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
    2019-05-26T23:58:36+00:00

    When you go to the Media Creation tool do not upgrade. 

    Download tool now, Read the instructions.  Pick your edition, select the USB drive, or the ISO file.

    Media Creation Tool US;  Read the instructions.  

    https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

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  2. Anonymous
    2019-05-27T00:14:53+00:00

    I've heard of this USB device and SD card issue you linked, but not caused by the thumb drive used as a boot device for a clean install. I'd like to know more about the step you took to get this error.

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  3. Anonymous
    2019-05-30T04:21:35+00:00

    For the past couple of weeks, I too have been wracking my brains on this media creation tool error 0x80042405-0xA001B -- I even went as far as buying new USB flash drives thinking it was the security mechanism in SanDisk flash drives.  This afternoon I downloaded a USB flash drive formatter and noticed the format failed because access to the drive was locked exclusively by a background process. Using process explorer as described in https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/windows-in-use.html , I was able to locate the mysterious process that had exclusive access to the flash drive, in my case was a shadow backup app.  Once I closed the process, started the media creation tool and was successful.  Performed the task two more times success.  I hope this helps.

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  4. Anonymous
    2019-05-30T09:17:41+00:00

    Yeah, this is pretty huge, Robbie. Thanks. I'll have to try process explorer. What you said makes perfect sense. I'll let you know and give you an up-vote if it helps.

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