I was recently attempting to install SQL Server 2012 SP1 (KB2674319) via Windows Update on a VM. This is a Dev VM – specifically a new one I had built for working with SharePoint 2013 & CRM 2013. Nice new environment: Windows Server 2012, Visual Studio 2013, ReSharper 8, Dynamics CRM 2013, SharePoint 2013, and even Office 2013…heck 2013 is sounding like a great year!

Anyway, while letting Windows Update install SQL Server 2012 SP1 I kept getting the dread red install failure and an error 20000009. I did several searches but couldn’t find anything. I performed a repair on SQL Server 2012 using the install media – still no luck. It was only went I back that next day and tried to copy a large file that I received an out-of-space error.

I quickly looked at the available disk space and saw it was extremely low. I did some reconfiguration to give the VM’s C:\ drive some extra space and tried the update again. And it worked, SP1 installed successfully!

Lesson

When you get an error you can’t immediately diagnose – always checked the disk space!