How to fix Media Creation Tool error 0x80070006 - 0x90018 in Windows?

Error 0x80070006 - 0x90018 means the Media Creation Tool lost access to a file, folder or drive it had opened (Windows error 6, an invalid handle). To reinstall or upgrade this PC, skip the tool and run setup.exe from Microsoft's ISO. For a USB drive, run a fresh copy of the tool as administrator with one blank USB drive plugged in.

Facts checked on 15 October 2026. Steps written for Windows 11 25H2 and 26H2, and Windows 10 22H2, with the Windows 11 and Windows 10 Media Creation Tool.

What Media Creation Tool error 0x80070006 - 0x90018 means

The Media Creation Tool shows a window titled with the Windows version it makes media for, for example Windows 10 Setup. The text reads: 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: 0x80070006 - 0x90018

Why the Media Creation Tool fails with 0x80070006 - 0x90018

Microsoft does not publish a cause for this pair. The ranking below follows what an invalid handle means and what the tool needs: an internet connection, a blank USB drive of 8 GB or more, and free access to its own working files. Each cause points to a fix.

How to fix Media Creation Tool error 0x80070006 - 0x90018

Fix 1 avoids the tool for readers who want to repair or upgrade the PC they are on. Fix 2 and Fix 3 solve it for most readers who need a USB drive. Fix 4 to Fix 6 remove what blocks the tool's files. Fix 7 comes last because it rarely causes this code.

Fix 1. Skip the tool: download the Windows 11 ISO and run setup.exe

10 minutes, plus the downloadLow riskYou want to reinstall, repair or upgrade Windows on the PC you are using now, not make media for another PC.

The ISO is a ready image of the same Windows files. Your browser downloads it, and Windows opens it as a drive, so the steps of the tool that fail with 0x80070006 are never run.

1. Open Microsoft's Download Windows 11 page in your browser.
2. Go to the section for the disk image (ISO), choose Windows 11, then your language, and download the 64-bit ISO.
3. Open Downloads in File Explorer, right-click the ISO file and select Mount.
4. Open the new DVD drive that appears and double-click setup.exe. Select Yes in User Account Control.
5. Follow Setup. When it asks what to keep, choose Keep personal files and apps, Keep personal files only or Nothing.
6. Let the PC restart several times until you reach the sign-in screen.

Step by step, with the keep options explained: Reinstall Windows without losing files

Fix 2. Run a fresh copy of the Media Creation Tool as administrator from drive C

5 minutesNo riskYou need a USB drive or an ISO for another PC, and the tool was started by double-click, from a synced folder or from an old download.

An invalid handle often means the tool could not keep a file or folder open. With administrator rights and a new copy on a local folder, nothing else syncs, moves or locks its files while it works.

1. Delete every old MediaCreationTool.exe file you have. Microsoft notes that the name may carry a version, such as MediaCreationTool_22H2.exe.
2. Download the tool again from Microsoft's software download page for Windows 11, or for Windows 10 if you still need it.
3. Create a folder C:\MCT and move the new file there, outside OneDrive and outside any synced folder.
4. Right-click the file and select Run as administrator. Select Yes in User Account Control.
5. Accept the licence terms, choose Create installation media, and continue.

More on administrator rights: How to run a program as administrator or in compatibility mode

Fix 3. Use one blank USB drive and clean it with DiskPart

10 minutesRead the warningThe error comes after you choose the USB drive, or the drive was used before for Linux, a Mac, a camera or an older installer.

Microsoft asks for a blank USB flash drive with at least 8 GB. A drive with several partitions or an unusual format can drop its handle when the tool rewrites it, and a second drive invites the wrong choice.

1. Unplug every USB drive and memory card except the one for Windows. Plug that one into a USB port on the PC itself, not a hub.
2. Right-click Start and select Terminal (Admin). Select Yes in User Account Control.
3. Type diskpart and press Enter, then type list disk and press Enter.
4. Find the USB drive by its size, for example 14 GB for a 16 GB drive. Type select disk 1, with your number instead of 1.
5. Type list disk again and check that the star is on the USB drive.
6. Type the commands from the code block below, one at a time, and press Enter after each.
7. Run the Media Creation Tool again and pick this drive.

In DiskPart, after you selected the USB drive:

clean
create partition primary
format fs=fat32 quick
assign
exit

Fix 4. Delete the leftovers of earlier Setup runs and free space on drive C

10 to 20 minutesLow riskThe tool or a Windows upgrade failed before, or drive C has little free space.

The tool downloads several gigabytes and works in hidden folders on drive C. Files left from an earlier failed run can be locked or half written, so the tool gets a handle it cannot use.

1. Open Storage settings. Select Start > Settings > System > Storage. The top of the page shows how full the drive is and what uses the space.
2. Open Cleanup recommendations. Under Storage management, select Cleanup recommendations.

   

3. Clean up what Windows suggests. Open each group (Temporary files, Large or unused files, Files synced to the cloud, Unused apps), check the items you do not need and select Clean up in that group.

   

4. Delete more temporary files. Go back to Storage and select Temporary files. Windows lists the types it can remove with their size. Check the ones you do not need and remove them. Leave Downloads unchecked unless you have checked that folder.

These steps were written for Windows 11 (screenshots: 26H2). The full page with the other versions and what each result means: Free up disk space and delete temporary files

• In Disk Cleanup, select Clean up system files and tick every temporary item, including the temporary Windows installation files when they are listed.
• Restart the PC before you run the tool again, so nothing from the old run keeps a file open.
• Check in File Explorer > This PC that drive C has room left for the download.

Fix 5. Reset the Windows Update and download services

10 minutesLow riskWindows Update fails too, the first code is 0x8007043C, or the tool stops while it downloads Windows.

The tool relies on Windows services to download and check files. If those services are stopped or their caches are damaged, it can hold a handle to a service or file that is no longer valid.

1. Open Command Prompt as administrator. Type cmd in the search box, right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator. Select Yes when Windows asks for permission.
2. Stop the update services. Type the commands below and press Enter after each one. If Windows says that other services depend on Cryptographic Services, it stops them too. A message that a service is not started is fine.

   net stop wuauserv
   net stop bits
   net stop cryptsvc

   

3. Delete the download queue files. This clears the list of downloads that the Background Intelligent Transfer Service keeps. If Windows says it cannot find the files, continue.

   del "%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\Microsoft\Network\Downloader\qmgr*.dat"

4. Rename the update cache folders. Renaming keeps a copy in case you need it; Windows creates new, empty folders when the services start again. If you get Access is denied, a service is still running: repeat the previous step.

   ren %systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
   ren %systemroot%\System32\catroot2 catroot2.old

   

5. Start the services again. Type the commands below and press Enter after each one. The requested service has already been started is fine: Windows started it on its own.

   net start cryptsvc
   net start bits
   net start wuauserv

   

6. Restart and check for updates. Restart the PC. Then select Start > Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates. The first check can take longer than usual because everything is downloaded again.

These steps were written for Windows 11 and Windows 10 (the steps are the same). The full page with the other versions and what each result means: Reset Windows Update components

1. Restart the PC after the reset.
2. Run the Media Creation Tool again as administrator, as in Fix 2.

Fix 6. Run the tool from a clean boot, with security software paused for one test

20 minutesLow riskFix 1 to Fix 5 are done, and the PC runs a non-Microsoft antivirus, backup, sync or tuning tool.

Security, backup and sync programs open the same files the tool writes. A clean boot starts Windows without them, so no other program can take or close the tool's handles.

1. Open System Configuration. Select Search on the taskbar, type msconfig and select System Configuration from the results.
2. Hide Microsoft services. On the Services tab, select the Hide all Microsoft services check box. Only services from other companies stay in the list.

   

3. Disable the remaining services. Select Disable all, then select Apply.
4. Open Task Manager. On the Startup tab of System Configuration, select Open Task Manager.

   

5. Disable the startup apps. On the Startup apps tab in Task Manager, select each item whose status is Enabled and select Disable. Write down or take a screenshot of the items you disable: you need the list to turn them back on.

   

6. Confirm the changes. Close Task Manager. On the Startup tab of System Configuration, select OK.
7. Restart and test. Restart the PC. Windows now starts in a clean boot environment: try again the thing that failed (run the app, install the update, uninstall the program).

These steps were written for Windows 11 25H2 and 26H2. The full page with the other versions and what each result means: How to perform a clean boot in Windows

1. In the clean boot, run the Media Creation Tool as administrator.
2. If it fails again, pause your antivirus for this one attempt only: Turn off Microsoft Defender protection for a moment.
3. When the tool has finished, turn the antivirus back on and undo the clean boot as the procedure describes.

Fix 7. Repair Windows system files with DISM and SFC

20 to 40 minutesLow riskEverything above failed, or other Windows tools also show errors.

The tool uses Windows' own file and download components. If those are damaged, every program that relies on them can fail, and DISM and SFC restore them from Microsoft's copies.

1. Open an elevated command window. Right-click Start and select Terminal (Admin), or type cmd in the search box, right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator. Select Yes when Windows asks for permission.

   

2. Run DISM first. Type the command below and press Enter. DISM downloads clean copies of damaged components from Windows Update, so it can take several minutes. Wait until it says The operation completed successfully.

   DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

   

3. Run System File Checker. In the same window, type the command below and press Enter. Do not close the window until the verification reaches 100%.

   sfc /scannow

   

4. Read the result and restart. Compare the last message with the table below this guide, then restart the PC so that repaired files are loaded.

   

These steps were written for Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2. The full page with the other versions and what each result means: Run DISM and SFC to repair Windows system files

1. Restart the PC when both commands have finished.
2. Run the Media Creation Tool again as administrator.

If Media Creation Tool error 0x80070006 - 0x90018 is still there

When the tool fails on a clean drive, from a clean boot and after the repairs, the problem is on this PC, not in the download. You still have two ways to get Windows, and one place to look for the cause.

• What to send to Microsoft support: both codes, the Windows version you run, the Windows version you tried to make, and the step where it stopped.
• Say which USB drive you used and its size, and whether the ISO option works.
• Attach setuperr.log and setupact.log if the Panther folder exists.

How to keep 0x80070006 - 0x90018 from coming back

Windows 10 left support on 14 October 2025. Microsoft says the PC still works but recommends moving to Windows 11. If you make media to reinstall a Windows 10 PC, check whether it can run Windows 11 first.

Frequently asked questions

What does error code 0x80070006 - 0x90018 mean?

It means the Media Creation Tool stopped because it could no longer use something it had opened. The first code, 0x80070006, is Windows error 6, ERROR_INVALID_HANDLE, "The handle is invalid." The second code, 0x90018, says the tool itself failed; its phase digit 9 is not in Microsoft's published table. The usual reasons are an old or blocked copy of the tool, the USB drive, or leftover setup files. Your PC and your Windows licence are not damaged by the error.

What is error 0x80070006 on its own?

0x80070006 is the general Windows error "The handle is invalid". The 0x8007 part says it is a Win32 error, and 0006 is the error number. A handle is the reference a program gets when it opens a file, a drive, a device or a service. The error means the program tried to use that reference after it stopped being valid. You can see it in the Media Creation Tool, in Windows Setup and in other programs. The cause depends on the program, so check what was running when it appeared.

I see 0x8007006. Is that the same error?

Almost certainly yes. 0x8007006 has one digit less than a real error code, so it is usually 0x80070006 copied by hand or read from a photo. Look at the message again and count the digits after 0x: there should be eight. If your message says There was a problem running this tool with 0x90018 after it, this page is for you. If it comes from Windows Update instead, the reset in Fix 5 is the best place to start.

What does 0x90018 mean in the Media Creation Tool?

0x90018 is the second half of the code, which Microsoft calls the extend code. In Microsoft's Setup tables the first digit is the phase and the last two digits are the operation. The table lists only phases 0 to 5, so phase 9 is not documented, and we could not confirm its meaning. It appears with several first codes, such as 0x80070003 and 0x8007043C. That is why the first code, not 0x90018, decides which fix to try.

How do I fix 0x8007043C - 0x90018?

Use the same order, with Fix 5 earlier. 0x8007043C has a different first code from this page, and users who report it often have Windows services turned off by a tuning tool or a policy. We did not confirm the exact meaning on Microsoft's pages today. Reset the Windows Update services (Fix 5), restart, and run a fresh copy of the tool as administrator (Fix 2). If you only want to fix this PC, the ISO in Fix 1 avoids the tool entirely.

Can I reinstall Windows without the Media Creation Tool?

Yes. Microsoft offers the Windows 11 disk image (ISO) for direct download. On a working Windows PC, right-click the ISO, select Mount and run setup.exe from the new drive. Setup lets you keep your files and apps, keep only your files, or keep nothing. This repairs or reinstalls Windows on the same PC, which is what most readers who see this error want. Fix 1 has the steps. Back up your files first in every case.

Can I burn the Windows ISO to a DVD instead?

Yes. Microsoft says an ISO can be used to create the installation media on a DVD, and it is the option meant for virtual machines too. Insert a blank DVD, right-click the ISO in File Explorer and select Burn disc image, then choose the DVD drive. Note that the Windows 11 ISO is large and may not fit on a single-layer DVD, and many PCs no longer have a DVD drive. A USB drive of 8 GB or more is the more practical choice.

Do I need a product key to use the tool or the ISO?

Not on most PCs. Microsoft says a 25-character product key might be needed, but not for digital licences. Many modern PCs have the key stored in their firmware, and Setup applies it by itself when it matches the edition you install. If you reinstall the same edition that was activated on this PC, Windows activates again after you sign in. The error 0x80070006 - 0x90018 has nothing to do with the key or the licence.

Why does the USB drive need to be blank?

Because the tool erases it. Microsoft asks for a blank USB flash drive with at least 8 GB and says any content on the drive is deleted. A drive with old partitions or an unusual format, for example from a Linux or Mac installer, is a common reason the tool fails while it writes. Clean it with DiskPart as in Fix 3, and keep only one USB drive plugged in so you cannot pick the wrong one.

This page is about 0x80070006 - 0x90018: what about other languages?

The codes are the same in every language, so this guide applies whatever language your Windows uses. Only the text around the code is translated, for example There was a problem running this tool in English. Find the two codes on your screen and use the fixes in the same order. Readers who searched in another language without a code, or with a question such as what is this, should check the codes in the tool's message first.