Install updates SharePoint 2016

Question

I cannot apply installed updates for SharePoint 2016 in any way, the SharePoint products configuration wizard fails:

The update process failed to start.

Type exception thrown Microsoft.SharePoint.Upgrade.SPUpgradeException. More information about the exception: one or more types could not be loaded. For more information, see the update log. Microsoft.SharePoint.Upgrade.SPUpgradeException: One or more types could not be loaded. For more information, see the update log.

in Microsoft.SharePoint.Upgrade.SPActionSequence.LoadUpgradeActions() in Microsoft.SharePoint.Upgrade.SPActionSequence.get_Actions() in Microsoft.SharePoint.Upgrade.SPActionSequence.get_RunnableActions() in Microsoft.SharePoint.Upgrade.SPUpgradeSession.RunPreUpgraders(Object o, List`1 lstClass) in Microsoft.SharePoint.Upgrade.SPUpgradeSession.Upgrade(Object o, Boolean bRecurse) in Microsoft.SharePoint.Upgrade.SPManager.BootStrap(Guid sessionId, SPUpgradeOperationFlags flags) in Microsoft.SharePoint.PostSetupConfiguration.UpgradeBootstrapTask.Run() in Microsoft.SharePoint.PostSetupConfiguration.TaskThread.ExecuteTask()

Answer 1

The products configuration wizard is a little bit crazy. It often fails in the first run without any good reason.

• Run SharePoint Products Configuration Wizard. This regularly fails. Directly run the wizard again. No troubleshooting or even a look at the error-log here!
• If update still fails, open SharePoint PowerShell and run psconfig.exe with the following parameters:
  PSConfig.exe -cmd upgrade -inplace b2b -wait -cmd applicationcontent -install -cmd installfeatures -cmd secureresources -cmd services -install
• Again: If the first run fails, run psconfig.exeagain with the same set of parameters without any troubleshooting.
• If all of this failes, you really need to troubleshoot this issue. But you will get 95% of your issues resolved just with this weird procedure.