Doqe: Recording result: 0x80070003, for Inf: ntprint.inf
2021-08-29 20:38:30, Info                  CBS    DriverUpdateInstallUpdates failed [HRESULT = 0x80070003 - ERROR_PATH_NOT_FOUND]
2021-08-29 20:38:30, Info                  CBS    Doqe: Failed installing driver updates [HRESULT = 0x80070003 - ERROR_PATH_NOT_FOUND]

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Can you post your C:\windows\inf\setupapi.dev.log file?  Could be as easy as copying ntprint.inf from one server to this server and retrying the update.

BTW, I should have specifically told you to search for ", Error ", that will narrow down the block.  Not all errors are created equal (this was a line or 2 past the above lines)

2021-08-29 20:39:44, Error                 CBS    Startup: Failed while processing non-critical driver operations queue. [HRESULT = 0x80070003 - ERROR_PATH_NOT_FOUND]

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First of all thanks for your fast respond and support!
Attached you'll find the LOG
setupapi.dev.log

I tried to copy ntprint.inf from another running system - Update installation is running - I will come back with news.

Looks like ntprint.inf being corrupted is confirmed

!    inf:           Unable to load INF: 'C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\ntprint.inf_amd64_dcef07064d319714\ntprint.inf'(00000003) !!!  inf:           Invalid INF 'C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\ntprint.inf_amd64_dcef07064d319714\ntprint.inf', parsing error on line 0. Code = 1002 !!!  sto:           Failed to get driver package file list. Error = 0x00000003, Filename = C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\ntprint.inf_amd64_dcef07064d319714\ntprint.inf !!!  idb:           Failed to update driver package files for 'ntprint.inf_amd64_dcef07064d319714'. Error = 0x00000003 !!!  idb:           Failed to publish 'C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\ntprint.inf_amd64_6fbb4b09e9354bf2\ntprint.inf'. Error = 0x00000003

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Still no update run - it rolls back at the first restart.

If you do an inplace upgrade using the server setup, you'll be able to update again as this repairs any windows internals.

Delete all CBS logs.  Retry update.  Do you get the same error?  Search for ", Error" in cbs.log.

@McKnife : I already thought about this - but didn't try because it is a very productive RDS and this operation must be safe, that no settings, programs and data get lost. I wanted to do a snapshot and try inplace upgrade.
Shall I use the evaluation setup from microsoft for server 2016?

@Adam Leinss : I will try this tomorrow - thanks.

Right, use the same media that you installed with. Settings are kept, files too. Will take long with many user profiles. How many! I could give you an estimation.

@David Johnson, CD : I used an evaluation media before, it still is on ESXi storage.
@McKnife : there are about 20 profiles, but they all use just one erp software installed on RDS.

As I mentioned I'm doing snapshot and inplace upgrade - shall I boot from media or start setup in admin session?

Start setup in admin session.
With a snapshot, the downtime will be considerably longer. With 20 users I would expect this to take 30-90 minutes, depending on the speed of the storage. With a snapshot however, double these numbers.
So to save time (in case that matters), export the machine to another storage, instead of doing a snapshot.

OK, I've just made a snapshot and start with inplace upgrade.
Give you update.
THx

WTF???

Select what U wanna keep - NOTHING!
The other is not available - such B$!

I've found an iso which seems to work - I had to use the existing product key and could choose the option of keeping data - right now it's downloading updates...and giving proof of requirements...will come back

inplace upgrade finished without any warnings/erros - ms updates found security intelligence, 2021-04, 2018-05 in first run - installation takes forever - rdp connection is not available - CredSSP warning on client.

installing updates and hopefully all up'n'running

All is up and running - it took about 5 hours - and all updates have been installed successfully.
Thanks for your help!