Error code 0x80042405-0xa001a originates from Windows Media Creation Tool, which is used to create bootable USB devices mainly to install Windows on a computer. This error message appeared last year and, despite frequent updates from Microsoft, not completely eradicated.
Media Creation Tool error code 0x80042405-0xa001a
The reasons for this error message when trying to create a boot device are mainly related to the disk configuration. If the disk configuration is correct, it probably means that the media creation tool is working and we have to use an alternative method to make it work.
What Causes Error Code 0x80042405-0xa001a in Media Creation Tool?
The error code 0x80042405-0xa001a has many different reasons ranging from the type of USB disk to the fact that the media creation tool is not working properly. Some of the various reasons are:
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USB is not NTFS type. NTFS file systems are specially designed for the unique Windows environment and if you want the media creation tool to work flawlessly, you'd better use an NTFS.
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There is a bug in the media creation tool that always gives the error if it is run from another drive instead of where it is to implement its operations.
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There is not enough space on your USB that you are trying to create media on.
This error message appears over and over again and, although we don't know what really triggers this behavior, the solutions listed below will fix it in no time. before continuing, make sure you are logged in as administrator on your computer.
Solution 1: download the media creation tool directly to USB
Method 1: download to USB drive
The solution that seems to work every time this error occurs is to download the media creation tool directly to the USB drive that you want to use as a bootable device.. In simple terms, download the tool on the same USB you want to use as the installation media.
Launch the media creation tool on the target USB
Normally, you would download the tool to your local C drive and then start the application from there and try to create a bootable drive. Here we will download it directly to USB and run it from there.
In a nutshell, run the tool directly from the USB, namely, run MediaCreationTool.exe after locating it and after selecting the source media, proceed with media creation. Make sure you are running the executable as administrator.
Method 2: download to hard drive
In some cases, the first method does not work and the error code appears “0x80042405 – 0xA001A”. Therefore, in this step, we will be copying the files to the USB drive after downloading them to our computer's hard drive. For that:
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Download the Media Creation Tool to local drive C.
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Launch the app, download the files to drive «C»
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Mount the ».iso» file that the media creation tool downloaded.
Note: If you don't know how to mount an iso file, see this article.
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Copy all files and folders from the virtual DVD to the USB drive that you want to set as bootable USB, save the file “Autorun.inf”.
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Right click on the file “Autorun.inf” and select “Rename”.
Selecting «Rename» -
Change the name to »Autorun. txt »and press» Enter «.
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Copy this file to the USB drive and rename it to “Autorun.inf”.
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Check if the problem persists.
Solution 2: format USB as NTFS
Another solution that works well for some users is to format the target USB as NTFS and then run the media creation tool. The reason for this error is unknown because there should be no problems creating media in FAT32 format, since the media creation tool formats the disk anyway before creation. We will use the built-in disk format and after formatting the disk successfully, we will try again.
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Press Windows + E and click This PC present on the left navigation bar.
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The target USB device will be displayed here. Right-click and select Format.
Format the drive in the NTFS file system
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A window will appear asking you for all additional details. Make sure the format is set to NTFS and continue.
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After formatting the disk, ejecute Media Creation Tool (you can also implement the solution 1 here) and see if the problem is solved.
Solution 3: use disk management to convert to MBR
Windows Media Creation Tool requires your USB drive to be set to MBR (Master Boot Record) instead of GPT (GUID Partition Table). The MBR is considered very important because it acts as a first boot sector. This feature of the hard drive allows you to “start up” from USB. We will use the disk management tool in Windows to format and convert the disk type to MBR.
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Press Windows + R, scribe “diskpart” in the dialog box and press Enter.
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Enter the command:
list of discs
List of all disks connected to the computer
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Now enter the command:
select disk x
Here “x” is the disk number you want to create for a boot device. An example is $ 0027select disk 0 $ 0027.
Cleaning unit – Disc piece
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Now we have to clean the hard drive properly before trying to convert it to an MBR. Type the following commands in order, but wait for the cleaning operation to complete before moving on to the next.
clean up convert mbr
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Now run the Media Creation Tool again and see if the problem is solved.
Solution 4: use the USB download tool / Windows DVD 7
Like the media creation tool, Microsoft also released the USB download tool / DVS of Windows 7 in the 7 Windows days to help people create installation media. This tool also performs almost the same task as the media creation tool, but you must have the full ISO file already present on your system. The media creation tool gives you a little incentive where you can download the Microsoft files directly but here you have to do the step manually.
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Download the ISO file from Microsoft's official website and save it in an accessible place.
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Download the USB download tool / Windows DVD 7 from the official Microsoft website and install it on your computer.
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After installation, run the app as administrator. In the first step, you will be asked to choose the ISO file from which you want to create a bootable drive. Select the ISO you just downloaded and continue.
USB download tool / DVD for Windows 7
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Now select the target of the unit. Follow the onscreen instructions and you'll be creating a bootable USB drive in no time.
Solution 5: use Rufus to create installation media
Rufus is a utility that helps to format and create bootable USB sticks. It is a popular alternative to Windows Media Creation Tool. It is fast and also covers other aspects such as updating the BIOS or working on a system where there is no operating system installed. However, as in the previous case, you must have an ISO file already downloaded locally on your computer.
Media creation with Rufus
You need to select the ISO file first and then the media creation process will continue. You can see our article How to create a bootable USB for Windows 10 using Rufus. Make sure to run the utility as an administrator.
