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When 'Update Manager' starts running, it tells me that I need to do a 'Partial Upgrade', when I start doing the upgrade, it tells me 

Remove package in bad state 

The package 'linux-headers-3.0.0-19' is in an inconsistent state 
and needs to be reinstalled, but no archive can be found for it. 
Do you want to remove this package now to continue?"

When I click 'Yes' the program just closes. I have tried to go into the software center and reinstall the linux-headers-3.0.0-19 ubuntu software center just freezes.

Right now I cannot run 'Synaptic', or remove any software.

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  • 2
    Have you tried the sudo command of "sudo apt-get --purge remove <package>" and then try re-installing from the CLI?
    – daslinkard
    Apr 17, 2012 at 1:52
  • I tried it, the command sent back this response: "E: The package linux-headers-3.0.0-19 needs to be reinstalled, but I can't find an archive for it."
    – GothicMonster
    Apr 17, 2012 at 1:56
  • Did you try sudo apt-get install -f <package> ?
    – Jeff Welling
    Apr 17, 2012 at 2:00
  • I got the same message "E: The package linux-headers-3.0.0-19 needs to be reinstalled, but I can't find an archive for it."
    – GothicMonster
    Apr 17, 2012 at 2:01
  • Try the solution from this guy... askubuntu.com/questions/122699/…
    – Lie
    Aug 2, 2014 at 20:13

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
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Try this, I hope it works:

  1. Make a backup of /var/lib/dpkg/status:

    sudo cp /var/lib/dpkg/status /var/lib/dpkg/status.bkup

  2. Open /var/lib/dpkg/status:

    sudo nano /var/lib/dpkg/status

  3. Search through the file for any reference to that package name (i.e. linux-headers-3.0.0-19) and CAREFULLY delete that entry. Don't delete anything else. Save the file and quit.

  4. Do sudo apt-get update.

This should probably solve the problem.

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3
  • It works! I got Software Center couldn't be open when installing openfire and your solution works!
    – emeraldhieu
    Dec 17, 2012 at 9:11
  • gedit did not to open /var/lib/dpkg/status because of some special characters. Instead, editing it with nano worked fine. Already on two occasions it solved a nagging problem with the libreoffice-base package for me.
    – Serge Stroobandt
    Aug 17, 2014 at 16:07
  • 1
    it is still works on 16.04
    – Mert Öksüz
    Sep 21, 2016 at 6:38
43

  • If you get nowhere with any of the other offerings I've used this in the past

    dpkg --remove --force-remove-reinstreq

    From the dpkg manual

    remove-reinstreq: Remove a package, even if it's broken

  • So run:

    sudo dpkg --remove --force-remove-reinstreq  linux-headers-3.0.0-19
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