Installing Sitecore 9.2 in 2025: Navigating Prerequisite Challenges and Deployment Hurdles

Installing Sitecore 9.2: Navigating Prerequisite Challenges and Deployment Hurdles

Recently, I had the task of installing Sitecore 9.2 and ran into a couple of frustrating issues that I suspect might trip up others as well. If you're facing similar problems, I hope this post will save you some time and effort.

The Problems

1. Outdated Download Links in Prerequisites.json
   The installation process for Sitecore relies on the Prerequisites.json file to pull the necessary components. However, I quickly discovered that some of the links in this file were outdated and no longer functional.

   Thankfully, Sitecore has documented this issue in KB1000626. This article outlines the root cause: the linked resources in the Prerequisites.json file were no longer available.

   
       -------- DownloadWebPlatformInstaller : DownloadFile ------------------------]
   [DownloadWebPlatformInstaller]:[Download] https://download.microsoft.com/download/C/F/F/CFF3A0B8-99D4-41A2-AE1A-496C08BEB904/WebPlatformInstaller_amd64_en-US.msi => C:\Users\{Username}\AppData\Local\Temp\WebPlatformInstaller_amd64_en-US.msi
   Error downloading https://download.microsoft.com/download/C/F/F/CFF3A0B8-99D4-41A2-AE1A-496C08BEB904/WebPlatformInstaller_amd64_en-US.msi: The remote server returned an error: (404) Not Found.

2. Deployment Failure Due to Retired Microsoft Web Platform Installer
   While deploying Sitecore XP using the Sitecore Installation Framework (SIF), I hit another roadblock. The process depends on the Microsoft Web Platform Installer (Web PI), which has been retired by Microsoft. Without it, some essential components for Sitecore couldn't be installed.

   Sitecore's documentation addresses this issue in KB1003017.

   
       [------------------------------- IdentityServer_InstallWDP : WebDeploy -----------------------------------------------]
   Install-SitecoreConfiguration : Cannot validate argument on parameter 'Path'. The running command stopped because the
   preference variable "ErrorActionPreference" or common parameter is set to Stop: 
   The term 'C:\Program Files\iis\Microsoft Web Deploy V3\msdeploy.exe' is not recognized as the name of a cmdlet, function, script file, or operable program.
   Check the spelling of the name, or if a path was included, verify that the path is correct and try again.

The Fixes

Here’s how I resolved these issues:

1. Updating Prerequisites.json
To address the outdated links, I manually updated the Prerequisites.json file with new, valid links for the missing resources. The Sitecore KB article provided guidance on where to find the correct URLs. Once updated, the installation process was able to successfully download the required prerequisites.

2. Working Around the Web PI Retirement
For the Web Platform Installer issue, Sitecore KB1003017 outlines a workaround. Essentially, I had to manually install the missing components that the Web PI would have handled automatically. While this required a bit more effort, it ensured the deployment could proceed.

Final Thoughts

The installation of Sitecore 9.2 can be tricky if you're unaware of these issues. The good news is that Sitecore provides clear guidance in their knowledge base to help you navigate these hurdles.

If you're planning a Sitecore installation or encountering similar problems, here are my key takeaways:

• Always check for updates or known issues in the Sitecore Knowledge Base before beginning the installation process.
• Be prepared to manually update files like Prerequisites.json to reflect the current state of dependencies.
• Understand that some manual effort might be required to replace tools like the retired Web Platform Installer.