Fix The Error “We couldn’t update the system reserved partition” on Windows

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Fix The Error “We couldn’t update the system reserved partition” on Windows

20 May 2024 Amanda J. Brook Senior Product Manager

Summary
Fix "We couldn't update the system reserved partition" during Windows 10 upgrade and recover lost data, enhancing security and user experience.

Table of contents

I. Why there is an error prompting that we couldn't update the system reserved partition?

II. How to solve the problem that we couldn't update the system reserved partition?

1. Adjust the size of the system reserved partition with the help of a third-party partition tool
2. Reinstall the system to let the system automatically partition

III. How to recover data lost after repartitioning or reinstalling the system?

1. What is Renee Undeleter?
2. How to recover lost data with Renee Undeleter?

I. Why there is an error prompting that we couldn't update the system reserved partition?

When you see the prompt “Windows 10 cannot be installed, we cannot update the system reserved partition” during a Windows update, it means the update has been interrupted due to errors. This typically happens if a custom partition was used during the upgrade, making the system reserved partition too small. The system reserved partition should be at least 300MB to 450MB for a successful Windows 10 upgrade.

Let’s learn how to solve the error “Unable to update the system reserved partition” when updating Windows installation.

II. How to solve the problem that we couldn't update the system reserved partition?

1. Adjust the size of the system reserved partition with the help of a third-party partition tool

Use a third-party partition tool to expand the system reserved partition to at least 300MB to 450MB to meet Windows 10 upgrade requirements. This can solve the issue of insufficient partition space but may cause the “Unable to update the system reserved partition” problem. Steps are as follows:

Step 1: Download, install, and run AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard Edition. If the C drive lacks sufficient space for the system reserved partition, reduce the space of the partition behind the C drive (e.g., D drive) and add the reduced space to the system reserved partition. Right-click on the D drive, select Resize Partition.

Select the disk drive that needs to adjust the partition

Step 2: Drag the slider from left to right or input the desired size to reduce the D: partition. Click OK to free up space, making it unallocated.

Step 3: Return to the main interface, right-click the C drive, select “Resize Partition”, and move the C drive space to the right so the unallocated space from D: is next to the system reserved partition. Click “OK.”

Step 4: Right-click the system reserved partition (marked with *) and select “Resize Partition.” In the pop-up window, drag the slider to the right to expand the system reserved partition, adding the unallocated space. Click “OK.”

Step 5: Finally, click on (Apply) to perform the partition resizing process. After expanding the system-reserved partition, you can restart the operation of the Windows installation update.

Execute the command to resize the partition

2. Reinstall the system to let the system automatically partition

When upgrading or installing Windows 10, the system reserved partition must have at least 300MB to 450MB of storage space. If you’re not familiar with manually adjusting this partition, a system reinstallation is a feasible method, allowing the system to automatically partition to resolve the issue. Ensure you back up important files before reinstalling. Here are the specific steps for Windows 10.

Reinstalling the system requires the use of installation media, so we will divide the reinstallation system into two parts to teach you, namely, creating the installation media and reinstalling the system using the installation media.

a. Create installation media

First of all, before reinstalling the Windows 10 system, you need to create an installation medium. Before creating, you need to pay attention to the following two points:

● Important data has been backed up to other storage devices (e.g., USB stick, SD card, mobile hard disk) or OneDrive. Ensure the external storage device used for backup is different from the one used for downloading the Windows installation media.

● The storage device used to create the installation media should have at least 8GB of free space, and make sure the drive is empty. Because during the process of making the installation disk, all content stored in the device will be deleted.

Step 1: Download the Media Creation Tool for Windows 10 from Microsoft’s official website: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10. Click Download Tool Now.

download Windows 10 installation media tool how to install os on a ssd

Step 2: Once the download is complete, open the tool and select (Yes) when asked if you want to use the app to make changes to your device. Then, when the Windows 10 Installer Setup Guide appears, tap (Accept) the License Terms and Agreement.

Step 3: To create an installation disk, select Create installation media (USB key, DVD, or ISO file) for another computer and click (Next).

Step 4: Set the language, version, and architecture (64-bit or 32-bit) of the Windows 10 system, and click Next. By default, the Use the recommended options for this computer option is checked for automatic selection.

Step 5: Select the target to install the system image. To create a USB stick installation disk here, please select (USB flash drive) and click (Next).

Step 6: Select the pre-inserted USB disk and click (Next). Finally, wait for the installation media to be created and click (Finish).

b. Use the installation media to reinstall the Windows 10 system

Step 1: Insert the installation medium into the computer to be reinstalled, preferably when the computer is off. Note: For desktops or all-in-one computers, use the rear USB interface; for notebooks, use the USB 2.0 interface.

Step 2: Restart the computer. If it doesn’t boot from the installation USB, change the boot order in the BIOS or UEFI settings. Press the appropriate key (e.g., F2, F12, Del, or ESC) immediately after turning on the computer to access the boot menu.

Step 3: Boot from the installation USB stick, select your language, time, and keyboard preferences on the Windows installation page, then click Next > Install Now to start installing Windows 10. Wait for the installation to complete. Your computer will restart several times during the process.

The two most direct ways to fix the “Unable to update the system reserved partition” error are mentioned above. Additionally, you can use the command line to clean up unnecessary font files in the system reserved partition to free up space. However, this operation is complex and recommended for those with command line experience. Refer to the Official Microsoft support page for specific instructions.

After repartitioning or reinstalling the system, if you find that important data in the computer equipment is lost, you can use professional data recovery tools to restore the data, let’s continue to learn more.

III. How to recover data lost after repartitioning or reinstalling the system?

If you need to restore important data in the device, you can use Renee Undeleter to solve it.

1. What is Renee Undeleter?

Renee Undeleter is software designed to restore various data files. When you accidentally delete important files, empty the recycle bin, or format a disk, memory card, USB stick, or mobile hard drive, this tool can help retrieve lost data. It includes four functional modules: Fast Partition Scan, Whole Partition Scan, Whole Disk Scan, and Image Creation, providing comprehensive solutions for data loss issues during system use.

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2. How to recover lost data with Renee Undeleter?

Step 1: Download, install, and run Renee Undeleter. Choose the “Whole Disk Scan” option to scan the entire hard disk. Do not install the software on the partition that needs scanning; install it on another partition. If the lost data is minimal and recent, use the “Fast Partition Scan“ or “Whole Partition Scan“ modes to save scanning time.

select whole disk scan in renee undeleter

Data Recovery Functions:

Fast Partition Scan: Retrieve files lost due to accidental deletion or emptying the recycle bin.

Whole Partition Scan: Recover files from inaccessible or formatted partitions.

Whole Disk Scan: Analyze and scan the entire partition for lost data.

Image Creation: Image Creation image to back up the current partition state.

Step 2: Select a drive to be scanned and click (Next). Select the default setting on the advanced setting interface.

select a disk to recover in renee undeleter

Step 3: The software will analyze the disk device. After the analysis, a “Select the partition you need to scan” prompt will appear. Choose the partition you need. After scanning, double-click the file in the preview window on the right to preview it, then select the file you want to restore and click the Recover button in the lower right corner to restore it.

select taget files to recover with renee undeleter

Step 4: Next, select the target folder, click (Browse) to select another disk to save the recovered files, and then click the (Recover) button to start the file recovery.