Hello I have been running with Desktop Experience on Server 2008 Standard (SP2) for a while now to give me things like Media Player and the ability to run TVersity on my server. However yesterday I decided to remove Desktop Experience. This appeared to remove OK, however... now it will not reinstall. From my google searches it seems like Desktop Experience was not actually removed correctly due to a bug in the uninstall feature routine. This prevents it from ever being reinstalled again. The full error I get is: Desktop Experience: Installation failed <Error>: Attempt to install Desktop Experience failed with error code 0x8000FFFF. Catastrophic failure (Exception from HRESULT: 0x8000FFFF (E_UNEXPECTED))

For reference, I've already removed hotfixes KB973540 and KB968816 as suggested in other threads, and rebooted. I've also run full CHKDSK scans on both my C and D (system and data) drives with no errors found. All of this had no effect.

Hi, 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=e7bff4b5-6802-46b7-933a-cd3519f63c4c Password: Iu%6lY$6W3 Tim Quan TechNet Subscriber Support in forum If you have any feedback on our support, please contact tngfb@microsoft.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please remember to click “Mark as Answer” on the post that helps you, and to click “Unmark as Answer” if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.

Hello Ryster, I have some problem with you, i'm using Windows Web Server 2008. Here is the error: "<Error>: Attempt to install Desktop Experience failed with error code 0x8000FFFF. Catastrophic failure (Exception from HRESULT: 0x8000FFFF (E_UNEXPECTED))" I was uninstalled this feature and then when i try to re-install this desktop experience feature then the error appear. I've done all this task through server manager. Any answer, suggestion and advice are appreciated... Thank you.

I am seeing the same error when I try to install DE.Jim R Vaughan

Hello Ryster, How are things going? I have not heard back from you in a few days and wanted to check on the status of the issue. Please let me know how things turned out. Tim Quan

Ooops, sorry. For some reason Windows Live Alerts didn't bother to tell me about your reply Tim... I got notifications for Andrata and Jim's responses, but not your first response... must annoying. Anyway, I'll do as you suggest now. Thanks for the gentle reminder otherwise I may not have seen it :)

I have now uploaded both files requested. Thanks for your help and I look forward to a speedy resolution to this. The last thing I want is to have to rebuild the server.

Hi, Thank you for sending me the files. There is no error in CheckSUR.log. In the CBS log, I noticed that many similar errors like below: Error CBS Failed to get internal update: () in Package: Microsoft-Windows-Foundation-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.0.6001.18000. hr: 0x800f080c I suggest downloading the files from the following site and then copy them to C:\Windows\servicing\Packages to replace the old files. https://sftus.one.microsoft.com/choosetransfer.aspx?key=e7bff4b5-6802-46b7-933a-cd3519f63c4c Password: Iu%6lY$6W3 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. 3. At the command prompt, type Sfc /scannow, and then press ENTER. If the issue still occurs, please let me know whether you can install other roles or features on the system. Tim Quan TechNet Subscriber Support in forum If you have any feedback on our support, please contact tngfb@microsoft.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please remember to click “Mark as Answer” on the post that helps you, and to click “Unmark as Answer” if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.

Hi Tim, I went to this page (https://sftus.one.microsoft.com/choosetransfer.aspx?key=e7bff4b5-6802-46b7-933a-cd3519f63c4c ) and choose <label for="radDownload">Receive Files from Microsoft</label> in File Transfer Choice Options. After i log-in there are no files on the page. The page display following statement: "There are no files available to download." Any other options to download this file ? Thank you for your attention Tim... Andrata PS

Hi, The file can only exist for 3 days. If you do not download it, it will be removed automatically after 3 days. Now I have uploaded the files again. Tim Quan TechNet Subscriber Support in forum If you have any feedback on our support, please contact tngfb@microsoft.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please remember to click “Mark as Answer” on the post that helps you, and to click “Unmark as Answer” if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.

HI, Ok i already log-in and there are 2 files ready to download. But i still have another questions....my old files are: 1. Microsoft-Windows-Foundation-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~x86~~6.0.6001.18000.cat and 2. Microsoft-Windows-Foundation-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~x86~~6.0.6001.18000.mum Can i replace my old files with these new files ? 1. Microsoft-Windows-Foundation-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.0.6001.18000.cat 2. Microsoft-Windows-Foundation-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.0.6001.18000.mum I think you provide different version from mine... Thanks again Tim...Andrata PS

Hi, Sorry, I sent you the wrong file. Your system is 32bit. I do not have a 32bit machine at hand. So if you have another one, please copy the files from another working machine to this problematic one. Tim Quan TechNet Subscriber Support in forum If you have any feedback on our support, please contact tngfb@microsoft.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please remember to click “Mark as Answer” on the post that helps you, and to click “Unmark as Answer” if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.

Hi, Ok, i'll try to find from another source but i really appreciate your support if in the future you might find for the 32bit version. Thank very much you for your support Tim...Andrata PS

If the issue still occurs, please refer to the following article: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/windowsserver2008r2general/thread/ef2451e6-411c-44b3-9ab8-43afc88fbb7b

Can you please upload the files again, yet again the Technet forum didn't bother to notify me of any replies to my topic (grrr!!!). You uploaded the correct files originally Tim.... my server is 64-bit 2008. Andrata is just piggybacking on my thread :)

I've just resolved the issue by removing update KB972145 which I found in that other thread you linked Tim. Desktop Experience is now re-installed successfully, thanks. Why doesn't Windows automatically remove updates when you remove the associated features? Or better still, why isn't the feature installer written to handle conditions such as this?

Hi Ryster, I have questions for this issue: Just removing update KB972145 ? Without copying the new foundation package ? Thank you very much..Andrata PS

try to remove KB2378111 Restart and Reinstall DE again

Thanks Angel...Andrata PS

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