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
    2017-12-28T04:35:36+00:00

    Didn't work for me.  Crashed at about 50% in the creating media step.  Disk usage in task manager spiked to 100% just before it failed.

    Doesn't make sense why it would work because you're trying to write to the disk that has the creation tool running on it.  It has to wipe the USB drive before it can install the setup bits to the flash drive.

    I've done this a lot of times over the last year.  Just wanted to get a newer copy of 1709 on the drive than the one I had a couple months ago.  Now it won't create the flash drive.  

    Tried two different PCs and three different browsers.  No Joy.

    Frustrating......  :(

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  2. Anonymous
    2017-12-23T03:38:58+00:00

    Didn't help :/

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  3. Anonymous
    2017-12-30T21:24:29+00:00

    For me, it was just the opposite.  Formatting a new usb (I tried a 16GB and a 32GB) using FAT32 **did not work.**However, when I formatted the usb drive NTSF it worked flawlessly.  I was able to boot my crashing pc from the usb drive and reinstall windows 10.

    Seems too easy, but I hope it helps some.

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  4. 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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  5. Anonymous
    2017-12-22T14:27:19+00:00

    When I read this I laughed! What hair brained idea was this!? What buffoon posted this cockamamie suggestion!

    **....BUT!**it worked....  :)

      No more error, no idea why but it worked! 

    Microsoft should have it fixed by the time Windows 25 is released *giggle* (Just kidding Microsoft, don't melt my face)

    Thanks Thomas, you're brilliant!  @KolbyPanda

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