Fix: Windows Creators Update Fail with Error 0xc1900208

Some Windows users have encountered the error 0xc1900208 while trying to upgrade to Windows 10. Just so you know, this error means there is an incompatible software installed on your computer which is preventing the upgrade from taking place. Of late, anti-malware applications have been problematic for recent Windows builds.

In this article, we’ll learn how to solve this problem by finding and removing problematic applications and fixing Windows update.

Method 1: Removing Culprit Applications

Antivirus applications and utilities like Glyph, CheckpointVPN, to mention are known to have barred users from upgrading Windows. Here’s how to find such applications and remove them.

1. Press Windows + E to open the Windows Explorer, paste C:\Windows\Panther in the address bar and then hit Enter.
2. In the Panther folder, search for the Compat*.xml file with the latest time stamp and open it with a text editor of your choice.
3. In the file, you’ll find the name of the incompatible app there. Take note of it and proceed to the next step.
4. Press Ctrl + R to open the command prompt, type appwiz.cpl and click OK.
   
5. In the programs window, look for the incompatible app from the installed apps list and Double-click and then follow the uninstall prompt.
6. Reboot your PC and to run the Windows Upgrade to confirm if the issue has been solved.

Read the XML file can be very discomforting. Using the Media Creator (ISO) will directly tell you which programs are preventing you from installing the update.

Method 2: Resetting Windows Update Components

1. Open an elevated command prompt by pressing the Start button, typing cmd and then opening as a administrator.
   
2. In the elevated command prompt type the following commands to stop the following Windows Update related services:net stop bits
   net stop wuauserv
   net stop appidsvc
   net stop cryptsvc
3. Rename the softwaredistribution folder backup copies. This can be done by entering the following commands:ren %systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.bak
   ren %systemroot%\system32\catroot2 catroot2.bak 
4. Restart the services you stopped earlier using these commands:net start bits
   net start wuauserv
   net start appidsvc
   net start cryptsvc
5. Restart your PC and check if Windows Update stop producing the error when you try to update.