January 2020 CU for SharePoint Server 2016 is available for download

The product group released the January 2020 Cumulative Update for SharePoint Server 2016 product family.

This CU also includes Feature Pack 1 which was released with December 2016 CU and Feature Pack 2 which was released with September 2017 CU.

The KB articles for January 2020 CU are available here:

  • KB 4484215 – January 2020 Update for SharePoint Server 2016 (language independent)
  • KB 4484220 – January 2020 Update for SharePoint Server 2016 (language dependent)

The download for January 2020 CU is available here:

Important: It is required to install both fixes (language dependent and independent) to fully patch a SharePoint server. This applies also to servers which do not have language packs installed. The reason is that each SharePoint installation includes a language dependent component together with a language independent component. If additional language packs are added later (only) the language dependent fix has to be applied again.

It is irrelevant which language you pick on the drop down in download center. Even the language dependent fixes are all in the same package for all languages.

After installing the fixes you need to run the SharePoint 2016 Products Configuration Wizard on each machine in the farm. If you prefer to run the command line version psconfig.exe ensure to have a look here for the correct options.

SharePoint 2016 January 2020 CU Build Numbers:

Language independent fix: 16.0.4954.1000
Language dependent fix: 16.0.4954.1000

To understand the different version numbers please have a look at my article which explains the different SharePoint build numbers.

Related Links:

18 Comments


  1. Before I receive the first couple of questions on this topic: this CU fixes the issue with the not working links in the Calendar overlay buttons are not working after installing the October 2019 updates.

    Reply

  2. When we will be able to receive patch which fixes not working links in the calendar overlay?
    Before recommendation to open ticket I would like to inform that we have opened ticket for this problem more then month ago 🙂

    Reply

    1. Please read the comment above your comment.
      The fix is included in this CU.

      Reply

  3. I have installed both fixes and I receive a Buildversion of 16.0.4948.1000 instead 16.0.4954.1000, why is that?
    If I look in CA under Managed Patch Status, I can see for example “Update for Microsoft SharePoint Enterprise Server 2016 (KB4484220) 64-Bit Edition 16.0.4954.1000 Installed”. If I look in DB Server I can see Content DB have version 16.0.4954.1000 but SharePoint_Config and AdminContent have version 16.0.4948.1000. I’m confused because I have no error by installing and by Product Configuration I have error (Content DB was not in right schema). So I do Get-SPContentDatabase | Upgrade-ContentDatabase and restart Product Configuration. After that no errors, but If I call buildversion, I see 16.0.4948.1000.

    Reply

  4. Hi Stefan, the patch failed during the Upgrade phase when I installed it on my Dev farm (SP 2016 Enterprise + Project Server, 16.0.4948.1000. Seems to be failing on a lack of permission in content databases.

    Basically the Upgrade wizard keeps failing due to a permissions issue (related to Project Server) on content databases. I found out that the Farm account is part of a database role (PSDataAccess) that actually has a DENY permission set for Insert and Select statements.

    The workaround is to remove the farm account from the PSDataAccess role for each database. I tested this on one database and it upgraded with success.

    I don’t know why it’s doing this NOW. I haven’t changed permissions on these databases since the initial farm setup. This is the first time a patch has complained about those permissions, let alone failing the upgrade.

    I am also unsure of whether it’s appropriate to remove the Farm account from that DB role. I don’t remember setting that permission before so it’s possible the role was automatically assigned as a farm operation; e.g. when I installed Project Server.

    Running PSConfigUI, I get this error:
    An exception of type Microsoft.SharePoint.PostSetupConfiguration.PostSetupConfigurationTaskException was thrown. Additional exception information:
    Action 16.1.313.0 of Microsoft.Office.Project.Server.Database.Extension.Upgrade.PDEUpgradeSequence failed. (EventID:ajywk)
    Exception: The SELECT permission was denied on the object ‘MSP_PROJECTS’, database ‘My_Content_Database’, schema ‘pjpub’. (EventID:ajywk)
    (EventID:ajywk)
    Upgrade [SPContentDatabase Name=My_Content_Database] failed. (EventID:an59t)
    Inner Exception: The SELECT permission was denied on the object ‘MSP_PROJECTS’, database ‘My_Content_Database’, schema ‘pjpub’. (EventID:an59t)
    (EventID:an59t)
    Exception: Action 16.1.313.0 of Microsoft.Office.Project.Server.Database.Extension.Upgrade.PDEUpgradeSequence failed. (EventID:an59t)
    (EventID:an59t)
    Upgrade Timer job is exiting due to exception: Microsoft.SharePoint.Upgrade.SPUpgradeException: Action 16.1.313.0 of Microsoft.Office.Project.Server.Database.Extension.Upgrade.PDEUpgradeSequence failed. —> System.Data.SqlClient.SqlException: The SELECT permission was denied on the object ‘MSP_PROJECTS’, database ‘My_Content_Database’, schema ‘pjpub’. — End of inner exception stack trace —

    Reply

    1. As I mentioned above, I found a workaround so I could upgrade a database individually (using Upgrade-SPContentDatabase). But I went back to check the permissions for that SQL login and found that the PSDataAccess role had been re-added for the Farm account for that database. Apparently there’s a timer job that manages that security and overrides your changes. That would make my workaround kind of useless, then.

      Reply

      1. Hi Greg,
        it is hard to answer without deeper analysis. I would recommend to open a ticket with Microsoft support to perform this analysis.
        Cheers,
        Stefan

        Reply

        1. Stefan, the issue I ran into is covered in this forum post: https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/office/en-US/0aaf7ee5-f6b2-4c57-ae8b-3f593a0602a8/psdataaccess-can-someone-check-if-their-farm-is-configured-with-this-role-?forum=SP2016&prof=required.

          It was confirmed by none other than Trevor Seward, who had a ticket open with Microsoft over it, and said the issue was introduced in the December 2019 PU.

          Fortunately we found a workaround. Seems to affect databases where the Farm account is not mapped to the DBO user / Schema in a content database. We had a number of content databases that had been migrated from SharePoint 2013 and thus were failing.

          Reply

  5. Anyone had issues with hybrid search sometimes timing out when querying results?

    We’ve had this reported on two SP 2016 environments since applying the Jan 2020 patch (but not sure if this behaviour was there prior to this patch unfortunately!)

    Retrying the query does usually return results. It tends to happen when you’ve clicked through to page 6+ of results.

    Seeing the following in the ULS logs:
    Query router timed out after waiting for substrate query for 15000 ms

    Reply

    1. I also have same behavior, but it’s not related to the CU I think. Have you got it solved?

      Reply

      1. It seemed to resolve itself after patching with a newer CU

        Reply

  6. Hi Stefan,

    After applying the update Anonymous is not working properly anymore and cannot see search webparts results.I have a sub site with the necessary permission for anonymous but it is still requesting to login.It was working fine before the update and whatever I change for the anonymous permissions it seems that the changes are not committed.I have tried everything. Any ideas?

    Reply

    1. sorry for got to mention it is a publishing template type product catalog.

      Reply

      1. Hi Mohamad,
        I would recommend to open a ticket with Microsoft Support.
        Cheers,
        Stefan

        Reply

  7. Hello, I implement CU 01-2020 (language independent and dependent ) on my ShP 2016. After installation of both updates, I run ShP CW which end OK. I restart the server. Then in ShP Managment Shell (run as admin) I performed (Get-SPFarm).buildversion which return 16.0.4948.1000. Is that OK?? In ShP CA – Upgrade and Migration – Manage Patch Status: Version is 16.0.4954.1000. Is that expected? Many tnx and kind regards, Petra 🙂

    Reply

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