Fix: Windows 10 upgrade error 0xc1900201

By the latest reports, the 3 quarters of Windows 10 users have obtained Windows 10 Fall Creators Update.

However, some users that are recently prompted to upgrade to version 1709, bump into an upgrade error baring the code 0xc1900201.

Seemingly, they are unable to overcome this error after a few tries and can confirm that the connection or update services are responsible for the error at hand.

For that purpose, we prepared a list of the most common solutions that should fix the issue or provide a viable alternative. If you’re stuck with the 0xc1900201 upgrade error, make sure to check the list below.

How can I fix the upgrade error 0xc1900201 in Windows 10?

1: Expand System Reserved Partition

This shouldn’t be something with what end-users should meet, but that’s Windows 10 for you. When it works – it works fine; when it doesn’t – you’ll need to turn to complex workarounds in order to make it work.

In this scenario, you’ll need to resize your System Reserved Partition in order to obtain the latest upgrade, Falls Creator Update.

All chances are that its nominal values vary around 100 MB whilst you’ll need from 200 to 600 in order to upgrade to the latest Windows 10 iteration.

This is a rather complex operation, and a lot of tech-savvy users advise to use some kind of partition-managing third-party tool. The best one and the most simple to use is EaseUS Partition Manager.

Run a System Scan to discover potential errors

Click Start Scan to find Windows issues.

Click Repair All to fix issues with Patented Technologies.

Also, it won’t cost you a thing to back up your system before we move through the steps.

After that, you should be able to install all major updates without any issues whatsoever.

2: Use Media Creation Tool

If the upgrade procedure suddenly crashes every time you give it a go, maybe you’ll need to change the way upgrade is distributed and the installation source.

Windows Update is fairly plagued with issues, so your optional way out of this is to use an external source: USB or DVD with the installation files. You can create such media with Media Creation Tool.

If the problem is in connection or upgrades file distribution, this should resolve it accordingly. Make sure to follow the steps below to create an installation media and upgrade Windows 10 with it:

3: Perform a clean reinstallation

Finally, if none of the two previous steps fell short, you can always use the aforementioned Windows 10 installation media and perform a clean reinstallation.

Once your system is completely renewed it should pack the Fall Creators Update a. k.a version 1709.

If you’re not certain how to perform a clean reinstallation of Windows 10, make sure to check this article for the in-depth insight and step-by-step explanation of the complete procedure.

With that, we can conclude this article. In case you’re still unable to make it work, and the same error code 0xc1900201 is reappearing, don’t forget to send your ticket to Microsoft.

On the other hand, if you managed to resolve the issue in an alternative way, we’ll be grateful if you share it with us in the comments section below.

0xc1900201 error installing Windows 10

Are you getting a 0xc1900201 error installing Windows 10? I got both that and 0xc1900200. Here’s how I fixed it.

I upgraded my venerable Dell E1505 to Windows 10 over the weekend. It was harder than it needed to be, but I got it running. It’s an old machine, but for some tasks, it can handle Windows 10.

Here’s how I got the Windows 10 install working.

Error codes 0xc1900201 and 0xc1900200

Clicking the Windows 10 upgrade icon in my system tray failed. I got the message to the right, which made me speculate about Microsoft’s recreational drug use. My Dell had an older Intel CPU, but it was a mainstream Intel, and it met the minimum requirements.

I tried several workarounds, including downloading the ISO file and trying to use the Media Creation Tool. Whether I did that or tried the easier update to Windows method, I got the same results. Each time the upgrade appeared to work, then would fail 45 minutes in with error codes 0xc1900200 or 0xc1900201. Neither error code is well documented, although one of the messages told me my CPU lacks the NX or XD feature. I vaguely remembered this machine having a BIOS feature to enable or disable that.

I went into the BIOS to make sure the feature was enabled. It was. It’s in the section called CPU Security on a Dell E1505. Its location on other older machines will vary, particularly on non-Dell machines.

The solution

To fix this, I had to dig into the registry. Here’s the workaround that finally got those error messages gone and let me continue:

In my case, the registry entry was already there, but was set to 0.

I’m not sure if the problem was the age of my machine, or if I made it harder on myself by having run a tool a few months ago that stopped the Windows 10 upgrade from happening automatically. The author of that tool isn’t forthcoming about the changes the tool makes, nor about whether it also interferes with manual upgrades. I suspect the latter, as I’ve upgraded other aged machines to Windows 10. I honestly don’t know where else that registry key would have come from.

I think the most likely scenario was that I ran a tool to block the automatic upgrade so it would happen when I triggered it, not when Microsoft decided to push out a round of updates. And that I didn’t realize the tool would interfere with a manual update. It’s highly likely that other people did the same thing I did, and rushed to disable Windows 10’s automatic updates without understanding the same trick would interfere with manual updates.

I learned the hard way. And now I’ve told you.

Windows 10 and older computers

A lot of people tell you not to bother trying to install Windows 10 on a machine with error codes like 0xc1900200, saying that’s the machine’s way of saying it’s too old. That’s not how I roll. As long as you put an SSD in these older machines, they can still be useful. Install the new operating system, optimize it, and put the machine back to work. If it doesn’t have enough power, try Chrome OS on it as a fallback option.

Windows 10 does have a lot of features, especially security features, that rely on newer CPUs and chipsets. But it will still run on the older machines, just not with the enhanced security. It still works, and it’s still more secure than Windows 7 would be, and considerably more secure than Vista or XP.

It’s also possible that a clean install would have worked. Usually a clean install gives fewer complications than an upgrade. A clean install definitely does run faster than an upgrade install. But I wanted to see what would happen, and now we know. Doing an upgrade does let you get the system up and running on the new version a lot faster.

I’d prefer the upgrade to be hassle free. But I do think Windows 10 has some worthwhile advantages. So I recommend it.