File version error when you try to install Exchange Server November 2024 SU

Symptoms

When you try to install the November 2024 Security Update (SU) for Microsoft Exchange Server 2019 or 2016, the installation fails and you receive the following error message:

If you try again to install the November SU after the initial failure, you might receive the following error message:

Workaround

Workaround 1

To work around this problem, follow these steps:

1. Restart the Exchange server that you're installing on.

2. Check whether the server is in disabled mode. To do this, run the following command:
   Get-Service -DisplayName "Microsoft exchange*" | ft DisplayName,Starttype ,Status 

   ​​​​​​​If the StartType value for Microsoft Exchange services is Disabled, run the following command in Windows PowerShell to restore the StartType: 
cd "C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\V15\Bin" 
Add-PSSnapin -Name Microsoft.Exchange.Management.PowerShell.Setup -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
.\ServiceControl.ps1 AfterPatch 
    
   Make sure that the Microsoft Exchange services display Automatic StartMode. To do this, run the following command:
   Get-Service -DisplayName "Microsoft exchange*" | ft DisplayName,Starttype ,Status

3. Make sure that the .NET Framework 4.8 update is installed. To do this, run the following command: 

   Get-Hotfix 

   For more information about the .NET Framework 4.8 update, see the following KB article:

   For Windows Server 2022
   ​​​​​​​January 14, 2025-KB5049617 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 3.5 and 4.8 for Windows Server 2022

   For Windows Server 2019
   January 14, 2025-KB5049615 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 3.5 and 4.8 for Windows 10, version 1809 and Windows Server 2019

   For Windows Server 2016
   ​​​​​​​ January 14, 2025-KB5049614 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 4.8 for Windows 10, version 1607 and Windows Server 2016

   Note

   If .NET 4.8 is not installed, run Windows Update to install the .NET 4.8 update.

4. Rerun the Exchange Server 2019 or 2016 November 2024 SU installation.

Workaround 2

If the issue persists after you try Workaround 1, follow these steps:

1. Manually stop all Exchange-related services by using ServiceControl.ps1. To do this, open Windows PowerShell as an administrator, and run following command:

   Add-PSSnapin Microsoft.Exchange.Management.PowerShell.Setup
   $serviceControlPath = Join-Path $env:ExchangeInstallPath '\Bin\ServiceControl.ps1'
   & $serviceControlPath -Operation 'Stop' -Roles 'LanguagePacks'

2. Check whether any process is locking content in the  C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\assembly\GAC_MSIL\Microsoft.Exchange.Data.Common folder:

   1. Download and open Process Explorer (procexp.exe).

   2. Search for “Microsoft.Exchange.Data.Common.dll” in the Process Explorer Search screen, as shown in the following screenshot.

      

   3. If the search results show that a process is locking the file, stop the service that’s associated with the process. For example, if an antivirus-related process has a lock on the file, stop the related service.

      Repeat these steps as necessary to make sure that no process has a lock on Microsoft.Exchange.Data.Common.dll.

3. If the Exchange services are in a disabled state, set their startup type to Automatic.

4. Open Windows PowerShell as an administrator again, and run the following command:

   cd "C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\V15\Bin" 
   Add-PSSnapin -Name Microsoft.Exchange.Management.PowerShell.Setup -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
   .\ServiceControl.ps1 AfterPatch

5. Rerun the Exchange Server 2019 or 2016 November 2024 SU installation.

6. After the installation is completed, run a server health check to verify the server health status.