windows server upgrade errors

Server 2008 to Server 2019 upgrade Error

Windows server 2008 to server 2019 upgrade


kept failing despite having done all required pre-requisites steps.

The error in the in the set up log file at this location was;
  C:\$WINDOWS.~BT\Sources\Panther\setuperr.log


2020-08-15 12:42:01, Error                 MIG    User profile duplicate SID error. Aborting due to external request.[gle=0x000000cb]
2020-08-15 12:42:01, Error                        MigStartupOnline caught exception: Win32Exception: User profile duplicate SID error. Aborting due to external request.: The specified user does not have a valid profile. [0x000004E5] void __cdecl Mig::COnlineWinNTPlatform::ProcessUser(class Mig::CRegistryDataStore *,class Mig::CRegistryDataUnit *,class UnBCL::String *,class UnBCL::String *,int,int)
2020-08-15 12:42:01, Error                 MIG    pDoOnlineGather: Engine initialization failed with error: 0x00000004
2020-08-15 12:42:01, Error      [0x0800ad] MIG    Callback_GatherOldSys: Migration phase failed.


Below is the actual document that aided in troubleshooting and resolving the issue

 https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/928901/log-files-that-are-created-when-you-upgrade-to-a-new-version-of-window

Log files that are created when you upgrade to a new version of Windows

Applies to: Windows 10 Enterprise 2015 LTSBWindows 10, version 1511, all editionsWindows 10 More

INTRODUCTION

This article lists all the log files that are created when you upgrade from an earlier version of Windows.
More Information
The following log files are created when an upgrade is successful:
C:\Windows\Panther\Setupact.log
C:\Windows\panther\setuperr.log
C:\Windows\inf\setupapi.app.log
C:\Windows\inf\setupapi.dev.log
C:\Windows\panther\PreGatherPnPList.log
C:\Windows\panther\PostApplyPnPList.log
C:\Windows\panther\miglog.xml
The following log files are created when an upgrade fails during installation before the computer restarts for the second time:
C:\$Windows.~BT\Sources\panther\setupact.log
C:\$Windows.~BT\Sources\panther\miglog.xml
C:\Windows\setupapi.log
[Windows 10:] C:\Windows\Logs\MoSetup\BlueBox.log
The following log files are created when an upgrade fails during installation after the computer restarts for the second time:
C:\Windows\panther\setupact.log
C:\Windows\panther\miglog.xml
C:\Windows\inf\setupapi.app.log
C:\Windows\inf\setupapi.dev.log
C:\Windows\panther\PreGatherPnPList.log
C:\Windows\panther\PostApplyPnPList.log
C:\Windows\memory.dmp
The following log files are created when an upgrade fails, and then you restore the desktop:
C:\$Windows.~BT\Sources\panther\setupact.log
C:\$Windows.~BT\Sources\panther\miglog.xml
C:\$Windows.~BT\sources\panther\setupapi\setupapi.dev.log
C:\$Windows.~BT\sources\panther\setupapi\setupapi.app.log
C:\Windows\memory.dmp
The following log files are created when an upgrade fails, and the installation rollback is initiated:
C:\$Windows.~BT\Sources\Rollback\setupact.log
C:\$Windows.~BT\Sources\Rollback\setupact.err


To check for Duplicate SIDs - user profiles.


Right click on "This PC" > "Properties" > "Advanced System Properties"



under user profiles , click on settings



Here you will find all user profiles, sort by name and you should see any/all duplicate profiles.

In this case for WVI there was 1 duplicate profile, after deleting it and running set up, it went through smoothly without any errors.