7 Fixes for Windows Media Creation Tool Not Working

Microsoft has made installing and/or updating Windows 11 and Windows 10 easy with the Media Creation Tool. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work as we expect. For most users, this tool is the easiest way to update or install Windows 11 or Windows 10, so it’s important that it works properly.

Below are several fixes for when the Media Creation Tool stops working. Here’s what we’ll cover: redownloading it, launching it as an admin user, clearing up hard drive space, editing the registry, using a Media Creation Tool alternative, starting the appropriate Windows services, and deleting some old cache files that could be interfering with the tool.

Windows Media Creation Tool Not Working

The Windows Media Creation tool is simple to use; it’s a small file that can download and “burn” (it’s really just copying) Windows 11 or 10 to USB. It can fail at multiple points; when it’s downloading Windows, when it is preparing to copy the contents to the USB drive, when it is finalizing the download, or when it is doing the actual copying and preparing on the USB drive.

If you’re trying to create installation media and the tool isn’t working, try the fixes below.

1. Redownload the Media Creation Tool

If the Media Creation tool isn’t working, or it gets stuck at any one point, delete it and download it again. This may mean downloading Windows again, but it may also be the easiest way to resolve the problem.

Depending on the OS you’re installing, download the Windows 11 version or the Windows 10 version.

You should also make sure your internet connection is stable while the tool is running. An unstable internet connection may cause difficulties with the tool.

2. Run the Media Creation tool with admin rights

The Media Creation tool isn’t an ordinary app; it will make changes to the OS if it updates the OS or if it burns the OS to a USB. This is why you should run the tool with admin rights.

1. Download the Media Creation tool using one of the links above.
2. Right-click the file and select Run as administrator.
3. Provide admin rights when prompted.

3. Free up some storage space

The Windows installation files are big. You should have at least 8 GB free space available before you run the Media Creation tool (on your main hard drive and the flash drive). If you’re using the tool to upgrade Windows to a newer version, you might need up to 20 GB of space on your internal hard drive.

Tip: Depending on the size of your computer’s hard drive, it’s easy to use up most of the space. Windows includes a Disk Cleanup utility that can help free up space for this installation.

4. Edit the registry

If the Media Creation tool refuses to run or to begin downloading Windows, you may need to edit the registry to fix this.

1. Press Win+R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Enter regedit to open Registry Editor.
3. Go to this key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate\OSUpgrade.
4. Right-click the key and select New > Dword (32-bit) Value.
5. Name it AllowOSUpgrade and double-click it.
6. Set its value to 1.
7. Restart your computer and run the Media Creation tool again.

5. Manually download and burn Windows to USB

If you have the ISO, you don’t need to use Microsoft’s tool. Here, we’ll use the third-party tool Rufus to put the Windows 11/10 installation files on a flash drive:

1. Visit Microsoft’s website to download the Windows 11 ISO or download the Windows 10 ISO.
2. Save the ISO somewhere recognizable because you’ll be accessing it again soon.
3. Download Rufus.
4. In the Device field, choose the USB device you want to install Windows Setup to.
5. Click SELECT and then choose the Windows ISO you just saved.
6. Select START to begin the process.

6. Check that the right Windows services are running

The Media Creation tool should work normally immediately, but if it isn’t, open Services and check that the correct services are running. Many of these help maintain the right network connections, so this is a good solution if the Media Creation tool stops downloading Windows halfway through. It’s easy to start them if they’re not already running; here’s how:

1. From the taskbar, search for services.msc, and then open Services when you see suggested.
2. Find this service in the list: Background Intelligent Transfer Service.
3. Right-click its entry and select Start.
4. Do the same for IKE and AuthIP IPsec Keying Modules, TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper, and Workstation.

7. Delete the Windows Update cache

Microsoft uses all kinds of folders to store cached items. These files can become corrupted or outdated and cause issues when trying to run the Media Creation tool. It’s simple to clean up this folder using the File Explorer.

1. Press Win+R to open Run.
2. Type this path: C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download, then press Enter to open it.
3. Highlight everything you see.
4. Right-click the selection and choose Delete to erase the Download folder’s contents.

Conclusion

The Media Creation tool used to run into problems when Windows 10 and the tool itself were new. Over the years, this has been far less likely. Still, if you’re having trouble downloading or burning Windows 11 or Windows 10, make sure your hard drive is large enough to hold the file and that you have a stable internet connection. Run through the fixes above, and you will be able to create installation media for Windows in no time.

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Fatima Wahab

Fatima has been writing for AddictiveTips for six years. She began as a junior writer and has been working as the Editor in Chief since 2014. Fatima gets an adrenaline rush from figuring out how technology works, and how to manipulate it. A well-designed app, something that solves a common everyday problem and looks

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