Windows update error 0xc1900204

Windows update error 0xc1900204 appears when users try to download the new update released by Microsoft. Normally, update is easy to download, but the installation won't even start and I get this update error. Various methods can be used to combat this error which usually appears in Windows operating system 10, but it is also no stranger to previous versions.

We have prepared a set of solutions that can be used to correct this error, so be sure to follow them carefully and it should definitely resolve your issue before you get to the end.

Solution 1: use the following registry settings

This method is very useful if the default Program Files directory for installing Windows-based programs has been changed by another process or similar.. This can be useful to combat the error, but you will have to edit the registry to change it. You will also have to keep installing programs in the old Program Files folder, at least until i process the update that is causing this error.

Since you will have to edit the registry to proceed with the solution, We recommend that you refer to this article that we have prepared to safely backup your registry to avoid problems later. Even so, nothing bad will happen if you follow the instructions correctly.

1. Open the Registry Editor tool by typing “regedit” in the search bar or in the Run dialog box. You may need to confirm a UAC message stating that the tool could change your computer settings. Navigate to the following key in Registry Editor by navigating in the left pane:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE N-Spanish_MicrosoftWindowsN-CurrentVersion

1. Below the CurrentVersion key, you should be able to see an entry of type REG_SZ called ProgramFilesDir, so be sure to right click on it and hit Modify.

2. In stock data entry, you need to delete the current path and paste the correct path into the Program Files folder you have on your computer.

3. If you are running an operating system of 32 bits, the correct path would be “X: Program files (x86)” and if you are running a Windows version of 64 bits, the route would be “X: Program files” where X is the letter of the drive where Windows is installed. Make sure you don't miss any letters or backslashes, as the consequences could be dangerous.

1. Confirm the changes by clicking OK and restart your computer to fully apply the changes. Thereafter, navigate to windows update and check if the problem is resolved now.

Solution 2: run the Windows Update troubleshooter

Fortunately, Windows comes with several built-in troubleshooters that excel at basic troubleshooting and diagnostics. They are not magic and will not solve every problem you encounter., but sometimes they can at least locate the module that got corrupted.

Regarding this Windows update error, users have reported that the automatic troubleshooter was able to fix the problem completely, so we recommend that you try it:

Windows 10:

1. Open the Windows Settings app by clicking the start button and then the gear icon just above. You can also search for it in the start menu or with the search button next to it.

2. Open the Update & Security section at the bottom of the Settings window and navigate to the Troubleshooting tab.

1. First, click on the Windows Update option and follow the onscreen instructions after the Windows Update troubleshooter opens to see if there are any issues with Windows Update services and processes.

2. Once the troubleshooter finishes, go back to the troubleshooting section and open the internet connections troubleshooter.

3. Check if the problem is resolved after restarting the computer and running Windows Update again.

Old versions of Windows:

1. Open the Control Panel by locating it in the Start menu. You can also search for it using the search bar in the Start menu.

2. After the Control Panel window opens, change option “See for” at the top right of the window to “Large icons” and scroll down until you find the Troubleshooting entry.

1. After clicking Troubleshoot, check at the bottom of the window, in the System and Security section, the option “Fix problems with Windows Update”. Click on this entry, choose Next in the initial window and wait for the troubleshooter to finish.

1. Check if your problem is already solved.

Solution 3: make sure you have enough disk space

This error is more aimed at users who get the error when they try to update using the Windows Media ISO tool. Although your configuration may seem small, you'll still need all the space you can muster for the process to complete smoothly.

We suggest that you free up as much space as you can, either manually or with a tool that can get rid of unused files on your disk. Pay special attention to programs and applications that you no longer use, as they tend to take up most of your disk space.

Solution 4: restart Windows Update components

This method is a last resort when it comes to troubleshooting problems with Windows updates.. It is a brutal way to force the Windows update service to restart, but it is definitely one of the most useful things you can do to fix broken Windows update service.

The only reason we have chosen to put it last is because the above methods are shorter for users and more error code specific, while this method is longer, more complicated and also more general.

Since you are going to edit the registry, We recommend that you read this article to back up your registry and avoid problems later.

1. Let's start the method by closing the following services, which are the main services related to Windows Update: Intelligent background transfer, Windows Update and Cryptographic Services. Closing them before starting is very important so that the rest of the steps are carried out without errors.

2. I searched “Symbol of the system” in the start menu or by tapping the search button next to it. Right-click on the first result that appears at the top and select the option “Execute as an administrator”.

1. Users using an older version of Windows can use the Windows logo key combination + R to open the Run dialog. Scribe “cmd” in the box and use the Ctrl key combination + Shift + Enter to run command prompt as administrator.

2. Copy and paste the command shown below and make sure to click the Enter key on your keyboard.

net stop bits
net stop wuauserv
net stop appidsvc
net stop cryptsvc

1. After this step, you will have to delete some files if you want to proceed with resetting the update components. This must also be done through the command prompt with administrative privileges. Run this command:

Of "%ALLUSERSPROFILE% N-Application DataN-MicrosoftNNetworkN-DownloaderNqmgr * .dat"

1. Rename the SoftwareDistribution and catroot2 folders. To do this, on a command line with administrator privileges, copy paste the following two commands and click Enter after copying each one.

Ren %systemroot%N-SoftwareDistribución de SoftwareDistribución de Software.bak
Ren %systemroot%Nsystem32Ncatroot2 catroot2.bak

1. The following commands will help us to reset BITS (Background intelligence transfer service) y wuauserv (Windows update service) to their defaults. Make sure not to modify the commands below to improve it if you simply copy them due to their complexity.

exe sdset bits D:(A;;CCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRRC;;;HIS)(A;;CCDCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRSDRCWDWO;;;BA)(A;;CCLCSWLOCRRC;;;AT)(A;;CCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRRC;;;COULD)
exe sdset wuauserv D:(A;;CCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRRC;;;HIS)(A;;CCDCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRSDRCWDWO;;;BA)(A;;CCLCSWLOCRRC;;;AT)(A;;CCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRRC;;;COULD)

1. Let's navigate back to the System32 folder to move to the final part of this method. This is how it's done in command training.

cd /d %windir%system32

1. How we have completely restored the BITS service, we will have to re-register all the necessary files for this service to work properly. However, each of the files requires a new command to be re-registered, so the process can end up being quite long. Copy the commands one by one and make sure not to leave any of them. You can find the full list by following this link in a Google Drive file.

2. The next thing we will do is restart Winsock by copying and pasting the following command in the administrative command:

netsh winsock reset
netsh winhttp reset proxy

1. If all the above steps have been done painlessly, now you can start the services you closed in the first step using the commands below.

net start bits
net start wuauserv
net start appidsvc
net start cryptsvc

1. Restart your computer after following the indicated steps and try running Windows Update again. Hopefully, you will now be able to start Windows Update without receiving error 0xc1900204