Media Creation Tool Error 0x80042405 0xA001B

Anonymous
2019-05-22T02:24:49+00:00

I must be doing something wrong because I always have the update fail with some BS error like this. What are the proper steps to run this tool?

I download the tool to the desktop. I'm on an Admin account. I insert a 16GB thumb drive. I format it. I start the tool. I point it to the thumb drive. During the phase where the files are copied to the USB, I get some stupid error like this:

Why are my steps not good enough? Where is the hole in my logic? Or is this tool just written poorly. I'd like to use stronger language here as I used to have to start it all over again and burn bandwidth trying this failed endeavor over and over.

I've heard people make it work by running the tool FROM the USB. Why would that matter? I've tried to write files to the thumb drive just after the format and before running the tool to make sure I have successful writes. Doesn't help. 

As a workaround today, I left the error up for a bit. Tried to access the thumb drive and it said it needed to be formatted AGAIN! So I did. Then I just opened the C:$Windows.~WS\Sources\Windows and copied the files to the drive by hand. Made the dang thing myself! WHO WRITES THIS STUFF??

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Install and upgrade

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Kapil Arya 38,446 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
2019-10-23T10:23:40+00:00

Hello,

I would suggest you to create latest media. Download the Media Creation Tool using this link:

https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=691209

Hope this helps!

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  1. Anonymous
    2019-10-05T00:10:38+00:00

    F.Y.I.

    Latest Win 10 1903 MCT now downloads Build 18362.356.

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  2. Anonymous
    2019-09-18T03:01:51+00:00

    ClaytonMiller, 

    Yes, those workarounds were reported by other users before.

    Nobody has yet identified a common source of the problem.

    For some users the problem is intermittent, for other users it fails consistently and for other users it never fails. 

    Different machine configurations and setting, different USB devices and USB drivers, different programs blocking access to the USB.  There are so many variables and no isolated source for the bug.

    All the workarounds reported look like wudu magic :)

    MS needs to add some diagnostic trap in the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool to isolate the different causes of the error, which seems to be a catch all error code.

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  3. Anonymous
    2019-09-17T18:46:36+00:00

    I had exactly the same problem as you did, no matter how many times I tried with 3 different 32Gb thumb drives.

    Eventually I tried both of these simultaneously and it worked, so one of these (or both combined) may work for you:

    First: Manually make the thumb drive bootable with Diskpart:

    • Open an elevated command prompt and run diskpart.
    • Once inside Diskpart, type list disk and you'll get a list of all storage drives in your computer. Take a note of the number that matches your thumb drive (it'll read, for instance, Disk 2 (I'll use 2 for the sake of this example)
    • type select disk 2<enter>
    • type clean <enter>
    • type convert mbr<enter>
    • type create partition primary<enter>
    • type format fs=fat32 quick<enter>
    • type active <enter>
    • type assign <enter>
    • close the elevated prompt

    Second: Run the Windows Media Creation Tool IN ELEVATED MODE

    Basically, right click on the executable file and "Run as administrator". You'll get the usual UAC prompt. Accept and let the media creation tool do its thing.

    I got this to work after trying a lot of stuff. I didn't find this exact solution elsewhere so your mileage may vary, but it's worth a shot

    This is what worked for me. Also selected both versions rather than only the 64 bit. Did not run the tool from the flash drive.

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  4. Anonymous
    2019-09-16T01:46:57+00:00

    Sorry. I missed that. Thanks for asking again. The last time I made one was probably in July. This will just be a wild guess. I'd say the download of 32 and 64 bit versions takes 10-15 minutes over 100Mbps fiber and ethernet. Download from MS never hits much above 60Mbps. I keep TaskManager open so I can tell what's really going on as the progress bar tells you nothing useful. When doing only 64bit version, there is a failure at the 50% mark on the progress bar. I don't remember what MCT says that progress is. But you can tell by what's going on in TaskManager that the download is done and files are being reassembled and check on the local disk. Right at 50% is when the copy to the USB takes place if I remember correctly. One of my posts here was made while I documented the issue so it's more accurate than this one will be. When you do both versions, the fail happens at like 66% instead as the 32bit version is just a little smaller than 64. After the download, building the files takes my PC about another 4 minutes. If I remember right, it's some kind of proprietary Electronic Software Distribution process.

    Probably 15-20 minutes and then fail.

    Hope this helps.

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