Unable to update Windows 10 to 1709 - SOLVED

[ddmoore66]

 Hey Shane,

My Windows update has been failing for a long while. This latest update (Fall Creators Update) has multiple errors starting with "We couldn't update the system reserved partition" -and- "This PC can't run Windows 10".

David

[Boggin]

There are a number of Google links for your error, but this looks the most authoritative - https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/help/3086249/we-couldn-t-update-system-reserved-partition-error-installing-windows

Take care before entering the commands as the article advises, but if you aren't sure then I would suggest that you take the machine into a repair shop.

[ddmoore66]

Hey Boggin,
I have tried that exact method you suggested. Still same issue. I don't understand why this thing refuses to update.

[Boggin]

What other errors are you getting ?

[Boggin]

On Page #2 of this article, there's a guy who managed to fix this problem by using a 3rd party program to increase the size of his reserved drive.

The post is by IES_ChrisG April 26 2017 - https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-windows_install/we-couldnt-update-the-system-reserved-partition/a365a035-c113-4db7-b7ab-9f0cc64f8a25

Not sure if it will work for you, but worth a try - https://www.partitionwizard.com/download.html

[ddmoore66]

I also get error code: 0xc1900201
I'll try a few more times and see if it produces additional errors.

David

p.s. I've also tried running the "Windows Update Assistant", the "Windows Update Troubleshooter" and also started my system with minimal start up and services running.

[Boggin]

Have you considered a clean install after backing up your personal stuff as well as creating an image backup ?

[ddmoore66]

Yes I have. That's what i'm trying to avoid. If it comes to it, I am prepared to do that.

David

[Boggin]

I got sick of waiting for 1709 to come through Windows Update so I manually updated with a Win 10 install disk on both of my Win 10 laptops.

The procedure is the same as for a repair install.

On one of the machines, it duplicated the reserved partition - don't know why it did that.

Neither of my low spec Toshiba originally Win 7 laptops are supposed to be Win 10 compatible but one of them is slower than the other.

March's updates have substantially slowed the boot up time on that one and increased the boot time by 20secs on this one.

Both machines were bought in 2011.

[ddmoore66]

SUCCESS!!!!
After much hesitation and tire kickin' i bit the bullet and purchased the full version on the MiniTool Partition Wizard (the free version will not work for this "fix"). The issue revolved around the "System Reserved Partition". It was set at point at 100MB and I was using 86 MB of it for something. That only left 14MB of it left for updating Windows to 1709. I tried everything I (and Google) could think of to expand the SRP.
Long story short... Get yourself a usb drive, full copy of the Partition Wizard and create a boot drive on that little usb. Apparently, Windows doesn't take to kindly to adjusting system partitions on a drive while it is being used. So by booting using the usb I was able to change the SRP to something above 500MB +/- and vwala , I now have a fully functional, updated Windows 10, 1709 Fall Creators Version PC.

Thanks for all of your help Boggin

David

[Boggin]

That's great news but not so much that the free version doesn't do what it says on the tin.

That's unusual for the reserved partition to just be 100MB.

Win 7 has a 400MB and when you upgrade to Win 10, it puts a 450MB one in there, so you have the two.

On the machine of mine where it duplicated the reserved partition, that one is 456MB.

Tom.