(How to Fix Media Creation Tool Error 0X80072F8F – 0X20000) How to Fix Media Creation Tool Error 0X80072F8F – 0X20000: If you receive the error message "Media Creation Tool Error 0X80072F8F – 0X20000" when installing or opening the Media Creation Tool on a computer running Windows 7, 8, 10, or 11, read the solution carefully in this article and apply each method step by step. This error may also occur when upgrading the Windows operating system.
Error Message:
There was a problem running this tool.
Error code: 0X80072F8F - 0X20000
What is the Media Creation Tool
The Media Creation Tool is a small utility developed by Microsoft itself.
This tool is used to create bootable USB/DVD drives for Windows operating systems. With this tool, you can create a bootable drive, and using this USB drive, you can upgrade or install Windows.
Generally, this tool works flawlessly and does not produce any errors, but if there is an issue with the operating system, you may encounter the Media Creation Tool error 0X80072F8F – 0X20000.
How to Fix Media Creation Tool Error?
Error code 0X80072F8F – 0X20000 does not provide adequate details for understanding it. It simply states, "We are not sure what happened, but we are unable to run this tool on your computer."
After extensive research on this error, we concluded that this error occurs due to missing dll files, corrupted system files, issues with the software distribution folder, or errors in registry files, etc. Additionally, viruses and malware can also cause the above error.
Method 1: Fix Using Outbyte PC Repair Tool
Windows consists of a large number of dll files, exe files, sys files, various types of services, databases, and so on, so it is not feasible to constantly monitor all files. The excellent PC optimization tool repairs damages, fixes errors, updates Windows and drivers, and silently removes various types of errors.
The Outbyte PC Repair Tool performs all the above tasks effortlessly and provides you with a smooth and error-free Windows environment to work in so you can focus solely on your tasks.
3 Steps to Fix This Error
Step 1. Download the Outbyte PC Repair Tool [File Size: 16.4 MB]
Step 2. Scan your Windows computer
Step 3. Click the "Repair" button to fix the error
Windows 11/10/8/7
Method 2: Reset the Software Distribution Folder
The Software Distribution folder contains temporary Windows update files, which may interfere with the Media Creation Tool. Clean this folder before using the Media Creation Tool. You can do this as follows:
https://www.how2fixerror.com/software-distribution-folder-reset-rename-empty-boss/
Method 3: Update to Enable TLS 1.1 or TLS 1.2 or TLS 1.3
If you are using the old TLS 1.0 version, you may receive error code 0X80072F8F – 0X20000. This is because most servers do not communicate over TLS 1.0 and require a more secure protocol like TLS 1.1 and newer versions.
To correct this issue, upgrade your TLS version and then try running the Media Creation Tool. You can upgrade your TLS version as follows:
Step 1: If you are using an older version of the operating system like Windows 7 or Windows Vista, download and install Service Pack 1. This will install the latest version of TLS on your computer.
Step 2: Go to the Run window by pressing Win + R and type inetcpl.cpl to open Internet Properties.
open_internet_properties
Step 3: Go to the Advanced tab and scroll down to select the TLS version. Check TLS 1.2 and TLS 1.3.
Select_tls_version
Step 4: Click OK to save the settings.
Step 5: Restart your computer and try running the Media Creation Tool again.
Method 4: Enable TLS 1.1 and TLS 1.2
This method requires editing the registry file, which can be risky if any mistakes occur. It is highly recommended to back up the registry file and store it in a safe place before proceeding.
Step 1: Create a .reg file with manual instructions. Open Notepad and paste the following command.
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\WinHttp] “DefaultSecureProtocols”=dword:00000a00 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\WinHttp] “DefaultSecureProtocols”=dword:00000a00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.1\Client] “DisabledByDefault”=dword:00000000 “Enabled”=dword:00000001
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.2\Client] “DisabledByDefault”=dword:00000000 “Enabled”=dword:00000001
Step 2: Save the file with the .reg extension. Select all files (*.*) in the Save as type box and give any name to the file with the .reg extension. Here, I am saving it as Changeregistry.reg.
save_reg_file
Step 3: Close Notepad. Navigate to the .reg file location, double-click it, and open it. It will ask for administrative permission, click "OK" or "Yes" to proceed. The above entry will be automatically added to the registry.
Step 4: Restart your computer to apply the changes.
Method 5: Add AllowOSUpgrade Entry to the Registry File.
If the Media Creation Tool is unable to upgrade your computer and shows you the error code: 0X80072F8F – 0X20000, you need to add the "AllowOSUpgrade" entry to the registry.
Note: Editing the registry file manually is somewhat risky and can cause serious malfunctions in your computer. You should keep a backup of the registry file and store it in a safe place.
Step 1: Open the Registry Editor. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run window. Type regedit and press "OK" to open the Registry Editor.
Open Registry Editor in Windows 10 and 11
Step 2: Navigate to the following location:
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate\Auto Update
Step 3: Right-click on the empty space ➜ New ➜ DWORD (32-bit) Value.
add_new_dword_value
Step 4: Name it "AllowOSUpgrade". Double-click it and set the value to 1 and save it.
make_new_key_allowosupgrade
Step 5: Restart your computer.
The operating system upgrade will start without showing the error 0X80072F8F – 0X20000.
Method 6: Restart Windows Update Service
Restarting the Windows Update service may also resolve the issue. You can restart the Windows Update service either using the services window or using the command prompt.
Step 1: Open the command as an administrator.
Open Command Prompt as Administrator in Windows 8, 10, and 11
Step 2: Run the following commands one by one.
net stop wuauserv
regsvr32 %windir%\system32\wups2.dll
net start wuauserv
Step 3: Close the command window and try upgrading the operating system using the Media Creation Tool.
Method 7: Start Windows in Clean Boot Mode
If none of the above solutions worked for you, try running Windows 8/10/11 in clean boot mode. Sometimes, third-party applications and drivers cause issues with Windows updates and upgrades, leading to the Media Creation Tool error code: 0X80072F8F - 0X20000.
https://www.how2fixerror.com/clean-boot-startup-windows-7-8-10-step-step/
Conclusion
In this article, we discussed how to fix Media Creation Tool error 0X80072F8F – 0X20000 and the top 6 methods.
If you are getting the Media Creation Tool error code: 0X80072F8F - 0X20000 when creating a bootable USB drive or upgrading your computer, follow the instructions in this article to resolve the issue.
