Windows 11 Update: We couldn't update the system reserved partition.

[ephillips1966]

Windows 11 Update: We couldn't update the system reserved partition.

Windows 11, version 24H2

Install error - 0xc1900201

[ephillips1966]

The laptop came with Windows 11.

[tk_srq]

@ephillips1966,

Since your notebook has Windows11 factory-installed, W11 is on the GPT-partitioned hard drive, and it has the EFI system partition (ESP), which stores boot system files. Your ESP is probably 260 MB in size.

What the error means is that the ESP doesn't have enough free space for Windows to update it. Click this link to the Microsoft article about troubleshooting the error. This method applies to W11 too.

“We couldn’t update system reserved partition” error installing Windows 10 - Microsoft Support

Go to "Second, choose which method you need" and click "Windows10 with GPT partition" and follow the instructions. When you finish, type exit and click the Enter key to exit out of command prompt and restart and try the Windows update again.

The article says deleting the fonts folder creates enough space for the update.  When I deleted the fonts, the Windows update still didn't run, and I had to do something else, but hopefully this will work for you.

[ephillips1966]

I found that removing some of the hp files from a folder on the 100meg EFI System Partition was enough to have windows update the system.