How to fix 0xC1900101 – 0x20017: Installation failed in SAFE_OS phase with error during BOOT operation

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How to fix 0xC1900101 – 0x20017: Installation failed in SAFE_OS phase with error during BOOT operation

The error “0xC1900101 – 0x20017: “Installation failed in SAFE_OS phase during BOOT operation” may occur when trying to upgrade your operating system to the latest version. It may also occur when trying to upgrade your Windows 7 or 8 system to Windows 10.

This guide provides instructions to resolve Windows 10 upgrade error 0xC1900101 – 0x20017: “Installation failed in SAFE_OS phase with an error during BOOT operation”. The 0xC1900101 – 0x20017 error may occur when upgrading Windows 10 to the latest version or when upgrading your system from Windows 7 or 8 to Windows 10.

When the error occurs, the upgrade stops and the system reverts to the previous version of Windows. In this article by IR Cache, we will look at the different causes of the error and then discuss the different solutions.

What is the cause of error 0xC1900101 – 0x20017 “installation failed at SAFE_OS stage with an error during BOOT process”

What is the cause of error 0xC1900101 – 0x20017 "installation failed at SAFE_OS stage with an error during BOOT process"

Your operating system may be too cluttered: leftover software, outdated temporary files, useless cache, and other computer junk may have cluttered your PC and made it uncontrollable. To make the upgrade to Windows 10 go as smoothly as possible, you need to clean up your current operating system and optimize its settings.

This error is quite difficult to explain because it’s impossible to find a clear cause for it: faulty devices, bad drivers, wrong registry entries, wrong system settings, faulty hardware, PC garbage, and BIOS problems are the list of possible culprits.

This means you need to go through the methods listed below and try each of them. Hopefully, your troubleshooting adventure won’t last too long, because your Triumph may be just around the corner.

How to fix “Installation failed in SAFE_OS phase with an error during BOOT operation” 0xC1900101 – 0x20017



Updated: April 2025

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How to fix "Installation failed in SAFE_OS phase with an error during BOOT operation" 0xC1900101 – 0x20017

Remove the problematic drivers

If you can do without these devices and replace them with generic drivers, do it. I advise you to do this if you think an update is important for you. You have the option of removing the hardware and reinstalling it, this time using a different disk instead of the one you booted.

  1. Open the Device Manager with Win +X, then M
  2. Locate the hardware that caused the problem.
  3. Right-click and select “Uninstall Device
  4. After uninstalling it, click Action -> Scan for Hardware Changes.
  5. The device will be detected and Windows will install the driver.

Upgrading in a clean boot state

When you boot your computer in clean boot mode, your computer boots with a pre-selected minimum set of drivers and startup programs. Since the drivers are not loaded, you can update them, but be sure to update or restore the driver after it’s done.

If that doesn’t work, it’s better to wait for an official patch from Microsoft. Often the problem cannot be solved because of incompatibilities.

Make sure that all drivers are up to date

The first thing to do is to update your drivers to a version that is compatible with the version you want to update.

Most drivers provide backward compatibility, so this shouldn’t be a problem unless otherwise specified. If you have done an upgrade, be sure to restore the previous version of the driver.

If you can’t find the latest driver version, we recommend using third-party tools.



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Frequently Asked Questions

If you get error 0xC1900101, the problem may be related to your antivirus software. To fix the problem, you need to uninstall the antivirus software completely and try to reinstall the update. This problem can be caused by any third-party antivirus program. So be sure to uninstall it and try to update again.

  1. Update all your drivers.
  2. Change your Windows 10 installation.
  3. Use third-party advanced system care.
  4. Set the automatic maintenance mode.
  5. Disconnect all USB devices from your computer / remove the WiFi adapter.

  1. Make sure you have enough disk space on your device.
  2. Run the Windows update several times.
  3. Check for third-party drivers and download any updates.
  4. Disable any additional hardware.
  5. Check for errors in the Device Manager.
  6. Uninstall third-party security programs.
  7. Fix hard drive errors.
  8. Perform a clean Windows reboot.

  1. Download the Windows Update Troubleshooter from the Microsoft website.
  2. Double-click on Windows Update Troubleshooter.
  3. Select the Windows Update option.
  4. Click the Next button.
  5. Click the Try to troubleshoot as an administrator option (if applicable).
  6. Click the Close button.