Windows 10 version 20H2 update repeated failure Error 0xc1900204

[plco43]

I own an HP Pavilion Gaming Desktop 690-0040na running Windows 10 which I bought new in December 2019.  I have been repeatedly trying to update Windows, but it won't update past version 1909 Build 18363.1440. Every time I try to update to 20H2 the update operation fails with an error code 0xc1900204.  I've tried to follow advice from Microsoft, but it doesn't seem to help.  Now I'm getting a message that support for this product will cease shortly.  My computer is only 1 year old.  I can't find the model name on the HP list of machines compatible with 20H2.  What is going on?????  If I'd have known this before I bought this machine, I would have bought a different one.  Is this machine obsolete??  Help please.

[WAWood]

@plco43 

This problem is ENTIRELY due to Microsoft, not to HP, as MS has BLOCKED Windows Updates on PCs that have certain hardware that their newer Windows versions have problems with.  The most common hardware is the Conexant audio, but there are others.  MS is not willing to provide ANY info on when, if ever, they are finally going to patch a Windows version to work with that audio hardware.  This is out of our hands.

You MIGHT be able to get around this by FORCING an in-place Update.  So, if you want to try that, then read the details below ...

- Use Macrium Reflect to create a backup on a large USB stick or external drive (see below)

- Use this link to download and create Win10 install media: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

- insert that into your PC (do NOT boot from it), find the folder containing the media, select the setup.exe file, right-click that and select Run as Administrator.  This will start an in-place Upgrade which could then take a couple of hours to complete.

If you are presented with a window asking for a product key, down near the bottom is a entry you can click to skip that. Do NOT enter a product key, as it will reuse your existing key and when you finish and get back online, Windows will automatically activate.

--------------- Doing Image Backup ---------------
I personally prefer to use third-party Backup solutions as they tend to be both more flexible and more reliable than any built-in solutions.

Macrium Reflect (MR) provides a FREE version that can be used to image and restore partitions or entire drives.

What I recommend is the following:
1) Download and install Macrium Reflect (MR) from here: http://www.macrium.com/reflectfree.aspx
2) Run MR and choose the option: "Create an image of the partition(s) required to backup and restore Windows" to write a full backup to an external drive or USB stick
3) Use the option to create a boot USB stick or CD

My experience is that MR, when using the High Compression option, typically can compress the saved image file to about 50% of the USED space in the OS partition. This means if you have an 80GB OS partition, and 40GB is used, MR only needs about 20GB to store the image file.

I use this all the time and it typically takes less than 15 minutes to do the image backup and about the same time or less to do a restore.

NOW, you have the means to restore a full working system from the external drive or USB stick in only a few minutes.

[plco43]

Many thanks for your prompt response.  I think I'll leave it for now and try and ignore the little messages that keep popping up.  Apart from that, he computer is working OK at the moment, and I'd rather not mess it up by tinkering under the bonnet, or in this case trying to install something that it's not compatible with and then having to reinstall things to get back to square one.  I'm happy with the machine as it is.  It just seems rather strange that neither Microsoft nor HP have done anything about it, bearing in mind this a relatively new machine and that they both probably know what's causing the problem.

[WAWood]

@plco43 

I don't mean to be discouraging -- but I think the real problem is that each company see's this as the OTHER company's problem. MS sees this as HP's problem because it is an HP product; HP sees it as MS's problem because it is MS Windows.  IF those views are in place, this is not going to get solved in the near future.