Windows Update Error 0xc1900223 [FIXED 2023]

Windows Update Error 0xc190023 usually appears when you try to update Windows or your system cannot link with Microsoft Update servers. It prevents the computer from downloading and installing any updates. Some hardware components in your system might also malfunction due to this problem.

Key Takeaways

• When you attempt to update Windows, you might encounter the error 0xc1900223. It also appears when your computer loses the connection to Microsoft Update servers.
• Corrupt system files, glitches in Windows updates, and network problems can result in error 0xc1900223 for Windows updates.
• Running SFC and DISM scans will help you to resolve the issue. Use the Upgrade this PC Now feature of the Media Creation Tool. Installing and updating your system manually or through the Microsoft Update Catalog is another approach to fixing the error.

What Is Error 0xc1900223?

When attempting to install a Windows update manually in Windows 10, users might get the error 0xc1900223. The 1903 update has issues when you attempt to install it, and usually, the error first appears around 97% of the installation.

It appears on the screen as:

What Causes Error 0xc1900223?

The error 0xc1900223 causes could be any from the below-given list:

• Network problem.
• DNS cache data gets corrupted.
• Connection to the Microsoft update server was lost.
• System files get corrupted.
• SoftwareDistribution or Catroot2 files having corrupt data.
• Windows Update components having a glitch.
• Windows Update service is inactive.

Fixes – Windows Update Error 0xc1900223

Here are some possible solutions that can be of use to you to resolve the Windows update error 0xc1900223.

Run Windows Update Troubleshooter

When you get an error, try running Windows Update Troubleshooter, and it identifies and resolves the error by examining service system files and generating a report of all the issues that are stopping your system from updating.

To launch the Windows Update Troubleshooter, follow the procedure:

1. Jump to the Start menu options and opt for Settings.
2. Go to System (Update and Security for Windows 10) and hit Troubleshoot.

   

3. Select Windows Update Troubleshooter under Other Troubleshooters.

Now, try updating your PC after a restart.

Rename Hosts File

If you are still encountering the error after running Windows Update Troubleshooter, then let’s try to rename the Hosts file.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Copy this path: C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\Etc.
    
2. Go to File Explorer and paste the path in the bar at the top of the screen.

   

3. Please find the file named hosts and rename it to hosts.old. It is only possible with administrator access.

   

4. By entering cmd into the search field and selecting Run as administrator from the result, you can access Command Prompt.
5. When the cmd box appears, type this command: ipconfig /flushdns and hit Enter. It will delete the Windows DNS cache.
6. Now attempt to update Windows again, and if that’s successful, then rename the hosts.old file back to hosts.

Note: Access to the Microsoft Update server addresses may not be prohibited by the host’s file.

Replace Hosts File

Every OS connects the domain name to the IP address through the Host file. But, a system cannot connect to a DNS server if the Host file corrupts. As a result, Windows updates will not work. So, you need to replace the Host file, assuming it is causing the issue.

Here’s how:

1. Open Notepad.
2. Now, create a code like the one explained below in the Notepad file, as the Microsoft TCP/IP created for Windows. Start every line with #.
   # Copyright (c) 1993-2006 Microsoft Corp.
   #
   # IP addresses to hostnames.
   # Space between IP address and hostname
   # Corresponding hostname.
   #
   For example:
   # Copyright (c) 1993-2006 Microsoft Corp.
   #
   # 102.54.94.97 rhino.acme.com
   # source server
   # 38.25.63.10 x.acme.com
   # x client host
   # DNS itself handles localhost name resolution.
   # 127.0.0.1 localhost
   # ::1 localhost
3. Now, save the file on the desktop as hosts.txt.
4. Change the hosts.txt file’s name to hosts (no extension).
5. Launch Command Prompt as administrator.
6. Type ipconfig /flushdns in the box and hit Enter.
7. After the execution of the command, exit Command Prompt.
8. Copy this path C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc.
9. Open File Explorer and paste the path in the bar at the top of the screen.
10. Go to the desktop, copy the host file by right-clicking it, and paste it into the folder opened in File Explorer.
11. Choose Replace the file.
12. Now, close the window and restart your computer.

Disable VPN

If your system is connected to a VPN, there’s a high chance you’ll face issues with the Windows update process. The issue will be caused by the new IP address and changed DNS server, which generates when your PC is connected to a VPN.

So, to overcome the error, try disabling VPN. As for a successful Windows Update, the system requires the default DNS server.

Here’s how to disable VPN:

1. Press the shortcut keys Windows+I to access Windows Settings.
2. Open Network and Internet.
3. Then press the disconnect button on the VPN connection.

   

4. You can also hit the downward arrow and press the Remove option to delete VPN.

Flush DNS Cache

The error 0xc1900223 indicates that the updating system cannot connect with Microsoft’s Update service. Sometimes, this is because of connection problems during a Windows update. Let’s try resetting the network stack to eliminate the error.

Windows Settings and the Command Prompt are the two methods to perform this task. Here’s how:

From Windows Settings

By this method, all your network adapter settings will reset.

1. Launch the Start menu.
2. Select Network & Internet from the Settings menu.
3. Now, click on Advanced Network Settings.
4. Choose Network Reset and then hit the option Reset Now.

   

From Command Prompt

1. Press Windows+R to bring up the Run dialogue box.
2. After typing cmd, press Ctrl+Shift+Enter to run it as administrator.
3. A window will appear, type netsh Winsock reset catalog in it and Enter. The network’s socket catalog will reset after the execution of this command.
4. Now, again type netsh int ip reset reset.log and hit Enter. The IP address will reset after the execution, creating a log file in the working directory.
5. The following Registry values will reset when you execute the above commands:
   SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\DHCP\Parameters
   SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters
   ipconfig /flushdns: This command clears DNS information
   ipconfig /renew: This command reconfigures the network setting
   ipconfig /registerdns: This command re-registers the DNS information
   ipconfig /release: This command clears the current networking configuration
6. Restart your system and update Windows. This method will let the OS update without facing any errors.

Check Windows Update Services

The Windows update needs several services to run, but your computer may cease updating or trigger errors if some services are stopped.

Here’s how you can check if the Windows Update services are active:

1. Hit Windows+R, and you will see the Run dialog box.
2. To check which services are active, type services.msc and hit Enter.

   

3. Right-click on Windows Update to open it.
4. From the context menu, select Properties Now.

   

5. Make sure that either the Automatic or Manual Startup type is selected.

   

6. For each of the services listed below, verify the Startup type.
   Windows Update Service
   Cryptographic Services
   RPC Endpoint Mapper
   DCOM Server Process Launcher
   Background Intelligent Transfer Service
   Windows Installer
   Windows Update Medic Services
7. If the services are running, restart them. Go to the service, right-click, and hit Restart.

After altering the settings, try updating the OS and see if this method has resolved the error.

Refresh Windows Update Components

If you’ve tried everything to fix the issue but still cannot resolve it and several updates keep failing with 0xc1900223 error, you might need to refresh Windows components to resolve issues with the 1903 build using Command Prompt.

Here’s how:

1. Launch the Run dialogue box by using Windows+R as a shortcut.
2. When the box appears, type cmd and press Ctrl+Shift+Enter on the keyboard to access the CMD Prompt as administrator.
   Note: To enable administrator’s rights, hit the Yes option when the User Account Control, aka UAC prompt, pops up on the screen.
3. When the CMD Prompt dialog box appears, copy and paste the below commands and Enter.
   net stop wuauserv
   net stop cryptSvc
   net stop bits
   net stop msiserver

Note: These commands will stop all the WU services like MSI Installer, BITS and Cryptographic services.

After turning off all the services, you need to rename the folders SoftwareDistribution and Catroot2 that have Windows update files. Here’s how:

1. Copy and paste the following commands in Command Prompt one by one and hit Enter after each one:
   ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
   ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 Catroot2.old Note: The two folders, SoftwareDistribution and Catroot2, are the ones you cannot remove normally. So, you can make your OS replace these folders with their new copies to minimize the negative impact of corrupted files.
2. Start the services again, which you turned off previously after deleting the two folders. After pasting the commands below into CMD, press Enter after each one:
   net start wuauserv
   net start cryptSvc
   net start bits
   net start msiserver

Now, after resuming all the services again, try reinstalling the updates facing the 0xc1900223 error and see if the issue is now resolved and if the installation process finishes smoothly.

Replace Software Distribution Folder

The Software Distribution folder controls Windows updates. The Windows update may not work properly if this folder is corrupted and will also trigger the error. This folder is in the C drive with a folder path C:\WindowsSoftwareDistribution.

To fix the problem, you can substitute a new one. Here’s how:

You must stop the services first; Background Intelligent Transfer (BITS) and wuauserv.

1. Hit Windows+R.
2. Click Run as administrator and type cmd.
3. Press Ctrl+Shift+Enter.
4. Now, copy and paste the commands below one by one and press Enter button on the keyboard after each one:
   net stop bits
   net stop wuauserv
   net stop cryptSvc
   net stop msiserver
5. These services are only active when Windows downloads and installs updates. It’s possible that you’ll receive a message stating that the service hasn’t started after running these commands. Please ignore it.

To create a new file, rename the existing file as SoftwareDistribution after both services stop. By doing this, a fresh file will be created when the services restart. Here’s how:

1. In the Run box, type the below-given commands and execute by hitting Enter after each one:
   ren %systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution softwaredistribution.bak
   ren %systemroot%\system32\catroot2 catroot2.bak
2. You might get Access Denied when you execute the second one. Please ignore it and carry on with the next steps.
3. To restart the services that we had previously suspended, run the commands below. Again, copy and paste the commands followed by Enter after each one.
   net start bits
   net start wuauserv
   net start cryptSvc
   net start msiserver
4. The two folders SoftwareDistribution and SoftwareDistribution.old will be created in C:\Windows after the execution of the command.

Once the procedure is finished, try updating the OS again, and if it is successful, you can delete the SoftwareDistribution.old and Catroot2.old files from System32.

Run SFC And DISM

You can fix the Windows Update corrupted system files using the System File Checker command, SFC. This feature will fix and recover the missing or corrupted files.

Here’s how to use the SFC command:

1. Using Windows search, look for Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
2. Now, type sfc/scannow and hit Enter.

   

3. After the verification process finishes, restart the system.

   

If you successfully run the SFC command, next you need to run the Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool, aka DISM, which will allow you to scan the system files and restore the corrupted ones. Here’s how:

1. Type cmd in Windows search, and it will show Command Prompt in the result.
2. Go for the option Run as administrator.
3. Enter command: DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /Restorehealth followed by Enter click. Your PC is scanned for corrupt files and repaired if it finds any.

   

4. After performing SFC and DISM methods, restart the system and try updating again.

Use Media Creation Tool

You can install the latest Windows updates using Microsoft’s Media Creation Tool. It is an easy-to-use program using which you can install the latest version of an OS through a USB flash drive while all your data, apps, or files remain safe.

Download Windows 10 latest update with the Windows Media Creation Tool; here’s how:

1. Go to Microsoft’s website.
2. Search for Microsoft’s Windows 10 or 11 Media Creation Tool, and click the download button.

   

3. Access the program as an administrator and log in to it.

   

4. Comply with the installation instructions after opening the file you downloaded.
5. A prompt will appear on the screen asking you for PC upgradation or the Creation of installation media. Hit Upgrade this PC now.
6. Whether you wish to keep all your data or delete everything entirely, you can choose your desired option during installation. Choose and then hit on Install.

Manual Update Using Microsoft Update Catalog

If you’re facing issues in the Windows Update update process, you can do it manually. Visit Microsoft’s Update Catalog site to find all the updated files required for manual installation.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Open Microsoft’s Update Catalog site and download the latest update available.

   

2. Update installation will begin when you open the downloaded file.

Hold off until the procedure is complete, then restart the PC.

Disabling Pi-Hole

Unexpectedly, Pi-Hole or any other network-wide adblocker might also cause the 0xc1900223 error to appear when installing a Windows 10 update. DNS blocklist can also interrupt the update process.

When you start an update, temporarily disabling or uninstalling Pi-Hole can make the process successful even if you got the error previously.

Here’s how to disable it:

Disabling Pi-Hole Temporarily

1. Go to Command Prompt by typing cmd in the Windows search bar and always choose Run as administrator because you will need administrator rights to perform this task.
2. You will see a cmd box, type pihole, and hit Enter to launch the Pi-Hole tool.
3. When the tool is launched, type pihole disable and hit Enter to make it inactive.
4. Check to see if the error has been fixed by installing the update right away.
5. Run this command: pihole enable in the cmd box if the update is successful.

Uninstalling Pi-Hole

1. Click on Windows search and type cmd, then choose Run as administrator from the results, as you will require administrator access to run the following commands.

   

2. Type this command: pihole uninstall and hit Enter to execute the command, and it will uninstall Pi-Hole from your system.

   

3. Restart the computer after the process completes and try updating Windows once more. This method will surely fix the issue.

Forced Update

If you’re facing an error 0xc1900223, it indicates that the Windows update is going through a failure. So, to make the update installation successful, you can update Windows forcefully.

Note: When you update Windows 10, it creates two folders automatically in the C drive; $GetCurrent and $SysReset. You will find log files for the latest updates and installation files from that update.

Here’s how to install the updates forcefully through C drive:

1. Click on the File Explorer, then in the navigation bar appearing at the top, copy and paste this path: C:\$getcurrent and hit Enter.
   Note: Make sure you change the name from C to the one according to your existing OS drive. You can also manually enter this location by opening File Explorer, then clicking View and ticking the Hidden Items checkbox.
2. Now, open the media folder from the subfolders.
3. Double-click on the Start option to proceed.
4. When the update installation screen appears, follow the instructions shown on the screen for the successful process.
5. Restart your system once you succeed in installing the update.
6. Now, look for the $getcurrent folder, but if you cannot view it, it indicates that the WU component could not update the installation files.

Reset Windows

The system requires continuous updating to work efficiently. Therefore, resetting Windows is the best option if it has been experiencing update errors for a while.

Here’s how:

1. Jump to the Start menu.
2. Open Settings and jump to Recovery.
3. Select Get Started.

   

4. The system will give you two options; keep or delete existing files. Please select the one you wish to choose by clicking it.

   

5. You can only reset the C drive, and it will delete all the programs and data from the C drive by choosing Keep My Files. But, if you delete everything, all your data will be lost.