Media Creation Tool Error 0x80042405 0xA001B

Anonymous

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??

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Answer accepted by question author

Kapil Arya 38,446 Volunteer Moderator

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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227 additional answers

Anonymous

2019-08-11T13:05:15+00:00

What has worked for me with this error and I don't know if it was my methods or it just coincidentally corrected itself. If you have a different antivirus than Defender disable it.

In Defender

Turn off controlled folder access if it is on. If you use it turn it back on when done.

Check settings> apps> to see what you have selected for downloading apps on right hand side top of page and change it if it says download only from store with the dropdown box.

You also might check your UAC settings in control panel and select the second line down from the top.

Download the media creation tool.

Right click on the media creation tool and check the properties page to unblock it if it is blocked before runnng it. Start the media creation tool by right clicking and choose run as administrator.

Plug in a (new) 16gb usb flash drive that you have not formatted. Windows will format it for the files it downloads to it. Be sure to pick usb flash drive as the destination. Try a different port next time if it does not work. I never preformat mine.
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Anonymous

2019-08-14T07:05:04+00:00

Hi I had this issue while trying to do a clean install for a friend. I simply just dragged the tool into my USB and installed it directly from there and it worked for me.
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Anonymous

2019-08-16T11:52:04+00:00
1. Hi I had this problem using my daughters lap top to download and dit failed no matter which remidy l tried then in the end decided to turn of the realtime protection. It worked like a dream 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀
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Anonymous

2019-08-16T13:21:06+00:00

That's promising. I will give it a try on my next attempt. It makes no sense that the MS AV would not let writes to the thumb drive from the MCT. I can write and copy to it before and while the MCT is going.

It's also possible that something else was the fix since people sometimes get success after 2, 3, or 4 tries while changing nothing.
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