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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.
If you were using an activated copy of Windows 10 previously on this same computer and the version you just installed is the same (64-bit v. 32-bit, Pro vs. Home, etc.) then it should automatically reactivate. Re-activation is now based on the computer hardware.
It works!
Didn't fix it for me. What worked for me was to make an exclusion in Windows Defender for the drive letter of the USB-station.
Ciao,
Bert.
Well your activation like mine may be in the Microsoft store. My key no longer works but Pro is tied to the account so I go to settings -> Activation -> Microsoft store and then the license I have automatically kicks in with my Hotmail address. Did you try giving them a call you might get a smart tech that knows about this that is how I was helped.
If this is a reinstall of the same version of Windows 10 on the machine in question then the activation is tied to the hardware of the machine, not the account. When you install Windows 10 just click the hypertext option that says "I don't have a key". It will install and after the installation is complete it should be activated. No need to supply an activation key in this scenario.
