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

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  1. Anonymous
    2018-01-02T01:00:37+00:00

    Copying the Media Creation Tool to the USB drive worked for me but I was curious to try a few things.

    It appears that running the Simple Volume Wizard fixes the problem without having to copy the Media Creation Tool to the USB drive.

    This can be accessed in Computer Management > Disk Management.

    Right click on the USB drive in the lower (graphical) part of the window and select Delete Volume.

    Click Yes to the warning. If there are any volumes remaining, delete those also.

    The entire USB drive should now show as Unallocated.

    Right click on it again and select New Simple Volume. (You may have to perform this step twice as it sometimes does nothing).

    Click through all the windows in the wizard using the default settings, selecting NTFS as the file system.

    A new volume will be created.

    Now run the Media Creation Tool without copying it to the USB drive.

    Hope this helps.

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  2. Anonymous
    2018-01-02T01:31:50+00:00

    Finally got it to work.  Not sure what was different that solved the problem.  Last time was with a freshly formatted NTFS flash drive and on a machine that had no 3rd party malware or virus protection.

    Happy New Year!

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  3. Anonymous
    2018-01-03T16:16:33+00:00

    Thanks a ton!!! Remember to run as admin, i forgot that and cursed some more until the light bulb clicked on :P

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  4. Anonymous
    2018-01-03T17:11:26+00:00

    Thanks HerculaPC.

    Clearing the old partitions off of the USB drive and then creating an NTFS simple volume on it is what did the trick.  Just ran the media creation tool from the PC (no copying to the UDB drive)

    I also tried running the MCT from the USB drive itself and got the same error as before.

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  5. Anonymous
    2018-01-05T13:10:36+00:00

    Hi

    I had the same problem. I was trying to download Windoes 10 to a USB to boot an Acer Aspire 5734z in the boot menu. it wouldn't boot up and kept going into a continuous start loop. Acer e recovery management was the same. It would load the recovery section but get stuch on the Updating System part at 99% and stay there forever.

    I solved the problem with the Windows 10 download and the error 0x80042405-0xA001A at 50% of load by changing the download location from USB to computer and then downloaded it from the PC to the USB.

    In any case it would not work. But my Acer was originally a Windows 7 pre loaded and in this case you have to boot it in the boot menu with a USB with Windows 7 on it and then download Windows 10 when it's up and running.

    I got amazing assistance from Microsoft technical assistance with this problem. The 1st Windows 7 download didnt include all the necessary files so the Acer couldn't read it properly. A technician remotely took control of a working pc and downloaded the correct version and the faulty pc is now working again. Based upon my experience, persevere and get in phone contact with Microsoft technical assistance.

    good luck

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