[Fix] Windows Update Error 0XC19001E1 in Windows 10

On some systems, the error 0XC19001E1 may occur when installing a Windows 10 feature update — e.g., when upgrading from version 1903 to 2004, 2004 to 20H1, etc. The 0XC19001e1 error is one of the vaguest error messages of all the Windows Update errors.

windows 10 setup error 0x19001e1

Feature update to Windows 10, version 1903 - 0xc19001e1

The Microsoft-Windows-WindowsUpdateClient event log channel may have the following entry logged:

Log Name: System
Source: Microsoft-Windows-WindowsUpdateClient
Date: 
Event ID: 20
Task: Windows Update Agent
Level: Error
Opcode: Installation
Keyword: Installation, Failure
User: S-1-5-18
User Name: NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM
Computer: Server
Description: 
Installation Failure: Windows failed to install the following update with error 0xC19001E1: Feature update to Windows 10, version 1903.

If you run setup using the Windows 10 Update Assistant or the Media Creation Tool, you may see the following error message:

windows 10 setup error 0x19001e1

This PC can't be upgraded to Windows 10.

Your PC has hardware that isn't ready for this version of Windows 10. No action is needed. Windows Update will offer this version of Windows 10 automatically once the issue has been resolved.

Let’s see how to fix the error 0XC19001E1 when updating Windows 10.

[Fix] Windows Update Error 0XC19001E1 in Windows 10

Microsoft says that the error code 0XC19001E1 (MOSETUP_E_PROCESS_SUSPENDED) means “The installation process was suspended.”

This is not a helpful description. However, as most of the 0XC19* errors are related to outdated or incompatible drivers or hardware, you can combine the general Windows Update troubleshooting steps in addition to the driver or hardware related troubleshooting to fix the error 0XC19001E1 in Windows 10.

Step 1: Disconnect all hardware

Disconnect every external device connected to the system, except for the mouse, keyboard, and display. Then, run Windows Update again.

Also, open the hood and remove all unused SATA devices. This particular step has fixed the issue for some users. Quoting a user at the Microsoft Answers forum:

After a huge number of failures to update, I finally put my machine on the bench and got serious. I removed all external devices. Even changed video cards.

IT TURNS OUT EXTRA HARD DRIVES ARE AN ISSUE!

After disconnecting my 3 extra hard drives, it updated!!!!!

Another user found success by unmounting the SD card from the computer. He says:

My Surface Pro 3 received a similar error while upgrading to 1903. I don’t recall the error number, but I received the same general error “This PC can’t be upgraded to Windows 10. Your PC has hardware that isn’t ready for this version of Windows 10.” It turned out to be incompatibility with an SD card I had mounted. I unmounted SD card, then ran update again with no issues.

Step 2: Uninstall antivirus applications

Third-party antivirus programs can cause weird troubles, especially when installing a big update like the Windows 10 feature update. In the case of 0XC19* errors during the upgrade process, uninstall the 3rd party antivirus program completely from the computer.

Disabling the antivirus program may not help, as there may be one or more services related to that program, causing real-time protection to be active.

After you successfully install the feature update or cumulative update, you may attempt to install the antivirus program again.

Step 3: Update drivers and BIOS

Updating the hardware device drivers can resolve the 0XC19001E1 or most 0XC19-based errors in most cases.

Some users have indicated that updating the video card drivers has fixed the issue. If you can’t find the driver setup from the motherboard or graphics card manufacturer’s site, you may try to update it via Device Manager (search for drivers at the Microsoft server.)

windows 10 setup error 0x19001e1

 

The article suggested me to update my display driver. Despite not knowing the relationship between the Windows update error and display driver, I tried it since I was desperate to solve the update error. Surprisingly, it did solve my issue. I hope it can solve yours.

Tip: To locate the problem drivers, open the Setuperr.log and Setupact.log files in the %windir%\Panther directory. Here is the list of other logs you may check out:

  • C:\$windows.~bt\Sources\Panther
    Log location before Setup can access the drive.
  • C:\$windows.~bt\Sources\Rollback
    Log location when Setup rolls back in the event of a fatal error.
  • C:\%WINDIR%\Panther
    Log location of Setup actions after disk configuration.
  • C:\%WINDIR%\Inf\Setupapi.log
    Used to log Plug and Play device installations.

Step 4: Run Disk Cleanup

Using the Disk Cleanup (cleanmgr.exe) to clean up the following items fixed the issue for many users:

  • Windows Update Cleanup
  • Temporary Internet Files
  • Temporary Files
  • Delivery Optimization files

disk cleanup - windows update cleanup

Once done, launch the Services MMC (services.msc), double-click the Windows Update service, Start, and then Stop the service.



Restart Windows and see if you can install the feature update or cumulative again.

Step 5: Windows Update General Troubleshooting

If none of the above solutions help, perform the Windows Update general troubleshooting routines, especially the following:

  1. Run Windows Update Troubleshooter.
  2. Clear the SoftwareDistribution folder & Rename the Catroot2 folder.

For more information, check out the article Troubleshooting Windows Update Errors in Windows 10.

Step 6: Run an in-place upgrade

With all the extra hardware disconnected from the system, and unused internal hardware removed, run an in-place upgrade using these steps:

  • Download the Windows 10 ISO using the Media Creation Tool.
  • Mount the ISO by double-clicking on the ISO file and then run setup.exe.
    windows 10 inplace upgrade
  • Follow the on-screen instructions to upgrade to Windows 10.

The in-place upgrade process will preserve your data and settings, unlike the Reset or clean install methods.

Pre-upgrade validation check

If you’d like to do a pre-upgrade validation check instead of installing the update directly, run this command:

SETUP.EXE /Auto Upgrade /NoReboot /DynamicUpdate Disable /Compat ScanOnly

windows 10 setup error 0x19001e1

After running the above command, Windows Setup runs through compatibility scans and then exits (without completing the installation) with an exit code to indicate whether compatibility concerns are present. Windows Setup will return 0xC1900210 if no concerns are found. Windows Setup will return 0xC1900208 if compatibility concerns are found.

(The above command is to be run from the Command Prompt/drive letter of your mounted Windows 10 ISO.)

You can check the logs setupact.log and setuperr.log under C:\$WINDOWS.~BT\Sources\Panther during the pre-upgrade validation process.

Step 7: Reset Windows 10

If the in-place upgrade doesn’t help, you may attempt to reset Windows 10 using Keep my files and Cloud download options.

cloud download - reset or refresh computer

For more information, follow the instructions in the article How to Reset or Clean Install Windows 10 using “Reset this PC”

(Before using the Reset procedure, it’s advisable to backup your drive in the form of a disk image. You may use the excellent 3rd party freeware product named Macrium Reflect for this purpose.)

Did one of the above points help you fix the Windows Update error 0XC19001E1? Let’s know how you managed to solve this error so that others can benefit.


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Ramesh Srinivasan is passionate about Microsoft technologies and he has been a consecutive ten-time recipient of the Microsoft Most Valuable Professional award in the Windows Shell/Desktop Experience category, from 2003 to 2012. He loves to troubleshoot and write about Windows. Ramesh founded Winhelponline.com in 2005.

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