Problem Description:

This is regarding the SQL Server 2005, SP4 Installation. This is in reference to: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2463332

There had been a lot of issues being reported on MSDN Forums, about the installation failures.

About the patch:

Refer: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2463332, to get the information about the bugs that are fixed in Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 4 (SP4).

Service packs are cumulative. Each new service pack contains all the fixes that are in previous service packs, together with any new fixes. You do not have to install a previous service pack before you install the latest one. For example, you do not have to install Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 1 (SP1) before you install Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2 (SP2).

This update is available via Microsoft Updates.

Troubleshooting details:

• Open the setup log files from the location: For example, C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\90\Setup Bootstrap\LOG\Hotfix\SQL9Express_Hotfix_KB2463332*.txt

For more information, see http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms143702(SQL.90).aspx

• Try to download the SP4 from the locations mentioned above, and launch it manually. If you are on Windows Vista/Windows Server 2008 or later editions, please make sure you run the setup as “An administrator”.

The Setup.exe that you downloaded from: To obtain SQL Server 2005 SP4, visit the following Microsoft Web site: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=204632 (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=204632)

To obtain SQL Server 2005 Express Edition SP4, visit the following Microsoft Web site: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=204633 (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=204633)

Run the EXE, “As an administrator”, to launch the SP4 Setup.

• Sometimes, the patch is installed, but still the Microsoft Updates would keep on prompting for this update, and if you are sure that you have installed the SP4 for your instance, you can hide this updates in the Windows Update so that it will not offer it to you continuously. For more information, please refer to the below KB article: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/902992.

Before you hide this update, please go to Control Panel>Add/Remove Programs, and click “Show All Updates”, and make sure that this update is successfully installed.

Refer: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/952032, to ignore/hide any Microsoft Update.

• You can try the suggestions from: http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en/sqlsetupandupgrade/thread/cd722844-bd93-4e57-9342-aeee7514ca43, which says: Please try the following steps to delete the SP4 update from Windows Updates and then install SP4 manually:
  • 1. Go to Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Services
  • 2. Stop the service "Automatic Updates"
  • 3. Click Start -> Run and type the following %windir%\SoftwareDistribution
  • 4. Open the “Download” folder and delete all contents of that folder
  • 5. Start the service "Automatic Updates"
• Once you have patched the SP4, the build number is supposed to be 9.00.5000. The other later builds are:

Build number	Patch Details
9.00.5266	SQL Server 2005 SP4 CU3
9.00.5259	SQL Server 2005 SP4 CU2
9.00.5254	SQL Server 2005 SP4 CU1
9.00.5000	SQL Server 2005 SP4

• There were a couple of scenarios where disabling Folder compression helped. Identify if there is any Folder compression. If there is, please go ahead and remove the same. For this:
  • o Go to the properties of your C driver.
  • o Click the General tab, you will see an option “Compress this drive to save disk space”, if this is checked, go ahead and uncheck this.

Go ahead and check these settings for the SQL Server installation, and data folders.

• Go to the properties of the folder you are checking
• On the General tab, click Advanced button.
• Uncheck the following options: “Compress contents to save disk space”, and “Encrypt contents to secure data”

References:

Please find the list of questions being posted in MSDN Forums regarding this Service pack installation: http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Search/en-US/?query=2463332&rq=meta:Search.MSForums.GroupID(1794d07f-9d4e-4dc0-8c1c-8bfe9d5e0bce)+site:microsoft.com&rn=All+SQL+Server+Forums

Please go ahead, and add your suggestions/recommendations, if there is a different approach to solve this problem.

Thanks,

Chaitanya