Welcome to our new blog post about How to Fix Windows Update Error “We couldn’t update the system reserved partition.” This issue is common during Windows upgrades or major cumulative updates, especially on systems where the System Reserved Partition (SRP) does not have enough free space for required bootloader updates. Fortunately, resolving it is straightforward once you understand what causes the problem.
Table of Contents
What’s the System Reserved Partition?
The System Reserved Partition is a small hidden partition created during Windows installation. It stores essential boot files and the Boot Manager. Windows updates—particularly version upgrades—need to write new boot-related data here. When the SRP runs out of space, Windows Update fails and shows the error:
“We couldn’t update the system reserved partition.”
This usually happens on older installations, systems originally installed with small SRPs (100 MB), or devices that have accumulated extra files (e.g., BitLocker data, language files, recovery files). Before modifying the partition, it’s important to proceed carefully, as the SRP is critical for system booting.
How to Fix Windows Update Error “We couldn’t update the system reserved partition”
Step 1: Identify the System Reserved Partition
- Open the Start menu and type diskmgmt.msc, then press Enter.
- Locate the System Reserved Partition—typically 100–550 MB.
- Confirm its size and usage (low free space indicates the cause of the error).
Step 2: Assign a Temporary Drive Letter and Clean Up Partition
In this step, we will assign the System Reserved Partition a temporary Drive Letter. We will then navigate to the Fonts folder and delete the files in it. This should create some extra space on the System Reserved Partition. This will not harm or delete any needed files. Now let’s get started.
- Open Command Prompt as Administrator
- Run the following Command: mountvol y: /s
Now we will switch to the Partitions drive.
- Run the following Command: Y:
Change the directory to the Fonts folder. Just enter the command below:
- Run the following Command: cd EFI\Microsoft\Boot\Fonts
In this step, we will delete the temporary files in this directory. Just follow the commands below.
- Run the following Command: del *.*
- Accept the Command with: Y
Step 3: Try your Update again
The steps above should create some more space for the System Reserved Partition. Try your update again, this should now run without any problems.
Conclusion
In this blog post we learned about How to Fix Windows Update Error “We couldn’t update the system reserved partition.” By enabling this feature, organizations can greatly improve their device security and compliance posture by enforcing additional authentication factors at unlock. Did you enjoy this article? Don’t forget to follow us and share this article. If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to reach out or leave a comment below.
