0xC1900200 errors are caused by Windows 10 being unable to install updates onto your system.
The typical reason is a lack of hard drive space – although, a number of other causes can contribute, from network setup issues to having corrupt files/settings inside Windows.
To fix the error, you basically have to get Windows Update working properly again. To do this, you need to first clean out any of the issues it may have and ensure that the underlying systems are working correctly within the OS.
Cause
The error typically shows with the following message:
Installation Failure: Windows failed to install the following update with error 0xC1900200: Upgrade to Windows 10 Pro, version 1511, 10586.
As mentioned, the cause is due to Windows Update being unable to affect the changes required by the new upgrade.
The typical problem is due to lack of hard drive space – whilst other “settings” issues also contribute.
To fully appreciate what the problem exists – whenever you “update” your system, what you’re really doing is downloading a new set of files which Windows will then “install” (replace on your hard drive).
Obviously, to do this – you need to have adequate hard drive capacity to ensure that it’s going to work effectively. Without this, you’re going to end up with errors like the one cited.
Solution
The steps to solve this are relatively simple.
In 90% of cases, the issue is that you’re basically looking at “freeing up” hard drive capacity. This can be done using the steps outlined below…
- Restart Windows Update (and use the Troubleshooter)
- Check the “System Reserved” disk partition is large enough
- (Potentially) Install an updated version of Windows from ISO
1. Restart Windows Update
The Windows Update service is what runs in the background and downloads the updates & installs them as required.
One of the largest reasons for problems for the system lies in the way in which this service is not able to progress properly.
To fix it, there are several steps to take:
- Run The Troubleshooter
- The first step is run the “Windows Update Troubleshooter”
- This is inbuilt into Windows 10 and basically fixes any of the core issues besetting the service
- To access it, click onto the “Start” button (bottom left taskbar)
- Click the “Settings” (cog) icon from the left of the menu that appears
- Select “Update & Security” > “Troubleshoot”
- Click on “Windows Update”
- Follow the on-screen instructions
This will ensure that the registry settings and various specifics of the Updater are working properly.
After this, you need to restart the service itself:
- Restart The Windows Update Service
- Press “Windows” + “S” keys on your keyboard (brings up “search” box)
- Type “CMD”, right-click the listing that appears and select “Run as Administrator”
- Type “net stop wuauserv” and press “Enter”
- Type “net stop cryptSvc” and press “Enter”
- Type “net stop bits” and press “Enter”
- Type “net stop msiserver” and press “Enter”
- Type “Ren C:WindowsSoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old” and press “Enter”
- Type “Ren C:WindowsSystem32catroot2 Catroot2.old” and press “Enter”
- Type “net start wuauserv” and press “Enter”
- Type “net start cryptSvc” and press “Enter”
- Type “net start bits” and press “Enter”
- Type “net start msiserver” and press “Enter”
Considering the above works properly, it will stop the core Windows Update service and allow it to maintain stability etc.
If it doesn’t work properly, the last “trick” is to use the SFC/DISM tools in Windows.
- Run SFC/DISM
- Press “Windows” + “S” keys on your keyboard (brings up “search” box)
- Type “CMD”, right-click the listing that appears and select “Run as Administrator”
- Type “sfc /scannow” and press “Enter”
- After it finishes scanning, type “dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth” and press “Enter”
- This should take some time, but will clean up any of the corrupted “update” files/folders in Windows
If the above doesn’t resolve the issue, restart the system and try the updates again.
Failing that, follow the next steps…
2. Resize “System Reserved” Disk Partition
The core cause of the problem is that the “System Reserved” partition of Windows is too small.
This partition is used by Windows to provide a core space for all its files. The size is entirely handled by Windows, so it’s rare that it should cause a problem.
Unfortunately, the 0xC1900200 error is most often caused by your system not having enough space in this partition – leading to all sorts of issues.
To resolve the problem, you can actually increase the size of the “system reserved” disk. This can be done using the steps outlined here:
- Download an effective “partition manager” tool from the Internet (I use the EaseUS free one)
- Load up the tool and click on the “System Reserved” partition
- Expand the partition to ~500mb
- Reboot your system and retry the update
3. Use an Updated Windows 10 ISO
Finally, Microsoft have introduced a new “update” system into Windows 10.
It used to be the case that you would be able to “repair” a Windows installation to get it working properly. Not so in W10.
The Windows 10 system comes with an “in situ upgrade”. This is a code-word for “repair using an up to date ISO”.
Now, if you’re a complete novice with systems, you might be better seeking the support of someone else with this. However, it’s generally very simple:
- Search for “Windows 10 media creation tool”
- Click the first link (“Microsoft”)
At this point, there are two options.
The first is to use the “Update Assistant” (which is not 100% effective), and the second is to use the “Media Creation Tool” (which works relatively well).
The Update Assistant is much less intrusive, so we’ll use that first:
- Click on “Update” at the top of the Microsoft page
- Save the file to your system
- Run it
- Click “Update Now” and let it run (the time it takes will vary depending on the size of the update)
- If the update succeeds, you can restart your system and all should be resolved
- If it does not succeed, you should try using the “Media Creation Tool” method
The Windows Media Creation Tool basically gives Windows 10 users the ability to download the latest version of the ISO and get it working on the system:
- Click on “Download Tool Now” on the Microsoft page
- Save the file to hard drive
- Load it up
- Click on “Upgrade This PC Now”
- Let it verify the download
- When the “Ready to install” screen appears, make sure that “Install Windows 10” and “Keep personal files and apps” are checked
- Click “Install”
This basically replaces all the core files of Windows, fixing any of the core issues which may have beset the system. It’s the most common fix for deeper issues like the one you experienced.
by Richard Peck
