Some Notes on the Machines

Here is the only complete method known to this writer:

https://www.powershellgallery.com/packages/VcRedist

Steps:

1. You’ll need the PowerShell Gallery. Windows 10 and WMF 5.0 come with it.

2. VcRedist is the tool. In administrative PowerShell (the -Force takes in any new updates):

Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned
Install-Module -Name VcRedist -Force
Import-Module -Name VcRedist
New-Item C:\VcRedist -ItemType Directory
Get-VcList | Get-VcRedist -Path C:\VcRedist
Get-VcList | Install-VcRedist -Path C:\VcRedist

3. And optionally last,

rmdir /s /q C:\VcRedist

The above installs all of the redistributables which Microsoft currently supports. Some older ones (going back to 2005 at this writing) can be had using this:

Get-VcList -Export All

instead of this:

Get-VcList

DISM is great for system image repair in 2012/8.0 and later. But from 2008R2/7 there are lots of things DISM can do to clean up a system. Here’s one:

dism /online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup

This does much cleaning up of redundant items in WinSxS. There is also:

dism /online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup /ResetBase

but /ResetBase eliminates removal of all patches and updates etcetera, so not necessarily best to use. And we have:

dism /online /Cleanup-Image /SPSuperseded

/SPSuperseded eliminates removal of service packs only.

Here it is:

http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9830262

If the Windows Installer method doesn’t work, ESET has a tool. It does have to be run with the OS in safe mode:

https://support.eset.com/kb2289/?locale=en_US&viewlocale=en_US

Another from Matt the Quick:

By default, WSUS does not have .NET 3.5 available to install. This creates issues when .NET 3.5 is needed after a machine has joined the domain. Below is the workaround steps to install .NET 3.5 using the operating system ISO and not Windows Update or WSUS.

• Mount the ISO of the operating system. The Server 2016 ISO is known to work for this.
• Open an Administrative Command Prompt and run the following command:
  
  dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:netfx3 /all /source:D:\sources\sxs /limitaccess
  
  NOTE: The Source flag will have to be changed to reflect the Sources\sxs folder on your installation media. This is likely going to be the D drive (as in the example above), but it’s possible your results may differ slightly.
• Reboot machine.

From the indefatigable Matt Quick:

Sometimes, trying to install .NET 3.5 either via Add/Remove Programs or via the standalone offline installer produces an error code. This is due to WSUS not having the files for .NET 3.5. Use the following workaround to avoid taking the machine off the domain, installing .NET 3.5, then putting it back on the domain:

This worked for me. Windows has to download the 3.5 installation files, but the server is configured not to use Windows Update (common for managed servers), but WSUS. The above article describes how to fix this. In a nutshell:

1. Start the Local Group Policy Editor or Group Policy Management Console.
2. Expand Computer Configuration, expand Administrative Templates, and then select System.
3. Open the Specify settings for optional component installation and component repairGroup Policy setting, and then select Enabled.
4. Select the Contact Windows Update directly to download repair content instead of Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) check box.

Make sure Windows Updates Service is set to Manual or Automatic to apply this fix.

Right from the source:

https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search.aspx?q=KB4012216

Here it is:

http://www.portableupdate.com/

When going to version 1607 of 10, it is reportedly supposed to be automatic:

https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2016/08/02/how-to-get-the-windows-10-anniversary-update/

but can be done by ISO:

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wiki/windows_10-windows_install/how-to-upgrade-to-windows-10-anniversary-update/fab99802-4358-49d9-8278-e9664cd56311

A 539-megabyte monster! Appears to be designed to solve lots of problems.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=20858