[SOLVED] Multiple Server 2016 devices cannot install Additional Feature - Windows Defender

G

Groove200

Contributor
Joined
Nov 30, 2023
Posts
22
Hey, 3 days and I've almost lost all hope. I've got multiple Server 2016's that all have the same issue, attempting to add Defender as an additional feature fails

Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature : The referenced assembly could not be found.
At line:1 char:1
+ Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Windows-Defender
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : NotSpecified: (:) [Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature], COMExcepti
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : Microsoft.Dism.Commands.EnableWindowsOptionalFeatureCommand

Ive attempted every DISM repair I can think of (WU, Windows ISO, known good server) and nothing is fixing this (all say file not found)

If anyone can spot anything in my logs I may have missed i may live a little longer ;-)

Something that did strike me as odd as I see reference to some files being en-US language, I am en-GB, and the US lang pack wasn't installed. Installing it hasn't helped though. (Thought I was on to something there!)

The CBS_defenderinstall.log.log is an excerpt from when I attempt to installing the feature, along with a full version where all my repair attempts can be seen,.
 

Attachments

I'm trying to help myself (And learn) by following the EXCELLENT tutorials on here, but ive hit a pretty big roadblock. What do you do when your CBS.log highlights CBS Catalog Missing for a KB that appears to no longer be available ?

This one -

January 12, 2021—KB4598243 (OS Build 14393.4169) - EXPIRED

(p) CBS Catalog Missing Package_3528_for_KB4598243~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~10.0.1.9
(p) CBS Catalog Missing Package_3529_for_KB4598243~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~10.0.1.9
(p) CBS Catalog Missing Package_3530_for_KB4598243~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~10.0.1.9
(p) CBS Catalog Missing Package_3532_for_KB4598243~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~10.0.1.9
(p) CBS Catalog Missing Package_3533_for_KB4598243~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~10.0.1.9
(p) CBS Catalog Missing Package_3534_for_KB4598243~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~10.0.1.9
(p) CBS Catalog Missing Package_3535_for_KB4598243~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~10.0.1.9
(p) CBS Catalog Missing Package_3536_for_KB4598243~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~10.0.1.9​

 
Hi and welcome to Sysnative,

Follow these instructions to remove an update.
  • Open the Start menu of Windows and type the command CMD
  • When you see Command Prompt on the list, right-click on it and select Run as administrator.
  • When command prompt opens, copy and paste the following command into it, then press enter.
Code: 
wusa /uninstall /KB:4598243
  • Let me know if it says it was successful or you get the message: The update KB4598243 is not installed on this computer.
 
Ive sourced and extracted all the files for KB5031362 (the other long list of errors), and I have actually sourced a copy of KB4598243 but not done anything with either of them as yet.

If im honest im not sure all these CBS errors are the route cause of me not being able to install the Defender feature, but figured I should try and get a clean bill of health on these before troubleshooting further
 
Yes, these issues are the root cause why the Windows Defender cannot be installed.

Download the
577bf0efb8088-FRST.png
Farbar Recovery Scan Tool and save it to your Desktop:

Download the 64 bit version: - Farbar Recovery Scan Tool Link
  • Open the startmenu and type the command cmd.
  • After you find the Command Prompt, right click on it and select Run as Administrator.
  • Copy and paste the following into the Command Prompt and press enter.
Code: 
reg load HKLM\COMPONENTS C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\COMPONENTS
Right-click on the file FRST64.exe and choose Run as administrator.
  • Copy and paste the following (code) into the Search box and click the Search Registry button.
Code: 
KB4598243
  • When the scan is complete, a message will display that SearchReg.txt is saved in the same folder FRST was started from.
  • Post the logfile SearchReg.txt as attachment in your next reply.
 
Here you go

As an aside ive managed to find and extract all the .cats and .mums for KB5031362 reported as Missing into an SFCFix folder structure. Im just missing the CSI Payload Corrupt files now (havnt learnt where to find those yet) and whatever we need to do for KB4598243

But im not running any fixes using these, just prepping ;-)
 

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Okay, please do the following.

Start the
577bf0efb8088-FRST.png
Farbar Recovery Scan Tool again.

Warning: This script was written specifically for this system. Do not run this script on another system.
  • Download the attachment fixlist.txt and save it to your desktop.
  • Right-click on FRST.exe and select "Run as administrator".
  • Press the Fix button.
  • If for some reason the tool needs a restart, please make sure you let the system restart normally.
  • When finished, a log called Fixlog.txt will appear in the same directory the tool is run from.
  • Post the logfile Fixlog.txt as attachment in your next reply.

Run the following DISM command and post the result. If it fails attach a new copy of the CBS log.
Code: 
DISM /online /cleanup-image /RestoreHealth
 

Attachments

Follow these instructions to remove an update.
  • Open the Start menu of Windows and type the command CMD
  • When you see Command Prompt on the list, right-click on it and select Run as administrator.
  • When command prompt opens, copy and paste the following command into it, then press enter.
Code: 
wusa /uninstall /KB:5031362
  • Let me know if it says it was successful or you get the message: The update KB5031362 is not installed on this computer.
 
1. Start the
55d04c7d453ca-Command_prompt_icon_%28windows%29.png
Command Prompt as administrator.
  • Open the startmenu and type the command cmd.
  • After you find the Command Prompt, right click on it and select Run as Administrator.
  • Copy and paste the following into the Command Prompt and press enter.
Code: 
reg load HKLM\COMPONENTS C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\COMPONENTS
2.Right-click on the file
577bf0efb8088-FRST.png
FRST.exe and choose Run as administrator.
  • Copy and paste the following (code) into the Search box and click the Search Registry button.
Code: 
KB5031362
  • When the scan is complete, a message will display that SearchReg.txt is saved in the same folder FRST was started from.
  • Post the logfile SearchReg.txt as attachment in your next reply.
 
Start the
577bf0efb8088-FRST.png
Farbar Recovery Scan Tool again.

Warning: This script was written specifically for this system. Do not run this script on another system.
  • Download the attachment fixlist.txt and save it to your desktop.
  • Right-click on FRST.exe and select "Run as administrator".
  • Press the Fix button.
  • If for some reason the tool needs a restart, please make sure you let the system restart normally.
  • When finished, a log called Fixlog.txt will appear in the same directory the tool is run from.
  • Post the logfile Fixlog.txt as attachment in your next reply.
 

Attachments

I think DISM will came back clean this time, but to be sure you can always run DISM first before trying to install the Windows Defender feature again.
 
Ok running now.

So the million dollar question......do we know what caused this mess? I think I understand'ish what we've done, the reason I ask is I have another server with the same symptoms (cannot install Defender) , not sure if the DISM report references the same files though, and Im expecting I could find more as I move through the estate of servers I need to get Defender up and running on.

Is this somebody deleting files from Winsxs or packages in the past, or something MS related ?
 
This is a common issue and appears when updates are partially removed, so the remnants will trigger the error 0x80073701 - SXS_ASSEMBLY_MISSING. So in cases like this you'll need to remove the remnants of those updates.
 
Wow.....Defender is installed !!!

You sir are a God amongst support pro's......ive been all week on this!


So going forward, on my other servers, if they exhibit the same or similar issues, can I follow these instructions, generate my fixlist from my searchreg results (after checking the KB's are NOT installed) and clean up the same way ?

Thank you so much, im actually going to throw so £ to the donation for this site.....its such an amazing place
 
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