WSUS won’t uninstall or re-install

I don’t like Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), but it’s the free alternative many companies select over the higher cost alternatives like Intune or Systems Center. So, today I had to repair a damaged WSUS installation. Turns out someone uninstalled SQL Server 2005 Express not realizing WSUS was using it. Now firing up the WSUS console just yielded an error complaining about the missing SQL database. So like any good troubleshootin IT guy the first thing I tried was to uninstall WSUS…sadly, however the product would not uninstall or re-install. Here’s how I finally got rid of it:

[the problem]

  • WSUS 3.0 SP2 is missing SQL server Express or has been damaged somehow.
  • When opening WSUS you receive a SQL error when trying to connect.
  • You cannot uninstall WSUS. An attempt to uninstall/re-install fails with an error.
  • The event log shows eventid: 1034 with “Removal success or error status: 1603”

[the solution]

[step 1] Open REGEDIT in and locate: HKLMSoftwareMicrosoftUpdate ServicesServerSetup

[step 2] Change the value of “wYukonInstalled” to 0x0 (zero) and ensure that the value of “SqlInstanceIsRemote” is oxo (zero).

[step 3] Download and run the WSUS 3.0 SP2 installer. You should now be able to remove the product using the installer. Select none of the check boxes (to remove database, logs or updates), we can remove these manually later.

[step 4] Download and install SQL Server 2008 Express R2 (or SQL Server 2005 Express). Make sure you can connect to the instance you create with SQL Server Management Studio.

[step 5] Run the WSUS 3.0 SP2 installer again and (this time it should allow you to install). Install the Full product including management console.

[step 6] Select a location with plenty of space to store the downloaded updates (I recommend at least 20GB of space).

[step 7] Select the option to use an existing database server.

[step 8] It should find the SQL Server 2008 Express instance you installed and tested in [step 4].

[step 9] Create a separate Windows Update Services website (I don’t recommend using the default IIS website).

[step 10] Step through the WSUS configuration wizard.

That’s it.

Comments

80 responses to “WSUS won’t uninstall or re-install”

  1. Alex Romp Avatar

    Glad I found this. It let me uninstall. Thanks for publishing it!

    1. David Vielmetter Avatar

      You’re welcome. Glad it worked for you.

    2. Steve Avatar
      Steve

      you dont know how many sites I went to just to figure out how to uninstall this damn thing. Thanks for your help- you made it easy

  2. Dominic Avatar
    Dominic

    Ditto. Thanks for posting. I don’t undertand why microsoft does not have a kb for this.

  3. Hassan Dika Avatar
    Hassan Dika

    Thanks perfect

  4. Sam Shreck Avatar
    Sam Shreck

    David, you’re a legend! I love solutions that work. Applied to a number of broken WSUS installations and it fixed every one of them. Thank you very much.

  5. Philipp Avatar
    Philipp

    Hi David,

    thanks for your Post. This resolved my WSUS problem.

  6. n0no Avatar
    n0no

    nice posting, works for me

  7. civid Avatar
    civid

    Thanks. This work for me.

  8. Wes Hartman Avatar
    Wes Hartman

    Excellent info. Just what I needed.

  9. Paul C London Avatar
    Paul C London

    Thanks, great info! Problem sorted. 🙂

  10. Unnikrishnan Avatar
    Unnikrishnan

    Thanks a lot. This solution worked like a charm

  11. IB Tony Avatar
    IB Tony

    GREAT fix!! I’ve had this issue on a few different servers (2008 R2 & SBS 2008) and have tried to find the fixes in the past, but nothing worked. This was soo easy and worked the first time. Thank you. Micorosoft should be so helpful.

  12. peter ung Avatar

    THANKS a lot. WORKS !!! This goes to my standard WSUS fixing tools, saved days of work.

  13. Dexter Avatar
    Dexter

    This helped me uninstall and reinstall WSUS. You have no idea how grateful I am. Thank you so much for your detailed post!

    1. David Vielmetter Avatar

      You’re very welcome! Glad I could help.

      David

  14. peter Avatar
    peter

    Many thanks !!!!!!!!!

  15. Pal Avatar
    Pal

    Thanks alot. This info helped me uninstall and reinstall WSUS. Many thanks to you.

  16. Stefan Avatar
    Stefan

    That was very helpful, thanks a lot! Finally i could get rid of this monster. 5 MS arcticles could not help me nearly as you could. Thanks again!

  17. alistair Avatar
    alistair

    This article should be listed at the top of any google wsus search.
    Thanks a million!

    1. David Vielmetter Avatar

      You’re very welcome. Glad to know it works.

      David Vielmetter

  18. Vicky Avatar
    Vicky

    This is great! Thanks so much! Mwwwah!

  19. dp Avatar
    dp

    Works a treat.
    Thanks heaps!

  20. Ryan Avatar
    Ryan

    Worked PERFECT!

    LEGEND!

    Cheers Mate!

  21. Money Avatar
    Money

    Thanks a lot, you are great. super trainner

  22. brch Avatar
    brch

    Great. Worked and helped us. Thanks a lot!!!

  23. James Avatar

    Thanks a million – seriously, this should be the only result for this in Google.

  24. Booboo Avatar
    Booboo

    Great, this treat worked and helped me solve this problem.

    Many thanks to you David.

  25. john Avatar
    john

    Awesome, thanks heaps

  26. Scott Avatar
    Scott

    Saved my bacon! Thanks!

  27. Adolph Avatar
    Adolph

    It works, my issues are resolved

  28. Jvahan Avatar
    Jvahan

    Worked like a charm, appreciate it!

  29. Denis Avatar
    Denis

    Great!! tks man.

    my issues are resolved too

  30. G-unic Avatar
    G-unic

    it didn’t worked for me :/

  31. Greg T Avatar
    Greg T

    I have searched and tried so many things to try to get this monster uninstalled and nothing works. When I run the setup to uninstall (after modifying the registry entries HKLMSoftwareMicrosoftUpdate ServicesServerSetupwYukonInstalled to 0 and HKLMSoftwareMicrosoftUpdate ServicesServerSetupSqlInstanceIsRemote to 0 and rerun the setup WSUS30-KB972455-x64.exe it looks like it’s working then it crashes

    Description:
    There was a failure while running setup. Please review the setup log files and documentation and try again.

    Problem signature:
    Problem Event Name: WSUSSetup
    Installer Name: WusSetup.exe
    Installer Version: 3.2.7600.226
    Error Code: 80070643
    Custom Action: unknown
    OS Version: 6.1.7601.2.1.0.274.10
    Locale ID: 1033

    Read our privacy statement online:
    http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=104288&clcid=0x0409

    If the online privacy statement is not available, please read our privacy statement offline:
    C:windowssystem32en-USerofflps.txt

  32. Michael Avatar
    Michael

    Great, this treat worked and helped me solve this problem.

    Danke

  33. Hammer_pdx Avatar

    Thank you! This worked beautifully!

  34. emilson Avatar
    emilson

    GREAT!!! THAK YOU FOR THIS SOLUTION. DAVID YOU ARE THE MAN!!

  35. Duck Avatar
    Duck

    Thanks, worked

  36. Michi Avatar
    Michi

    🙂 perfect its working, solved my Problem. Thanks

  37. Gustavo Avatar
    Gustavo

    Hi, thank you. It’s working fine.

  38. Trey Avatar
    Trey

    Worked perfectly!

  39. Matt Avatar
    Matt

    Working!!!! Many thanks – what a ball ache WSUS can be.

  40. Colin Avatar
    Colin

    Brilliant mate!!!! Thanks for sharing.
    I’m new to servers and WSUS and this helped me loads!!!

  41. TheGlaz Avatar
    TheGlaz

    David, MUCH obliged for your fix after several vain attempts to follow MS troubleshooting on this problem. Looking back on this, what would you say was they key activity that you engaged in that brought you to this solution. Often I find solutions like this, (but not this one,) after using some Sysinternals tool or something else that points me to a place where I find some comfort in the prospect of taking a chance. Maybe this is another topic all together, but what is your take on the risks we all take on the development of a solution such as this?

  42. jim Dettman Avatar
    jim Dettman

    After struggling with this for a lot longer than I’d care to admit and trying EVERYTHING under the sun, this worked perfectly.

    Thank you so much.

    Jim.

  43. Chris Avatar
    Chris

    Thank you! I was able to finally uninstall to then reinstall WSUS

  44. tia_bert Avatar
    tia_bert

    Thanks Dave

  45. Michael Avatar
    Michael

    Great Job!! This helped!!

  46. (v) Avatar

    thanks for solution!

  47. Kevin Avatar

    Life Saver!

  48. abobo Avatar
    abobo

    Bro, Thanks for your post. it’s solved

Skip to content