MMC crashes when running WSUS Post Install tasks

Question

After an upgrade from 2008 R2 to 2012 R2 I had issues with WSUS not running. I have removed roles for WSUS, IIS and the WID, renamed the WID directory in C;\Windows to .old, reboot and reinstall but I still have the same issue. When trying to run the post
installation tasks it prompts for the location to store the updates but almost as soon as Run is clicked I receive an error that the microsoft Management Console has stopped working with the following details.
Problem signature:
  Problem Event Name: CLR20r3
  Problem Signature 01: mmc.exe
  Problem Signature 02: 6.3.9600.16384
  Problem Signature 03: 5215ef8f
  Problem Signature 04: System
  Problem Signature 05: 4.0.30319.34003
  Problem Signature 06: 522ec39f
  Problem Signature 07: 3fec
  Problem Signature 08: 3b8
  Problem Signature 09: System.ComponentModel.Win32
  OS Version: 6.3.9600.2.0.0.272.7
  Locale ID: 2057
  Additional Information 1: b376
  Additional Information 2: b376ba95bedbd518328ed0407772d20c
  Additional Information 3: 2cdd
  Additional Information 4: 2cdd6573ca3a99b682060228c5ceb1c2
At the same time two errors are logged in the Application log,
ID1026 .NET Runtime
Application: mmc.exe
Framework Version: v4.0.30319
Description: The process was terminated due to an unhandled exception.
Exception Info: System.ComponentModel.Win32Exception
Stack:
   at System.Diagnostics.Process.StartWithCreateProcess(System.Diagnostics.ProcessStartInfo)
   at Microsoft.UpdateServices.UI.SnapIn.Dialogs.PostInstallDialog.RunPostInstall(System.Object)
   at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.RunInternal(System.Threading.ExecutionContext, System.Threading.ContextCallback, System.Object, Boolean)
   at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(System.Threading.ExecutionContext, System.Threading.ContextCallback, System.Object, Boolean)
   at System.Threading.QueueUserWorkItemCallback.System.Threading.IThreadPoolWorkItem.ExecuteWorkItem()
   at System.Threading.ThreadPoolWorkQueue.Dispatch()
and Event ID 1000 Application Error
Faulting application name: mmc.exe, version: 6.3.9600.16384, time stamp: 0x5215ef8f
Faulting module name: KERNELBASE.dll, version: 6.3.9600.16408, time stamp: 0x523d557d
Exception code: 0xe0434352
Fault offset: 0x000000000000ab78
Faulting process id: 0x196c
Faulting application start time: 0x01d030500ca78295
Faulting application path: C:\Windows\system32\mmc.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Windows\system32\KERNELBASE.dll
Report Id: 4b72991e-9c43-11e4-80c4-f01fafe08a8b
Faulting package full name: 
Faulting package-relative application ID: 
I've tried running the .NET verification tool on all versions of .NET and all  verify ok. I have also tried uninstalling .Net 3.5 and reinstalling. Unfortunately I can't reinstall .NET4.5 as this is the only DC and I can't have downtime to rebuild from
scratch. Any ideas?
Many thanks,
Baz

Answer 1

After an upgrade from 2008 R2 to 2012 R2
You *cannot* upgrade a WSUS server from WS2008R2 to WS2012R2, so could you please clarify what you actually did do?
Otherwise, given the error messages, I'm inclined to think you really did *Upgrade* the WS2008R2 to WS2012R2 server with the WSUS role installed, and if so, then you're basically going to have to reformat and reinstall WS2012R2 from scratch.
This scenario is plainly documented in the
WS2012R2/WSUS v6 documentation:
New and changed functionality
Warning
Upgrade from any version of Windows Server that supports WSUS 3.2 to Windows Server® 2012 R2 requires that you first uninstall WSUS 3.2.
In Windows Server 2012, upgrading from any version of Windows Server with WSUS 3.2 installed is blocked during the installation process if WSUS 3.2 is detected, and you are prompted to first uninstall Windows Server Update Services prior to upgrading Windows
Server 2012.
However, because of changes in Windows Server 2012 R2, when upgrading from any version of Windows Server and WSUS 3.2 to Windows Server 2012 R2, the installation is not blocked. Failure to uninstall WSUS 3.2 prior to performing a Windows Server 2012 R2 upgrade
will cause the post installation tasks for WSUS in Windows Server 2012 R2 to fail. In this case, the only known corrective measure is to format the hard drive and reinstall Windows Server 2012 R2.
Lawrence Garvin, M.S., MCSA, MCITP:EA, MCDBA
SolarWinds Head Geek
Microsoft MVP - Software Packaging, Deployment & Servicing (2005-2014)
My MVP Profile: http://mvp.microsoft.com/en-us/mvp/Lawrence%20R%20Garvin-32101
http://www.solarwinds.com/gotmicrosoft
The views expressed on this post are mine and do not necessarily reflect the views of SolarWinds.