How to fix
Windows 10 Media Creation Tool Error 0x80072F76 – 0x20017
on Windows

When I try to run Windows 10 Media Creation Tool on my Windows 7 laptop, I get an error code 0x80072F76 - 0x20017. Tried downloading ISO again and created a new installation USB, but that did not help. I have no idea what else can I do, so I beg you for help.

In October, 2017 Windows OS users started reporting yet another Windows 10 Media Creation Tool error, which prevents upgrading the system, reinstalling Windows 10 into a new SSD or performing a clean Windows 10 install. When trying to run the Media Creation Tool,[ref en-1] people get an error message 0x80072F76 - 0x20017, which says:

There was a problem running this tool.

We’re not sure what happened, but we’re unable to run this tool on your PC. If you continue experiencing problems, reference the error code when contacting customer support. Error code: 0x80072F76 – 0x20017

The researcher Ramesh Srinivasan[ref en-2] and a couple of other experts claim that the 0x80072F76 – 0x20017 error is at the Microsoft server end. Due to unspecified obstacles, Media Creation Tool seems to be unable to download the End-Users License Agreement (Eula) .RTF file from Microsoft’s servers.

Unfortunately, Microsoft hasn’t acknowledged this program yet, so the problem seems to have no way out. Nevertheless, a part of people whose PC’s ran into the Media Creation Tool error 0x80072F76 – 0x20017 fixed the problem manually. Thus, as long as Microsoft did not confirm that the problem is on the server’s end, we would recommend trying a couple of manual fixes.

Fix 1. Give the Media Creation Tool permission to run it

1. Right-click on the mediacreationtool.exe file.
2. Select Properties and click on General.
3. At the bottom on the window, click Unblock.
4. Finally, click Apply and OK to save the changes.

   

Fix 2. Install update using Update Assistant Tool

If you opt for upgrading to Windows 10 from an earlier version, try update using Update Assistant Tool by following these simple steps:

1. Open the official Microsoft’s Windows 10 download website. You can find it here. 
2. Click on Update Now button. This will download the Windows10Upgrade.exe file.

   

3. Once the download is complete, double-click on the Update Assistant Tool.
4. Click Update Now button. Now the tool should verify the device compatibility.
5. If your device is compatible with the update, click Next to proceed.

Fix 3. Change Microsoft Edge’s User Agent

1. Open Microsoft Edge and open the official Microsoft’s Windows 10 download site (the link given above).
2. While on Edge, press F12 key to get access to the Developer Tools.
3. Open Emulation tab and find the User agent section.
4. Click on it to get the drop-down menu and select Apple Safari (iPad).

   

5. User agent modification should automatically refresh the official Microsoft’s Windows 10 download site that you are currently seeing. If that did not happen, refresh the page by clicking on the Refresh button.
6. Now find a Select Edition option. Click it to get the drop-down menu.
7. Select Windows 10 and click Confirm.
8. Now from the drop-down menu, select the product Language and confirm it.
9. Finally, click on the link to start the download.

Fix 4. Uninstall C:\\$Windows.~WS and C:\\$WINDOWS.~BT folders

$Windows.~BT and $Windows.~WS are temporary folders[ref en-3] and can be safely deleted.

1. Right-click on Windows key and select Command Prompt (Admin).
2. Copy and paste the commands given below and press Enter after each of them:
   
   takeown /F C:\\$Windows.~BT\\* /R /A
   icacls C:\\$Windows.~BT\\*.* /T /grant administrators:F
   rmdir /S /Q C:\\$Windows.~BT\\
   takeown /F C:\\$Windows.~WS\\* /R /A
   icacls C:\\$Windows.~WS\\*.* /T /grant administrators:F
   rmdir /S /Q C:\\$Windows.~WS\\

If all commands have successfully been executed, you’ll get a Successfully processed message.