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
    2019-07-14T06:12:13+00:00

    PCR, 

    In windowsold it saves everything that is needed to go back to the previous level if you pick that option in recovery.

    Your files are preserved where they are not inside windowsold. 

    I'm just doing another upgrade right now and I will tell you what is saved in windowsold.

    Also there could be more data in the old SoftwareDistribution\Download if the upgrade was done with Windows Update rather than from an Installation Media or an ISO. In the second case it does not need to download the whole package in the SoftwareDistribution.

    Anyway inside Windows.old there are quite a few GB of data, I've seen up to 25GB in some cases. That is why I always cleanup, it saves time in my backups.

    Here is the content of Windows.old after the upgrade , it shows 24.5GB for this PC, it includes all the folders listed here for the previous windows version.

    It is all that is needed to go back if you wanted to.

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  2. Anonymous
    2019-07-14T06:20:11+00:00

    Just a little trick?

    If you have not cleaned it out copy the Download folder to another drive or to a USB flash drive and use it to install the downloaded programs rather than wandering all over the Internet to find those programs.

    That is good advise, but I already do it. One copy of my Downloads is on an external HDD, another is on a flash drive. And these days I've put it onto OneDrive as well. And that doesn't even count the copies that get put into my Windows system image backups. 😊.

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  3. Anonymous
    2019-07-14T06:34:06+00:00

    PCR, 

    In windowsold it saves everything that is needed to go back to the previous level if you pick that option in recovery.

    Your files are preserved where they are not inside windowsold. 

    I'm just doing another upgrade right now and I will tell you what is saved in windowsold.

    Also there could be more data in the old SoftwareDistribution\Download if the upgrade was done with Windows Update rather than from an Installation Media or an ISO. In the second case it does not need to download the whole package in the SoftwareDistribution.

    Anyway inside WindowsOld there are quite a few GB of data, I've seen up to 25GB in some cases. That is why I always cleanup, it saves time in my backups.

    My last upgrade was from a USB Installation drive, as you know. It used to be Windows.old was that big, but I'm sure it isn't anymore. I think it isn't even a separate folder off C:\ anymore - but it is inside one of the tilde (~) folders - maybe $Windows.~BT.

    What is your size in File Explorer & at "START, Settings, System, Storage, Temporary files", where its called (something like) "Old Windows Installation(s)"?

    Edit: We aren't informed of them, but I see you edited your 2nd-back post to say you are in the insider program - very brave. It could be MSFT makes Windows.old the old fashioned way for computers on that program. I don't know.

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  4. Anonymous
    2019-07-14T07:09:43+00:00

    PCR,

    I don't know where you get your info ?

    I just edited the entry above showing the Windows.old after Upgrading windows 1903 18362 with the installation media at build 18362.175, exactly like you did.

    It is now at 18362.239. Windows.old contains over 24GB of data.

    As I said earlier it added a second recovery partition at the end of the disk by shrinking the C: partition , before the Upgrade it only had 2 partitions:

    1. System Reserved, 2) C: Partition (Boot, Page etc.)

    Now it shows 3 partitions:

    1. System Reserved (549MB), 2) C: Partition (Boot,Page, etc) 475.90GB, 3) Healthy Recovery Partition (521MB)

    As for the disk cleanup, you can see here for Previous Windows Installation 25.7GB

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