Windows Media Creation Tool sometimes shows an Error code 0x80042405 – 0xa001b. Users may see this error while using Windows Media Creation Tool to create a bootable USB drive. The Windows Media Creation Tool enables you to download a Windows 10 install file onto a flash drive so you can reinstall Windows 10. It is crucial to have a backup option in case of something malfunctioning on your computer. If you want to resolve the problem you are facing in the case of Windows Media Tool creation, then keep reading!
What is Error Code 0x80042405 – 0xa001b?
The error code appears while you try to use the Windows media creation tool for creating a USB drive. Along with this code, you will find a text saying “There was a problem running this tool”. This error message won’t tell you much about what is happening that might have caused the problem. You can try any of the ways discussed in this article to overcome this situation.
How do I Fix Media Tool Creation Error?
There are several ways to fix Error code 0x80042405 – 0xa001b. You can try one of the other ways listed below to resolve this issue. Read the instructions mentioned in ways to fix the Error Code 0x80042405 – 0xa001b.
Run Windows Media Creation Tool as Admin
Certain programs need special permission in order to access and update the system-related settings. To avoid the error at hand, you should run the Windows Media Creation Tool as an administrator. Follow the steps attentively described below –
Step 1: First, download the media creation tool file for installation.
Step 2: Right-Click the setup file and open its properties.
Step 3: Now, under the compatibility tab, select “Run this program in compatibility mode”
Step 4: A drop-down menu will appear, and you need to choose Windows 7.
Step 5: Tick the “Run this Program as an administrator box.
Step 6: Finally, confirm the changes and then run the Media Creation Tool again.
Suppose you face this problem persistently while starting the Media Creation Tool, then you can check the other ways briefly illustrated below.
Check Your Updates
Another way is to check the Updates. You need to check if there are any updates available or not. Here are some instructions that will show you where you can look and do with the update services –
Step 1: In the windows search bar, type services.msc
Step 2: After that, select Services.
Step 3: Make sure the following services are running
- Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS)
- Server
- IKE and AuthIP IPsec Keying Modules
- IP/TCP NetBIOS Helper
- Workstation
- Windows Update or Automatic Updates
Step 4: If any of the above services are stopped, you need to right-click and start each of them individually.
Step 5: Now, Restart the Media Creation Tool and see the changes.
Tweak the Registry
Steps to make the necessary Tweak changes in the Registry are as follows –
Step 1: Go to the windows search bar and search for “Regedit”
Step 2: Open Registry Editor right after that.
Step 3: Select File in the Menu bar and then click on Export.
Step 4: You need to export Registry to back it up.
Step 5: Right after that, follow the path
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrent VersionWindowsUpdateOSUpgrade
Step 6: You need to right-click on the space and then select “New”
Step 7: Click on “DWord” and name the Dword “AllowOSUpgrade”, then set its value to 1.
Step 8: In the end, Restart your PC.
Disable Antivirus to fix Error Code 0x80042405 – 0xa001b
The third-party Antivirus and Windows 10 don’t go well alongside. However, some Anti-virus software is not optimized with Windows 10. That may be the reason behind the error of the Windows Media Creation Tool. Another option to fix this issue is to disable your Antivirus because Antivirus may falsely detect and block certain windows features. You can temporarily disable the Antivirus to avoid any cost as you can enable it later. Leaving your device from real-time protection for a long time may be problematic. In some of the cases, users have resolved their issue by completely uninstalling the Antivirus.
Try Another PC and Check Storage Space
If you have an alternate PC, you should try that one if the first one refuses to comply. Make sure you are using it to create a bootable USB or an ISO file. The main Windows 10 setup takes around 4GB, but we suggest using a USB that packs at least 6GB of storage space. If you are using a Media Creation Tool to update Windows 10 to the latest build, you need to make sure you have enough space. Some users have fixed their issue by completely formatting the USB flash stick to NTFS format instead of FAT32. Your Windows Media Creation Tool may start working fine after this.
Try a Third-Party Tool to fix Error Code 0x80042405 – 0xa001b
Third-party tools are the last option for you. Make sure you have tried the ways we have discussed earlier. Only after that, you should try this way. If you have a Windows 10 ISO file but can’t use the Media Creation Tool to create bootable media, then the Third-party Tool is also an alternative. There are multiple tools available on the web. Find a suitable one for yourself and then fix the error instantly. You need to read the instructions to use the tool carefully before applying, and then you are all set. Check once again whether or not you can create a bootable media USB, and its other errors are fixed.
Final Words
That was all about how to fix Error Code 0x80042405 – 0xa001b. You can try more than one way described in this article to solve your problem. If you have any questions or suggestions regarding this article, don’t forget to leave them in the comment section. Your suggestive words would help us to improvise in future. Moreover, it would be nice to hear from our fellow readers.
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