Windows 10 Media Creation Tool Error: 0x80042405 - 0xA001A

Anonymous
2017-11-16T13:39:26+00:00

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

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Install and upgrade

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.

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  1. Anonymous
    2018-02-08T21:47:19+00:00

    Thank you!  This worked for me as well.

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  2. Anonymous
    2018-02-06T21:55:55+00:00

    Thanks for the tip Tom, worked perfectly for my Acer.

    Frederick Hooper

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  3. Anonymous
    2018-02-05T07:38:50+00:00

    smart man Tom

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  4. Anonymous
    2018-02-02T07:13:04+00:00

    Well done, it worked! It never ceases to astound me that we end-users have supplanted the customer support and technical assistance that Microsoft should be providing. I have been installing Windows on multiple computers since 3.1 and it seems they have not progressed since then. I gave up after XP and went Linux but I needed to fix a friend's failed unsolicited Windows 7 to 10 upgrade which crashed and left the pc unbootable. At least I now have a fighting chance. And I think I know why it works. If you have a blank memory stick and copy a file to it before making it bootable it starts at track 1 sector 1 where the boot file would go. Then by making it bootable you overwrite the first part of the file. Windows seems to think that the first file will always be the Media Creation Tool, which it deletes after putting Windows 10 on it, then makes it bootable. If Windows 10 is the first file on the memory stick, making it bootable ruins the Windows 10 files. Please Mr. Gates, check your peoples' cred before hiring them. Thanks again,Tom.

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  5. Anonymous
    2018-02-01T21:00:02+00:00

    Thanks! After trying multiple times turning off antivirus made it work.

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    3 people found this answer helpful.
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