When you attempt to upgrade to Windows 10 from a Windows 7/8 computer using Microsoft’s Media Creation Tool, the error 0x80072F8F - 0x20000
may appear. The full error message verbatim is below:
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: 0x80072F8F - 0x20000
Let’s see how to fix this error on Windows 7 and Windows 8.
Important: Information in this article (and the registry fix) is for Windows 7 SP1 and Windows 8 systems only. They don’t apply to Windows 8.1 and higher!
Cause
The error 0x80072F8F - 0x20000
happens because the Media Creation Tool uses the TLS 1.2 Protocol, but the protocol is disabled by default on Windows 7 and Windows 8 computers. By default, only SSL3 and TLS1 are enabled in Windows 7 and Windows 8. On Windows 8.1 and Windows 10, SSL3, TLS1.0, TLS1.1, and TLS1.2 are enabled by default.
[Fix] Media Creation Tool Error 0x80072F8F – 0x20000
To resolve the Media Creation Tool Error 0x80072F8F – 0x20000 error on Windows 7 and Windows 8 computers, enable the TLS 1.1 and TLS 1.2 protocols. Follow these steps to do so:
Method 1: Enable TLS 1.1 and TLS 1.2 via the registry (Windows 7 & 8)
- Make sure your system is fully updated.
- Open Notepad.
- Copy the following lines into Notepad.
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
- Save the file with a .reg extension — e.g.,
enable_tls.reg
- Double-click the
enable_tls.reg
file to apply the settings into the registry. Click Yes when asked for confirmation. - If you’re using Windows 7, download the KB3140245 package (TLS 1.1/1.2 enablement update) from Microsoft and install it. This step may not be needed for Windows 8.
- Restart Windows.
- Download registry files: If you wish to download premade registry file(s), download enable-tls.zip. Unzip and run the enclosed file
enable_tls.reg
. To reverse/undo the setting to Windows 7/8 defaults, run theundo.reg
registry file.
Method 2: Easy Fix (for Windows 7 only)
The above registry fix was created incorporating the suggestions in the Microsoft article titled Update to enable TLS 1.1 and TLS 1.2 as default secure protocols in WinHTTP
The article talks about the Microsoft Update with will enable TLS 1.1 and TLS 1.2 support via KB3140245 package. Here are the instructions:
- Download the KB3140245 package. Don’t run it yet.
- Download the “Easy Fix” executable via the above link (direct download) and run it. The fix will create the
DefaultSecureProtocols
registry value which is a prerequisite for the Microsoft update. - Now run the KB3140245 .msi package you downloaded in Step 1.
This automatically enables TLS 1.1 and TLS 1.2 on the computer.

Re-run the Media Creation Tool now. It should work now!
Editor’s note
Note that the Easy Fix sets the “DefaultSecureProtocols
” registry value only; it doesn’t write to the SCHANNEL
registry location. But the manual registry fix in “Method 1” above does both! So, if you’ve explicitly disabled the TLS 1.1 and TLS 1.2 protocols via the SCHANNEL
registry modification (e.g., by using the nisudf.reg registry fix to resolve a game/server connectivity issue), then the “Easy Fix” tool won’t help. You need to use “Method 1” in that case.
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You are genius. The first one solved it for me. Thanks!!!!
Yes. It works. Thank you so much. God bless you.
This is what called as fix, you shared the exact reason behind the error. Others are just…. lol.
gratias agimus tibi
Many sites have proposed fixes for this error. The fix on this website is the only one that worked for me, after two hours of trying other fixes!
wow!! this works for my 2014-year old computer running on unsupported Windows 7
Gracias, funcionó!
You are the best. Nothing else worked but your first fix did.
You did done great!! Worked and only took a minute to complete. Muchly appreciated !!!
Funcionou! Depois de muitas tentativas! OBRIGADO! THANKS from Brazil
Wow, a huge thank you!!
I’ve been trying to solve upgrade issue on a Win7 pc, now it is fixed because of you!!
Thank you so much!!!
thankssssssssss
BRRROROOOOOOOO THANK YOU SO MUCH YOU ARE THE BEST
I ALREADY SPENDING MY TIME A DAYS AND NONE OF THOSE DOESNT FIX MY PROBLEM
BUT THIS DOES. YOU ARE THE REAL MVP TYSM
only system that worked. Great
THANK YOU!!! ABSOLUTELY THANK YOU!!!!!
16 june 2022 – Having done all this, I still get a white window at the end of the install – L’installazione di Windows 10 non è riuscita – Windows 10 installation failed.
June 16 2022
My PC runs Windows 7 and tried to upgrade 10.
Problem with Error Code 0x80072f8f-0x20000
It was fixed with author advice.
Method 2 works well and it went smooth now.
Thank you so much.
So many houres and you solved it in 5min
Thank you very much
Echoing the comments on here, thanks very much for this guide
beautiful! Thanks so much for the accuracy and the simplicity.
Muito bom resolvi seguindo o método 2, depois de várias tentativas frustadas em vídeos do YouTube que só me vizeram perder tempo, o meu era windows 7
Dont usually leave comments good or bad but I search everywhere and this method works for me hands down. Albeit I am running windows 7 x64 and this explained what was happening and had a fix. Thank you very much.
This worked. You the man Ramesh!
Thank you so much!!!! Finally able to do the upgrade!
thank you so much
Thanks bro ! Best solution !
You are definitely my god!!!
Thank you so much !!!
Thank you!!! It worked!!!
Your KB3140245 package is not just working as you said,I just followed each and every step you said but when I started this package Then its showing not applicable on your computer
I am having Dell inspiron 15 3000 series having 64 bit system processor and 4 GB RAM on which there should not be problems occuring like this
please help, I am really get much tired of this problem
Hi Vansh,
It appears that your system has a newer update that supersedes KB3140245. In that case, can you just apply the TLS registry fix and let me know if that helps.
I was very sceptical, but this really worked. It was a good surprise. Thanks a lot. BTW this is not an automatically generated comment, I am real, you reading this can also write a comment down below. Cheers!
Merci infiniment !