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
    2018-10-22T07:53:30+00:00

    One of the reasons why I was failing with this error was because I was using an external USB Hub, 

    and even though it's powered and USB 3.1 (just like the USB Device) it gave me erros, which were fixed by plugging it straight into my pc...

    Just putting this up here to help anyone who might have the same issue :)

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  2. Anonymous
    2018-07-30T19:35:11+00:00

    LG Gram 15z980

    Did not work (solution below)

    • I tried formatting to NTFS
    • I tried moving media tool directly to USB (which is odd)
    • I tried all this while running as admin.

    What ended up working.

    • Format USB stick to NTFS using disk management long format (NOT quick format - this takes a long time)
    • Run as media tool as admin. (doesn't matter if its directly on USB or not)

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  3. Anonymous
    2018-06-02T10:25:58+00:00

    How has this issue not been fixed yet in 2018... 

    Don't expect people to pay for a license and then having to fix this crap on their own.

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  4. Anonymous
    2018-05-10T15:36:20+00:00

    It is errors like this that just make me smack my head and think "how can you get something so simple and obvious, so fundamentally wrong MS?"

    I shake my head at you, the top software company in the world cannot even get this right. And we use their OS.

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  5. Anonymous
    2018-04-07T19:18:56+00:00

    Dumbest Suggestion Ever - And THANK YOU! - Because it WORKS!

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