0xC1900101 Error in Windows Update, Cannot Install Windows 11 [FIXED]

Quick tutorial navigation for fixing 0xc1900101 error in Windows update:

Workable Solutions	Step-by-step Troubleshooting
Fix 1. Check Upgrade Space	According to Microsoft, 64 GB* or greater available storage is required to install Windows 11...Full steps
Fix 2. Update or Re-Install Drivers	0xC1900101 error is a driver-related problem. To fix the error, you can update or reinstall drivers...Full steps
Fix 3. Run SFC Scan	SFC can scan and fix all protected system files for corruption that cause 0xC1900101 error...Full steps
Fix 4. Run DISM Scan	If SFC failed to repair protected system files, use DISM instead, which is more powerful...Full steps
Fix 5. Install Windows 11 with bootable USB	When 0xC1900101 error stops you from installing Windows 11, use Qiling Win11Builder to install Win11...Full steps

User Case: Cannot install Windows 11 - Error 0xc1900101

"I am trying to install the new Windows 11 update from Windows Update, but I keep getting error 0xc1900101. The installation starts, and after a couple of restarts, it says:" Attempting to recover installation ", " Undoing changes made to your computer ". And then I am greeted with error 0xc1900101 on Windows Update". - A user problem in Microsoft Community

0xc1900101 error

Windows 11 was officially released on October 5, 2022, and has been gaining a very high degree of attention around the world. Many people have upgraded to the new Windows 11 for the first time. (Get to know how to download Windows 11)

But as with previous Windows 10 upgrades, some people have encountered 0xc1900101 error during the upgrade process and failed to install Windows 11. In this article, we will discuss terror 0xc1900101 in Windows 11 and come up with some effective solutions to fix the issue, hoping to help you.

What Is Windows Update Error 0xc1900101

Many users cannot install Windows 11 or Windows 10 because of a series of 0xC1900101 errors, such as:

0xC1900101 - 0x2000c
0xC1900101 - 0x20004
0xC1900101 - 0x20017
0xC1900101 - 0x40017
0xC1900101 - 0x30018
0xC1900101 - 0x40021

Usually, 0xC1900101 errors are specific to driver-related issues. For example, users don't have the latest driver update installed on their computers, some drivers are not compatible with Windows 11 or the latest Windows 10 version, your computer is missing some drives or has problematic drivers, and more.

Windows Update error 0xC1900101 can render your computer unusable, so fixing it is a top priority. Take the following methods to resolve 0xC1900101 driver errors in Windows 10 or Windows 11.

1. Ensure Enough Upgrade Space

To install or upgrade to Windows 11, your device must meet the minimum hardware requirements, including clear storage requirements. According to Microsoft, 64 GB* or greater available storage is required to install Windows 11. Additional storage space might be required to download updates and enable specific features. (Note: Upgrading to Windows 10 needs at least 16GB of storage.)

You may run into 0xC1900101 errors if you upgrade without meeting this memory requirement. So before upgrading, check your available drive space.

More information on how to free up hard drive space on Windows 11.

2. Update or Re-Install Drivers

Since 0xC1900101 error is a driver-related problem, the first approach should be to solve the driver problem. You can upgrade or reinstall your drivers.

Update Disk Drivers

Step 1. Right-click "This PC" > click "Manage". On the left panel, click "Device Manager".

Step 2. Expand Disk driver. Right-click the outdated or problematic disk driver and select "Update Driver Software...".

Step 3. On the Update Driver Software window, choose "Search automatically for updated driver software" and wait for the process to complete. After this, your computer will have the latest driver software. Try to upgrade your Windows again.

fix missing drive Windows 10 - update disk driver

Un-install and Re-install Disk Drivers

To solve the 0xC1900101 error, you can also try to uninstall and reinstall the driver.

Right-click the target disk driver, click "Uninstall". Restart your computer and Windows will check and reinstall the driver.

fix missing drive Windows 10 - reinstall driver

Or you can go to the disk website and find the latest driver you need to download and install on your computer.

3. Run SFC Scan to Fix 0xC1900101 Error

System file error or corruption may lead to 0xC1900101 error on Windows update. You can repair damaged system files with the SFC tool. SFC, short for System File Checker, can scan and fix all protected system files for corruption.

Step 1. Right-click the Start menu, and choose Command Prompt((Admin) from the context menu.

Step 2. On the Command Prompt window, type sfc/scannow and press "Enter".

run sfc scan to fix a corrupted user profile windows 10

If the protected file has been corrupted or changed, the SFC scanner will repair and replace it with the correct copy from the system32\dllcache folder. The SFC can even try to repair the file cache if it is found to be changed or corrupted.

4. Run DISM Scan

If SFC failed to repair protected system files, you still have another tool to figure out. Use DISM instead, which is much more powerful and capable.

Step 1. Right-click the Start menu, and choose Command Prompt((Admin).

Step 2. In Command Prompt, type DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth and press "Enter". Then, wait for the tool to repair corrupted files. When this process finishes, restart your computer and check if you can upgrade to Windows 11.

If this doesn't work, move to the next solution to install Windows 11 by using Qiling Windows 11 Builder (Now renamed as Qiling OS2Go).

5. Download and Upgrade to Windows 11 with a Bootable USB Drive

If you can't install Windows 11, you can use Qiling Windows 11 installation software, which enables you to download and upgrade to Windows 11 easily. All you need is to prepare a USB flash drive of 4GB to download the Win11 ISO file we have prepared for you, and then you can install Windows 11 with the bootable USB drive.

Free Download
Windows 11/10/8/7, 100% Secure

Step 1. The Win11 builder is integrated with the Qiling OS2Go software. Click the download button and launch the program after installation.

Step 2. Switch WinToGo Creator to Windows Install Drive Creator. The obtained system information is available on the home screen, and it keeps updating all the time. Apart from Windows 11, Win11 builder also supports you to download Windows 10/8.1.

Step 3. Connect your USB flash drive to the computer. Win11 builder will automatically detect your USB device, so all you need to do is click the Create button.

Step 4. The software will empty your USB drive data if it's a used one. Once the downloading process begins, wait there until it finished or leave for a while to do you own job.

Step 5. After successfully downloading the Windows 11 iso image file on the USB drive, start to install Windows 11 from the bootable USB drive on your computer by following the installation wizard step by step.

6. Uninstall Problematic Applications

Some users have reported that sometimes, certain third-party software can interfere with Windows upgrades and cause 0xC1900101 error.

You can uninstall your recently added applications in order and try to perform the upgrade again. If you can install Windows 11 after removing a specific program, congratulations, the problem, then, is a software conflict.

Concluding Words

Except for the above solutions, there are some other useful tips to solve the 0xC1900101 errors in Windows Update. For example, unplug all peripherals, run antivirus software to remove virus or malware, remove additional RAM or your Network card, and more.

The 0xC1900101 error on Windows 10 or Windows 11 can be tricky and it prevents you from installing the latest updates. Try to troubleshoot by using the methods in this tutorial. If you have any other problems, contact our technical support team via live chat for help.