Hello & Thanks in advance. I cannot re-install Desktop Experience anymore. I tried everything suggested by blogs I seen. Uninstalled hot fixes, uninstalled SP1. Still get install failed attempt. I did this several times with no success. Tried rediness program. All I really want is to install Windows Media Player for 2008 SP1. PLEASE HELP !! Ken

Hi, what error did you get when you try to install Desktop Experience ?Edoardo Benussi - Microsoft MVP Management Infrastructure - Systems Administration https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/Profile/Benussi Windows Server Italian Forum Moderator edo[at]mvps[dot]org

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc772567(WS.10).aspx Please let us know the exact wording of the error message when you uninstall or reinstall Desktop Experience.

Hello Edoardo, I'm getting the following: Desktop Experience: Installation failed <Error>: Attempt to install Desktop Experience failed with error code 0x8000FFFF. Catastrophic failure (Exception from HRESULT: 0x8000FFFF (E_UNEXPECTED)) Thank you in advance. Ken

Hello Tim, I'm getting the following: Desktop Experience: Installation failed <Error>: Attempt to install Desktop Experience failed with error code 0x8000FFFF. Catastrophic failure (Exception from HRESULT: 0x8000FFFF (E_UNEXPECTED)) Thank you in advance. Ken

Hello Ken, This issue could be caused by two updates: KB973540 and KB968816. Please uninstall them and then install the Desktop Experience feature again. After the Desktop Experience feature is installed, you can reinstall KB973540 and KB968816. Hope it helps. Tim Quan

Hello Tim, Thank you for your feedback. I uninstalled those already, ran the Rediness Tool, uninstalled and reinstalled SP1, Basically I did everything that was mentioned in the articles listed here regarding this Catastrophic failure for Desktop Experience. Thanks in advance. KenJG

Hi, Thank you for the reply. Now please run the System Update Readiness Tool again and send me the following files for further research: %SYSTEMROOT%\Logs\CBS\CheckSUR.log %windir%\logs\cbs\cbs.log Please upload them to https://sftus.one.microsoft.com/choosetransfer.aspx?key=829613bb-53bb-49c5-be28-8a4cc72afba3 Password: L)imKvF{!U8Jw-c Tim Quan

Hello Tim, The file cbs.log is 35 mbs big. Do you still need this file or is there anyway I can check something within this file for you? Thanks KenG

Send to Tim before checksur.log that is surely smaller than cbs.log.Edoardo Benussi - Microsoft MVP Management Infrastructure - Systems Administration https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/Profile/Benussi Windows Server Italian Forum Moderator edo[at]mvps[dot]org

Hi, You can upload up to 5GB files to the space. So no problem if you send the 35MB file to me. Tim Quan

Hello Tim, I sent you the two files requested. Thank you in advance. Ken

Hello Ken, Thank you for sending me the files. Now I suggest copying the following files from another working Windows Server 2008 32bit system to C:\Windows\servicing\Packages to replace the old files. Microsoft-Windows-Foundation-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~x86~~6.0.6001.18000.cat Microsoft-Windows-Foundation-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~x86~~6.0.6001.18000.mum If the issue persists, I suggest running System File Checker to troubleshoot this issue: 1. Click Start, and then type cmd in the Start Search box. 2. In the results area, right-click cmd.exe, and then click Run as administrator. You will be prompted to type the password for an administrator account. Click Continue if you are the administrator or type the administrator password. Then, click Continue. 3. At the command prompt, type Sfc /scannow, and then press ENTER. Hope it helps. Tim Quan

Hello Tim, I tried your suggestions but both didn't work. not sure what to do now. Thanks again for your great support. KenG

plase follow answers in this thread http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/windowsserver2008r2general/thread/ef2451e6-411c-44b3-9ab8-43afc88fbb7b HTHEdoardo Benussi - Microsoft MVP Management Infrastructure - Systems Administration https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/Profile/Benussi Windows Server Italian Forum Moderator edo[at]mvps[dot]org

Hello Edoardo, Thanks for your reply, however I tried everything on that link and still was unable to get the DTE working, any other suggestions? Thanks in advance. KenJG

Can you explain if you had DTE installed more time ago and then you had uninstalled it ?Edoardo Benussi - Microsoft MVP Management Infrastructure - Systems Administration https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/Profile/Benussi Windows Server Italian Forum Moderator edo[at]mvps[dot]org

Hello Yes DTE was installed once and then uninstalled. Then I tried to reinstall it and got errors and that's when I followed the Thread you had sent, uninstall the hot fixes mentioned and uninstalled SP1. Then tried to reinstall DTE again and still got the error mentioned above. I even tried to manually reinstall the hot fixes alone but could not. I really don't have to have DTE but I would at the very least like to use Windows Media Player if I can. I could try ALL the suggestions again listed on the thread since I did run SCANNOW check and CHECKDISK after rebooting and see if I can get it to reinstall. Thanks again for your Great Support. KenJG

try to download and install this http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=1d224714-e238-4e45-8668-5166114010ca Edoardo Benussi - Microsoft MVP Management Infrastructure - Systems Administration https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/Profile/Benussi Windows Server Italian Forum Moderator edo[at]mvps[dot]org

Hello Edoardo Thank you for the link but I cannot install this program due the this message when trying to install it: "No Windows Media Player updates for your computer are available for download and installation at this time" The program then closes. Thank you in advance again. KenJG

If Windows Media Player is so necessary for you, the last way, after all suggestions of Tim and mine, can be only to format and reinstall. Normally on server system i have never installed Media Player because a server system is a business operating system and not for home users. Bye.Edoardo Benussi - Microsoft MVP Management Infrastructure - Systems Administration https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/Profile/Benussi Windows Server Italian Forum Moderator edo[at]mvps[dot]org

Hello Edoardo, Thank you I will figure something out. Great Support. Best Regards KenJG

Please see this blog for your reference http://blogs.technet.com/b/asiasupp/archive/2010/11/23/attempt-to-install-desktop-experience-failed-with-error-code-0x8000ffff-in-windows-server-2008.aspx

Hi All, The resolution for me was to removed kb974431. After reading through cbs.log I found the following entry which lead me to finding the issue Failed to resolve item[0] in Package: Package_2_for_KB974431~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.1.1.5, Update: 974431-3_neutral_LDR [HRESULT = 0x80073701 - ERROR_SXS_ASSEMBLY_MISSING] Finally resolved after almost setting the server on fire :-) Regards Sammy R