Microsoft Exchange 2013 CU11 Readiness Checks Error

During a Readiness Checks of Exchange Server 2013 CU 11 installation, just about 90% into Configuring Prerequisites an error is displayed. One of the crucial services for Microsoft Exchange WMSVC cannot be started. “Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.ServiceDidNotReachStatusException: Service ‘WMSVC' failed to reach status ‘Running' on this server.

Nothing comes easy when it comes to Exchange…

Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 Cumulative Update GUI reports an error just before finalization of the checking process.

Error:

The following error was generated when “$error.Clear();

          $keyPath = “HKLM:SoftwareMicrosoftWebManagementServer”;

          if (!(Get-Item $keyPath -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue))

          {

            New-Item $keyPath -Force

          }

          Set-ItemProperty -path $keyPath -name “EnableRemoteManagement” -value 0x1 -Type DWORD -Force;

          if (Get-Service WMSVC* | ?{$_.Name -eq ‘WMSVC'})

          {

            Set-Service WMSVC -StartupType Automatic

            Stop-SetupService -ServiceName WMSVC;

            Start-SetupService -ServiceName WMSVC

          }

        ” was run: “Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.ServiceDidNotReachStatusException: Service ‘WMSVC' failed to reach status ‘Running' on this server.

   at Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.Task.ThrowError(Exception exception, ErrorCategory errorCategory, Object target, String helpUrl)

   at Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.Task.WriteError(Exception exception, ErrorCategory category, Object target)

   at Microsoft.Exchange.Management.Tasks.ManageSetupService.WaitForServiceStatus(ServiceController serviceController, ServiceControllerStatus status, Unlimited`1 maximumWaitTime, Boolean ignoreFailures, Boolean sendWatsonReportForHungService)

   at Microsoft.Exchange.Management.Tasks.ManageSetupService.StartService(ServiceController serviceController, Boolean ignoreServiceStartTimeout, Boolean failIfServiceNotInstalled, Unlimited`1 maximumWaitTime, String[] serviceParameters)

   at Microsoft.Exchange.Management.Tasks.ManageSetupService.StartService(String serviceName, Boolean ignoreServiceStartTimeout, Boolean failIfServiceNotInstalled, Unlimited`1 maximumWaitTime, String[] serviceParameters)

   at Microsoft.Exchange.Management.Tasks.StartSetupService.InternalProcessRecord()

   at Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.Task.<ProcessRecord>b__b()

   at Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.Task.InvokeRetryableFunc(String funcName, Action func, Boolean terminatePipelineIfFailed)”.

Additionally an error in Application Event Log from IIS-ISSManager is visible.

Error in event log: EVENT ID: 1007, SOURCE: IIS-ISSManager, Level: Error

IISWMSVC_STARTUP_UNABLE_TO_READ_CERTIFICATE

Unable to read the certificate with thumbprint ‘0efba9399f2d1bc978b9761a19002806cc823778'. Please make sure the SSL certificate exists and that is correctly configured in the Management Service page.

Process:WMSvc

User=NT AUTHORITYLOCAL SERVICE

A common cause of this problem is that the WMSVC certificate has been deleted from the certificate store on the server so now Management Service has no certificate assigned causing a problem.

Open IIS (Internet Information Services) Manager and find Management Service

Open up Management Service option and as predicted SSL Certificate field is empty.

Simply choose a new certificate in it's place, Apply the change and Start the service.

After applying the certificate Readiness Checks of Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 Cumulative Update 11 Setup goes thru and installation of CU11 can be started without further problems.