Cannot get Server-Gui-Mgmt-Infra to install on Server Core

Question

Everytime I try to install the Management GUI on Server Core I get this error.

Install-WindowsFeature : The request to add or remove features on the specified server failed.
Installation of one or more roles, role services, or features failed.
The source files could not be downloaded.
Use the "source" option to specify the location of the files that are required to restore the feature. For more
information on specifying a source location, see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=243077. Error: 0x800f0906
At line:1 char:1
+ Install-WindowsFeature Server-Gui-Mgmt-Infra -Source C:\mountdir\Windows\WinSxS
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidOperation: (@{Vhd=; Credent...Name=localhost}:PSObject) [Install-WindowsFeature],Exception
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : DISMAPI_Error__Cbs_Download_Failure,Microsoft.Windows.ServerManager.Commands.AddWindowsFeatureCommand

Under DISM I Get the following

Error: 0x800f081f

The source files could not be found.
Use the "Source" option to specify the location of the files that are required to restore the feature. For more information on specifying a source location, see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=243077.

The DISM log file can be found at C:\Windows\Logs\DISM\dism.log

DISM Log: https://gist.github.com/michael-manley/5329139

I do know usually this happens when it attempts to download from Windows Update bu as you see with the command I'm attempting to use the WIM File. I tried both the wim:D:\sources\install.wim:2 method, and the mounting and using C:\mountdir\Windows\WinSxS methods, both fail. Server is fully up to date. I have tried a patched WIM as well from a freshly installed Server 2012 Standard fully updated.

Solution 1

I tested using this link below. Not sure why but with a fresh server core build (I disabled UAC temporarily FYI) and changed was the last command to only include server-gui-mgmt-infra Seems a bit overkill and complicated to get a feature installed. I've not done extensive testing with server core RTM build. During Beta, I recall being able to use Add-WindowsFeaure -Name Server-GUI-Mgmt-Infra -source c:\sxs but guess not during RTM :( What I couldn't get was using a UNC path for the source, even now.

http://virtualisationandmanagement.wordpress.com/2012/08/09/windows-2012-converting-a-full-gui-version-to-server-core-and-vice-versa/

Solution 2

Tried all of the solutions, including a manual mounted ISO with all updates applied. Everything failed. However, I thought about what the process is trying to do and thought about pointing the command to another server running GUI, and it worked. Hope this helps others. Syntax:

Dism /Online /Enable-Feature /FeatureName:ServerCore-Gui-Mgmt /Source:\\[server]\c$\Windows\WinSxS /LimitAccess

Solution 3

First, the good part. You can use the DVD as the source.

Install-WindowsFeature -Name User-Interfaces-Infra -IncludeAllSubfeature -Source D:\
Install-WindowsFeature -Name Server-Gui-Mgmt-Infra, Server-Gui-Shell -Source D:\

Next, the bad part. I have successfully used these commands in the past. Today, however, they are not working for me. I've tried using the iso as the source, I've tried using a mounted install.wim, all with no success - I get the same message as the OP.

Some web searching found me How to update local source media to add roles and features. It says that to add features to an existing copy of Windows, the source you are installing from must be at the same patch level as the copy of Windows. Sadly, WSUS is not a solution for this - you have to manually apply all the packages to a mounted image before you can use it to add features.

I guess that Microsoft's answer to this is "just use the -online switch". My reply would be "Yeah, right."

Comments

[DrHouse]

I tried that, same old issue. In fact one was copied to the local drive.

[David Makogon]

This should be a comment under the answer, regarding the extra parameter.