In most cases, this issue occurs if the computer or virtual machine (VM) doesn't have enough available virtual memory for Windows to install the update. The most common causes of this issue are the following conditions:

• Third-party applications are consuming lots of virtual memory.
• The computer's virtual memory isn't managed automatically. Instead, it's manually configured.

If the CBS log indicates that the issue involved registry resources, the RegistrySizeLimit registry entry is set to a value other than 0. This value restricts the registry's maximum size. When the registry size grows to meet the configured limit, Windows can't perform necessary servicing activities, such as updates.

Important

Before you troubleshoot this issue, back up the operating system disk. For information about this process for VMs, see About Azure Virtual Machine restore.

General resource issues

Note

If the affected computer is a VM, consider upgrading the virtual hardware of the VM to increase its available memory resources.

To configure the computer to automatically manage its virtual memory, follow these steps:

1. Open System Properties: Select Search, and enter sysdm.cpl.
2. In System Properties, select Advanced > Performance > Settings.
3. In Performance Options, select Advanced > Virtual memory > Change.
4. Make sure that Automatically manage paging file size for all drives is selected, and then select OK.
5. Restart the computer.
6. To make sure that this issue doesn't occur again, monitor the computer's available memory resources.

Registry size limit issue

The original article includes a standard notice here: "Registry important alert".

To reset the registry size limit, follow these steps:

1. In the search bar of the affected computer or VM, type regedit, and then right-click Registry Editor in the search results.

2. Select Run as administrator.

3. Select HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control.

4. Right-click RegistrySizeLimit, and then do one of the following actions:

   • Select Delete.
   • Select Modify, enter 0 in the Value data field, and then select OK.

5. Restart the physical computer or VM.

6. On the affected computer or VM, try again to update Windows.

If the issue persists, contact Microsoft Support for more assistance. Attach copies of any relevant CBS.log data to your support request.