Exchange 2013: CU 22 and CU23 – Fatal error during installation?!

As so many times, you may have tried to upgrade Exchange to a new Cumulative Update (CU), find the newest here : Exchange Server build numbers and release dates

You download, you install, it completes etc. and you’re good!

Great!

But with Exchange 2013 CU22 and CU23, things go otherwise, you download, you install, it comp….FAIL! :

[02-17-2019 09:32:58.0051] [1] [ERROR] Fatal error during installation
[02-17-2019 09:32:58.0051] [1] [ERROR] Installing product C:\Exchange Install\Exchange2013Cu22\exchangeserver.msi failed. Fatal error during installation. Error code is 1603. Last error reported by the MSI package is ‘Error reading from file: C:\Exchange Install\Exchange2013Cu22\Setup\Perf\ApaAgentPerfCounters.h.   Verify that the file exists and that you can access it.’.
[02-17-2019 09:32:58.0051] [1] [ERROR] Fatal error during installation
[02-17-2019 09:32:58.0066] [1] [ERROR] Installing product C:\Exchange Install\Exchange2013Cu22\exchangeserver.msi failed. Fatal error during installation. Error code is 1603. Last error reported by the MSI package is ‘Error reading from file: C:\Exchange Install\Exchange2013Cu22\Setup\Perf\ApaAgentPerfCounters.h.   Verify that the file exists and that you can access it.’.
[02-17-2019 09:32:58.0066] [1] [ERROR] Fatal error during installation
[02-17-2019 09:32:58.0098] [1] Ending processing install-msipackage
[02-17-2019 09:33:12.0306] [0] CurrentResult setupbase.maincore:396: 0
[02-17-2019 09:33:12.0306] [0] End of Setup

Now what is that all about?

You have been left with a broken Exchange server, a sunken ship 🙁

Some people have tested and written about all this, and the solution is actually simple!:

Map a network share on another server, copy the CU22 or CU23 files into there, and just run it, from the command prompt:

\\<servername>\c$\temp\ex2013cu22\setup.exe /Mode:Upgrade /IAcceptExchangeServerLicenseTerms

And it completes, or at least should do 🙂

 

If you want to read more about this issue, you may check the following links:

https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/55a3e902-a58f-411a-b02f-e8eb730c2ad3/exchange-2013-cu-21-22-install-issue-exchange2013cu22setupperfapaagentperfcountersh-verify?forum=exchangesvrdeploy

In Danish:

https://net-help.dk/index.php/exchange-2013/347-setup-perf-apaagentperfcounters-h-verify-that-the-file-exists-and-that-you-can-access-it

36 Comments

  1. D Huff

    Will this work for error code 5 as well. Was at the finalization step when it failed. Out of 5 servers updated this server is only one that failed.

    Reply
    1. Martin (Post author)

      Totally annoyed why this started happening – it was always a next-click-next installation :-O

      Reply
  2. Thomas Hansen

    OMG…. So so happy I found your blog. Had the same error with Cu23. The fix solved it for me. The weekend with the family is savede.

    Reply
    1. Martin (Post author)

      Thanks – So glad to hear that 😉

      Reply
  3. Chris A

    This worked perfectly!! Thanks!!

    Reply
  4. Marian

    Cheers for workaround, works like charm

    Reply
    1. Martin (Post author)

      You are welcome 🙂

      Reply
  5. Joakim

    Thank you for this workaround. You saved my night.

    Reply
    1. Martin (Post author)

      Glad to hear that 🙂

      Reply
  6. Jens Hyldgaard Petersen

    Perfect, you save my day!
    Thx.

    Reply
    1. Martin (Post author)

      Glad to hear 😀

      Reply
  7. RicK

    Thanks Martin, you saved my nerves in the middle of the night 🙂

    Reply
    1. Martin (Post author)

      Thanks 🙂

      Reply
  8. Maciej Stasiak

    For me too! Ex 2013 CU23 now works

    Reply
    1. Martin (Post author)

      Thanks 🙂

      Reply
  9. Martin L.

    Great Martin! Thank you for your blog!

    Reply
    1. Martin (Post author)

      Glad to hear that – thanks 🙂

      Reply
  10. Dines Moeller

    Thanks you saved my Weekend too.

    Reply
  11. Brett

    Omg, I had given up all hope and opened a case with MS, while waiting for a call back I found this post and it worked like a charm, thank you so much for this! Why the freck does MS roll out garbage updates like this, ugh…..

    Reply
    1. Martin (Post author)

      Thanks 🙂

      It also made me s**t myself the first time :-O

      Reply
  12. Ronan O'Toole

    Thanks Martin. You’ve saved my a$$ today. If we do ever happen to meet, I’ll very happily buy you a pint or 10!

    Thanks again – life saver.

    James – Ireland.

    Reply
    1. Martin (Post author)

      Thanks James – looking forward to that 😀

      Regards Martin

      Reply
  13. Jason

    I had a similar issue but instead it doesn’t have permission to the folder.
    Installing product G:\exchangeserver.msi failed. Fatal error during installation. Error code is 1603. Last error reported by the MSI package is ‘The installer has insufficient privileges to access this directory: C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\V15\FrontEnd\HttpProxy\owa\auth\15.1.2176. The installation cannot continue. Log on as administrator or contact your system administrator.’.

    Do you think this is the same solution? I have dug around forever with no solution…

    Reply
    1. Martin (Post author)

      Hi,

      No it is not.

      I had the same situation after patching an Exchange server a customer had, I think Maybe this happened due to the recently discovered 0-day Exchange attack.

      Maybe your server was compromised?

      The fix was to set the Security permissions on the folder and let it inherit form the patent.

      I had to do this on /owa /ecp and /autodiscover

      Just rerun install every time it fails after you fixed the permission on the specific folder it mentions.

      Best regards
      Martin

      Reply
  14. Jason Montijo

    Unfortunately that sounds about right… How were you able to change the inheritance because that options is greyed out for me right now…

    Reply
    1. Louis

      Hi Jason, I have the same problem. How were you able to change the inheritance?

      Reply
      1. Jason

        I literally had to force my way into the permissions… I went to the properties of the folder, advanced and had to change the owner portion of the folder and force administrator then later system once I had control and was able to remove any issues from the penetration…

        Reply
        1. Martin (Post author)

          Exactly what I ended up doing with one customer 🙂

          Reply
  15. Jason Montijo

    I think I figured it out… Thank you for your help!!!

    Reply
    1. Martin (Post author)

      Glad to hear – thanks 🙂

      Reply
  16. Saman

    Dear Martin,

    Thank you for sharing this Article. I have the same issue and I went through the instructions and received the same 1603 error through the command prompt.
    checked the given files with insufficient privilege in the Exchange installation folder. looks like they only have “read” access right for everyone and I am unable to give the administrators group the full access.
    By the way, another important issue is that the DNS settings on my Domain controller and on my Exchange servers change to 8.8.8.8 & 9.9.9.9 every few minutes that makes our exchange server inaccessible!

    What could be the solutions? appreciate your support.
    With Regards,
    Saman

    Reply
    1. Martin (Post author)

      HI, It looks like your Exchange server has already been compromised by the recent Exchange hack!

      I would take it offline asap and scan with Microsoft Security Scanner!

      Regards Martin

      Reply
      1. Saman

        Hi Martin,

        I also think it is compromised. So, I already did take it offline and scanned with MSS and McAfee. None of them found anything suspicious. Tried to upgrade from 2013 CU21 to CU23 and encountered the above error. Right now, my exchange installation is broken and I cant find the Malicious software to remove it. What do you suggest I do?

        Regards,
        Saman

        Reply
        1. Martin (Post author)

          make sure you tun the upgrade with admin command prompt.
          Check the persmissions of the entire exchange install folder. Ex https://itsimple.info/?p=1146
          Can you run the upgrade?

          Do you have working backup of Exchange before breakdown?

          Reply
          1. Saman

            Hi Martin,
            Had to take back full permissions for the admin user on Exchange folders to be able to upgrade to CU23. and then I ran the 0-day patch afterward.
            However, my DNS settings keeps changing to 8.8.8.8 & 9.9.9.9.
            Scanned the system with AntiVirus and MSERT. It found some and removed them, but it still happens.
            So, pretty much sure my system is still infected and my system folder permissions are messed up!
            Do you have a solution for this that you can share?
            I beginning to think of upgrading to Server 2016/2019 and Exchange 2019!

            Regards,
            Saman

          2. Martin (Post author)

            Hi, you should look for scheduled tasks and so on, but no matter what, such a compromised server should be reinstalled / upgraded no matter what, so yes, go for that option 🙂

            Regards Martin

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