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
    2019-06-25T20:52:38+00:00

    There many million out there that do have a DVD,  Every one of my 6 laptops has a DVD,  I also have a portable DVD that is connected to my tablet.  Most any computer does have a USB so that can be used.

    I did not say you had to use a DVD.  I said it was available to be used with the Tool.

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  2. Anonymous
    2019-06-25T20:57:32+00:00

    There is some gaming software that disrupts the installation of Windows updates.

    Search the forum and you will see that you must remove it before installing the updates.

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  3. Anonymous
    2019-06-26T17:53:59+00:00

    Thanks to Greg Carmack and JavierLarroulet this worked, just wanted to share the variation of my process to successfully create the bootable thumb:

    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>

    ====== I couldnt perform the partition, nor format with diskpart, so I just went to File Explorer and formatted with FAT32 and

    quick format enabled =================

    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, with the USB bootable option of course. 

    Details:

    • Following the successful steps mentioned above, I just needed 1 try to create the thumb drive bootable.
    • Before trying these steps, I formatted the USB(FAT32) without the clean up(diskpart) nor the "Run as administration" option of the creation tool, and it failed twice at the end of the installation media process (totally frustrated, every try took about an hour or more).
    • Issue: My Asus restarted because of update **KB4023057,**after that windows wouldn't boot, I tried every solution mentioned here https://support.microsoft.com/en-ca/help/12415/windows-10-recovery-options that involved NOT to create a bootable drive with installation media, but eventually, I had to reach the option to restore to an specific restore point (I tried that without the drive and it didnt worked). Fortunately, I didnt have to reach to reinstall win 10, I didnt want to lose my information. So this issue brought me to create the bootable drive and hours of headaches. BTW restore my windows 10 with thumb bootable  drive worked.
    • Im a newbie.
    • I used an 8 GB USB Stick for x64 version.

    Hope this helps you guys, last 3 days have been horrible but finally made it.

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  4. Anonymous
    2019-06-27T14:26:03+00:00

    Took me a few tries (and formats), but I finally managed:

    Quick format USB drive NTFS.

    Put 'MediaCreationTool1903' onto USB drive.

    Right-click and 'Run as Administrator'.

    Installation media for another PC...

    Architecture BOTH (x32 and x64)

    When the File Explorer window on my USB closed, I pulled it back up and left it selected for the entire duration thereafter.

    Nothing else I tried, several times, worked. It finally did and the aforementioned is how (I did NOT delete the temporary files, '$Windows.~BT' and '$Windows.~WS' generated in C:\ and nor did I screw around with Diskpart as I see suggested ad nauseam for this problem).

    Using a 8GB PNY flash drive (and used my chassis front USB 3.0 port), which I'd already used for this back in 2016.

    Hopefully this helps somebody. My error was also 0x80042405

    • 0xA001B.

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