Solution to Windows 10 update error 0xC1900200
As with many Windows errors, the 0xc1900200 the error code is displayed when you try to perform system activities (in this case, a system update).
While most people have alluded to the error that appears when they try to install the latest “Creators Update” from Microsoft, it has also been known to appear in a variety of other circumstances.
The underlying problem with this error is that Windows cannot use the “system partition” on your hard drives.
This is a reserved part of the hard drive, used by Windows to store product updates and Windows files. If you encounter this error, it usually means that this part of the hard drive is out of space and needs to be expanded.
While you can update the drive size within Windows, the best way to fix the problem is to use a custom “partition” application, which can properly manage the various partitions within the operating system. This tutorial explains how.
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The error will usually be displayed with the following message:
Code 0xC1900200: Windows Update encountered an unknown error
The way to fix this is to firstly make sure your system’s “System Partition” is the correct size, and then to be able to fix any problems Windows may have with your system’s kernel.
Solution
1. Download and run the disk partition tool
I can’t recommend a specific tool, but it’s important to get one that is reliable.
There are a number that are totally free; you shouldn’t pay for it.
For the purposes of this article, I will detail how to use Windows 10’s built-in “Disk Management” tool.
This isn’t as reliable as the demi-commercials, but it may help if there are any issues:
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Press the “Windows” + “S” keys on your keyboard
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Type “Disk Management”
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Click on the listing that says “Create and format disk partitions”
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This will open a list of hard drives and their partitions.
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Look for the “System Reserved” partition
At this point, you should look at the size of the “available space” on the system reserved partition.
If the amount of free space is less than 100 mb, you will need to expand it…
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Right click and select “Extend Volume”
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If this is not available, you may need to “shrink” the main hard drive partition
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If available, set the size to something like 350mb or 500mb (depending on the size of your hard drive)
If you can’t extend the drive from the Windows Disk Management tool, you’ll want to download a commercial tool “just to see” if you can do it from there.
If you download a tool and it doesn’t allow extend functionality either, it means you need to shrink the main drive and then extend the reserved system.
2. Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter
Regardless of whether the above is successful or not, you can take advantage of another feature of Windows 10 – the “Troubleshooter”.
Basically, this cleans up errors/issues within the system itself, allowing users to fix any of the major issues that often plague Windows.
So, if you’re having problems with Windows Update, you’ll want to run the “Update Troubleshooter”:
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Press Windows + I keys on your keyboard (load “Settings”)
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Select “Update and security”
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Select “Troubleshoot” from the menu on the left
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From the list that appears, select “Windows Update”
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Click “Run the troubleshooter”
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Let the process run
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Reboot your system after completing
This usually resolves most Windows Update issues, but it obviously doesn’t mean your error will be resolved.
If the error persists, you should move to the next step.
3. Run DISM, SFC, etc.
SFC (System File Checker) and SID M (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) are built-in (command line) applications within Windows.
They are used to solve particular problems within the system and basically clean up most of the temporary files that the system requires to function.
To do this, the next step is to use each of these tools within your system:
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Press the “Windows” + “S” keys on your keyboard
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Type “CMD”
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When the list appears, right click on “Command Prompt” and select “Run as administrator”
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When CMD loads, type the following:
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“SFC /scan now” + press “Enter”
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“DISM /Online /Clean Image /Restore Health” + press “Enter”
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Let each service scan your system
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Reboot after completion
This should clean up any unauthorized update files lurking on your drive.
After doing this, you may also want to clean up your Windows files.
4. Clean disk
The next step is to clean up any files that may be on the drive.
To do this, you can use the Windows “Disk Cleanup Tool”:
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Press the “Windows” + “S” keys on your keyboard
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Find “Disk Cleanup”
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Select the first option that appears
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Click “Clean up system files”
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Let the system scan your system files
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Clean any files you discover
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Restart your PC
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After doing this, try to update your system again.
If the error persists, it means you have a deeper problem with Windows (your system partition is probably not the right size). For better help, you’d better seek more specific support, either from online resources or from a local repair technician.
