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Exchange 2016: CU13 upgrade fails with error "Cannot start service MSExchangeServiceHost on computer"

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Exchange 2016 CU upgrades don't always go according to plan.

In this scenario, one of my servers just wouldn't upgrade but the rest did without error.

The upgrade runs like normal from the CLI but fails with the below error:

https://www.collaborationpro.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/image.png

"Cannot start service MSExchangeServicehost......"

When I went to check the Exchange Services, some of them were automatic but the rest were disabled.

I ran the command in PowerShell: Get-Service *Exchange* | Set-Service -StartupType Automatic but I was not quick enough and the setup failed again.

On this Blog, One of the comments by a user called "wandersick", was to set a timer and ensure the services were set to automatic again without having to refresh Services the whole time. Here is the command used:

  • while (1 -le 2) { sleep 1 ; Get-Service | where{$_.DisplayName -Like ‘Microsoft Exchange*’} | Set-Service –StartupType ‘Automatic’ }

While this was running in the background in a PowerShell session, the setup completed successfully and without error.