Windows 10 Media Creation Tool error
Windows 10 Media Creation Tool error
Hello, I attempted to boot from a Windows setup USB but encountered the error 0x80004005 0xA001A. I've gone through all troubleshooting steps except using the "start setup.exe" option, as I don't have it installed on my computer. Please let me know if you need further assistance.
Let's go through these points one by one.
First, confirm your setup: are you linking the USB stick directly to your PC or through a hub such as a monitor or keyboard?
Next, verify the storage size—ensure it has at least 8GB for the image.
Then, check if hardware encryption is active on the drive that could block access to the full partition layout.
If everything checks out, proceed by using the media creation tool to save the ISO file locally.
Afterward, download Rufus instead; it offers more flexibility and has proven more reliable than the bundled tools Microsoft provides.
I've worked with many 16GB Kingston Datatraveller G4 units successfully. 64GB drives often pose challenges—Windows only supports NTFS or ExFAT for them, and booting Windows media requires FAT formatting. Rufus can handle this, but I'm not sure it's the root cause of your problems. You don’t have a 32GB drive to compare, so I’d suggest testing with your 32GB first if you decide to use Rufus. Good luck!
The system boots from USB but either shows a black screen with the ISO file or just the Windows logo without any progress, preventing it from launching the setup.
What kind of setup are you using? Rufus typically builds a mixed-mode USB stick by default. It would help to know your operating system type. If you're running a UEFI-based system—such as Intel Core processors from the 2000 series or AMD FX+—make sure CSM is turned off in BIOS and select the "gpt partition scheme for uefi" target when launching Rufus. Also, confirm that any devices you don’t have physically are disabled in your BIOS; back in Vista, a similar problem could slow things down significantly because an inactive floppy drive would cause delays.