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
    2019-07-31T01:32:57+00:00

    4 of your folders have different dates, doesn't mean much without comparing the folders with the date change.

    I bet if I download one today it will be different again...

    Here is a different one on a 32GB device with the same dates as the 8BG device.. 

    The used space is different and more than your 16GB device...

    Could be the cluster size used for formatting that makes the difference in the space used.

    The default cluster size changes with the device capacity.

    See the last picture below, it shows exactly the same used space as yours, I just changed the cluster size to prove it.

    The bigger the cluster size the more space gets wasted. 

    Since the default allocation unit size changes with the size of the device, that explains the difference.

    Looks like yours was formatted with Unit Size of 8192 bytes.

    Everything seems to match for the same build even if they were created at different dates.

    Last 2 devices show the same space occupied, they are formatted with Unit Size 8192, one device is 32GB, I just changed the unit size from 16KB to 8192 B, the other is 8GB just changed the format from 4096 to 8192 B Unit size and the numbers match. 

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  2. Anonymous
    2019-07-31T00:54:23+00:00

    Mine is fatter than yours (heh-heh)...

    Windows PowerShell

    Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

    Try the new cross-platform PowerShell https://aka.ms/pscore6

    PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> DISM  /Get-WimInfo  /WimFile:E:\Sources\Install.esd  /Index:1

    Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool

    Version: 10.0.18362.1

    Details for image : E:\Sources\Install.esd

    Index : 1

    Name : Windows 10 Home

    Description : Windows 10 Home

    Size : 14,229,531,906 bytes

    WIM Bootable : No

    Architecture : x64

    Hal : <undefined>

    Version : 10.0.18362

    ServicePack Build : 175

    ServicePack Level : 0

    Edition : Core

    Installation : Client

    ProductType : WinNT

    ProductSuite : Terminal Server

    System Root : WINDOWS

    Directories : 19610

    Files : 88906

    Created : 6/11/2019 - 9:35:39 PM

    Modified : 7/9/2019 - 10:05:52 PM

    Languages :

            en-US (Default)

    The operation completed successfully.

    PS C:\WINDOWS\system32>

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  3. Anonymous
    2019-07-30T20:32:47+00:00

    Wile E One,

    Following the good suggestions usually helps :)

    Glad it worked for you, some USB devices may need to be cleaned up and formatted properly, some third party programs may not prepare the device correctly. 

    Here is one sample on a 8GB SanDisk Cruzer created without any issue.

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  4. Anonymous
    2019-07-30T19:47:33+00:00

    I've had the same issue as op; needed to create a USB recovery drive to resolve an issue with Windows 10 on my Surface Go.  During the process (I think during copy, near the end), it failed with same error "0x80042405 0xA001B".  I have since tried multiple combinations of:

    1. 3 different USB drives, all >16GB, all unused
    2. Different USB ports
    3. Formatted USB w/ Explorer (FAT, FAT32, NTFS)
    4. Copied exe to usb and ran
    5. Ran as administrator
    6. Tried on 2 different PCs (none of them the problem PC)

    No solution.  8 hours wasted, original problem PC still unusable.  Would be great if released software worked.  😐

    Reading through this thread and other references, I finally found the following steps that solved my issue, maybe it could help you.  I am sure some of this is duplicate work (setting a partition then formatting), but I don't care about efficiency, I care about solving the problem.

    1. Download the Media Creation Tool (MCT) to your hard drive.
    2. Insert a >16GB USB in any USB slot
    3. Use the diskpart tool to format the USB
      1. Run the tool; Windows key, then type diskpart
      2. See all your disks to know which is the USB you are after; list disk
      3. Match the size listed to your USB and select it; select disk x (x is the listed Disk #)
      4. Remove all partitions and volumes; clean
      5. Create a partition; create part primary
      6. Select the new partition; select part 1
      7. Make it the partition; active
      8. Quick format the USB as FAT32; format fs=fat32 quick
      9. Close diskpart; exit
    4. Run the MCT and create the USB boot drive
      1. Run the MCT as an administrator from your computer; right click the exe, select run as administrator and accept any prompts
      2. Select the correct options you want in the tool; e.g. for another computer, select windows options, select USB drive you just formatted
      3. Wait…. Wait…. Wait….
      4. Success.
    5. Use your newly created USB Windows 10 recovery drive as you see fit.

    Good luck

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