SQL Server Setup failure - Cached MSI files are missing

Question

Trying to apply SQL Server 2008 SP4 to an old instance I now have to look after, but the installer is failing with

TITLE: SQL Server Setup failure.

SQL Server Setup has encountered the following error:

The cached MSI file 'C:\Windows\Installer\5dd0fcab.msi' is missing. Its original file is 'sql_engine_core_inst.msi' and it was installed for product 'Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Database Engine Services' from 'e:\a9aebd1f210f70e7096a\x86\setup\sql_engine_core_inst_msi', version '10.3.5500.0', language 'ENU'. To resolve this problem, recover the missing file from the installation media and start setup again. For more information about how to resolve this problem, see 'Steps to restore the missing Windows Installer cache files' (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=144387) in the Microsoft Knowledge Base.

Error code 0x84B20002.

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BUTTONS:

OK

I have managed to find and fix a lot of missing MSP files, but cannot locate the source media for SQL Server 2008 SP3 (10.3.5500.0). Any ideas if this is available anywhere that I can download? http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=27594#overview - no longer available

(Yes, I know I need to upgrade to a newer version - one step at a time!)

Answer 1

Did you find the tool that automates this ?

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/archive/blogs/psssql/sql-setup-toolsuite-introduction-1-fixmissingmsi

Answer 2

Finally found the original install files from 2013 in the application install files a colleague restored onto the server. SQL Express had been installed as part of the application, but the SQLEXPR_x86_ENU.msi was hidden within.