When performing an in-place upgrade of SharePoint, you may encounter the error “In-place upgrade failed.” This typically happens due to missing prerequisites, database compatibility issues, feature dependencies, or insufficient permissions. Below is a detailed step-by-step troubleshooting guide to identify and resolve the problem.
Step 1: Understand In-Place Upgrade Failure Causes
An in-place upgrade failure can be caused by:
- Unsupported upgrade path (e.g., skipping multiple versions).
- Missing or incompatible SharePoint features.
- Corrupt or outdated content databases.
- Insufficient permissions for the upgrade account.
- Running services interfering with the upgrade process.
Step 2: Check SharePoint Upgrade Logs
- Upgrade logs are stored at:
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\16\LOGS - Look for error messages related to feature dependencies, databases, or services.
- Alternatively, use PowerShell to check the upgrade session status:
Get-SPUpgradeSession | Select-Object Id, StartTime, EndTime, Status
Step 3: Verify the Upgrade Path
- Confirm that you are upgrading from a supported SharePoint version.
- Direct in-place upgrades are only allowed between consecutive SharePoint versions.
- If skipping versions, consider a database-attach upgrade instead.
Step 4: Check Database Health and Compatibility
- List all content databases:
Get-SPContentDatabase - Run a database upgrade check:
Test-SPContentDatabase -Identity "YourDatabaseName" - If errors are detected, upgrade the database manually:
Upgrade-SPContentDatabase -Identity "YourDatabaseName"
Step 5: Identify and Resolve Feature Issues
- Get a list of installed features:
Get-SPFeature | Sort-Object DisplayName - Identify missing or faulty features:
Get-SPSite "http://YourSiteURL" | Get-SPFeature - Reinstall or activate missing features:
Enable-SPFeature -Identity "FeatureName" -Url "http://YourSiteURL" - Remove deprecated features if necessary:
Uninstall-SPFeature -Identity "FeatureName" -Confirm:$false
Step 6: Verify Service Application and Timer Job Status
- Restart the SharePoint Timer Service:
Restart-Service SPTimerV4 - Check for failed timer jobs in Central Administration → Monitoring → Timer Jobs.
- Restart stopped services in Manage Service Applications.
Step 7: Ensure Sufficient Permissions
- The account performing the upgrade must have:
- db_owner and db_securityadmin roles on all SharePoint databases.
- Local Administrator rights on the SharePoint server.
- Farm Administrator permissions.
To confirm permissions, run:
Get-SPDatabase | Get-SPDatabaseRoleAssignment
Step 8: Perform Upgrade Again Using PowerShell
If errors are resolved, restart the upgrade process:
psconfig.exe -cmd upgrade -inplace b2b -wait -force
This forces the upgrade to reattempt failed steps.
Final Thoughts
The “In-place upgrade failed” error often results from database issues, missing features, unsupported upgrade paths, or permission problems. By systematically checking logs, verifying features, upgrading databases, and ensuring proper permissions, you can troubleshoot and resolve the failure effectively.
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