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Greetings,
Recently, I have seen many people inquiring about this error regarding the Media Creation Tool. I myself got this error when I try to create a bootable USB drive (aka Create an Installable Media).
Here's what I tried:
Reformatting USB drive to FAT32
Deleting files
Tried to locate and run Setupprep.exe (I couldn't find this file in C:\$Windows.~BT\Sources or anywhere)
Change Startup Type of Update-Related Services (Startup Type: Manual -> Automatic)
Uninstalled and Reinstall Windows 10 Media Creation Tool
Made sure my USB is above 8Gb as instructed by the tool (it is 15Gb)
The Fix (for me at least):
1. Downloadthe Windows 10 Media Creation Tool directlyinto the USB drive that you want to use as a bootable device (meaning you download the Tool into the same USB you chose to use as an Installation Media). If you already downloaded the tool on your PC's Desktop, copy it into your USB.
2. Run the Tool directly from your USB, meaning you open File Explorer, locate the MediaCreationTool.exe in your USB and double-click to run it.
The installer should then create an Installation Media/Bootable USB.
Hope this helps!
Cheers,
Tom
Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.
I tried many other suggetions in this thread, and even though my error code was exactly the same, it didn't fix it for me.
Finally I decided to try formatting my USB as NTFS, and for some reason this worked. It doesn't really make sense why this is even necessary, because the tool just reformats it back to FAT32. But if I start with FAT32, it fails, and if I start with NTFS, it succeeds.
If you've tried all of the other options and failed, then try this and see if it works.
I had the same issue.
Each time it fails it would formatting my USB, and I left the USB's display name blank.
The last time I change the USB's display name as "X", it solved the problem.
After successfully installed, it changed the name to "ESD-USB".
This was the issue for me. Doesn't matter what you name the disk drive... Mine was showing up as "Local Disk" and then whatever drive letter it was assigned. So I thought it was literally named "Local Disk" but that means it actually doesn't have a name and is just what the computer is calling it....
So I named it a few random letters then deleted the folders mentioned in this thread "$WINDOWS.~BT" and "$Windows.~WS" I think, disabled windows defender and tried again. Then it magically worked... like it should have in the first place.
You think for such a "sophisticated" tool that it could detect that the thumb drive doesn't have a name and just give it a name itself...
instead of wasting so much **** time then stalling, then giving an error code that's really no help whatsoever.
But no, we have tons of users here on this thread for the same problem, no help from Microsoft (like usual), all because of stupid reasons because it didn't have a name, or antivirus was turned on, or a folder needed deleted, etc, etc.
Pretty pathetic that such a simple problem requires so many resources from so many people and none of them were Microsoft.
Just to make it clear I don't hate Microsoft, but gotta admit this is downright sad...…..
Try:
1. Right click on the tool you downloaded called: mediacreationtool.exe
2. Click Properties
3. Click on the tab: Compatibility
4. Check the box that says: Run this program in compatibility mode for:
5. Select "Windows 8" from the Drop Down Menu
6. Check the box that says: Run this program as Administrator
7. Click the "Apply" button
8. Click the "OK" button
9. Run the mediacreationtool.exe program again.
Try the steps below:
1. Right click on the tool you downloaded called: mediacreationtool.exe
2. Click Properties
3. Click on the tab: Compatibility
4. Check the box that says: Run this program in compatibility mode for:
5. Select "Windows 8" from the Drop Down Menu
6. Check the box that says: Run this program as Administrator
7. Click the "Apply" button
8. Click the "OK" button
9. Run the mediacreationtool.exe program again.
This Worked on my computer also. Thanks!
