Several users complained of receiving an error 8007042B – 0x4001E when they were trying to upgrade their operating systems to Windows 11. Since you are here, you must be facing this error as well. Worry not, as here in this tutorial, we will discuss what causes this issue, and how can you fix it on Windows 11/10 PC.
When you encounter this bug, you may receive an error message as well. This reads the following –
The installation failed during the Second Boot phase while attempting the PRE_OOBE operation.
What causes Error 8007042B – 0x4001E on Windows 11/10?
This error might occur due to one or more of the following reasons.
- Missing or damaged system files
- Corrupted Windows 11/10 Image
- Corrupted Update components
- Outdated or obsolete Device Drivers
How do I fix Upgrade Error 8007042B – 0x4001E?
If you are facing trouble upgrading your Windows because of an error code 8007042B – 0x4001E, try these solutions and see if any resolve this bug. Before you apply the workarounds discussed below, make sure to do the following first –
- Disconnect all USB devices: At times, the secondary or peripheral devices attached to your PC may also prevent you from upgrading your system. This happens only when the attached USB has become corrupted somehow.
- Disable/Remove 3rd-Party Antivirus: If you rely on a third-party antivirus program to detect/resolve viruses or malware, make sure to temporarily disable it as well. As long as this is turned ON, there will be unnecessary interactions with the system apps and hence the bug continues to persist.
Assuming that you have already followed the above two points, let’s focus on the solutions now –
1. Verify Minimum System Requirements
If you are trying to upgrade your Windows 10 OS to Windows 11 and this is failing on an error code 8007042B – 0x4001E, this must be due to system incompatibilities. Go and check if your device meets all the minimum system requirements to install the new operating system i.e. Windows 11.
2. Inspect your hard disk
If the hard drive on your computer has corrupted somehow, this might also result in errors like 8007042B – 0x4001E. There’s no point in running any fixes when your hard disk is corrupted. So, inspect the hard drive first and proceed to the solutions below only when you find your HDD all okay. Here’s how to inspect the hard disk in Windows 11/10 –
- First of all, open Command Prompt as administrator.
- When it launches, type the following and press Enter.
chkdsk C: /f /r
Note: By default “C:\” is the root drive on the Windows operating system. In case it differs on your PC, replace it with the appropriate letter.
- Since the root drive is already in use, CMD will not run this command. Instead, this will prompt a message underlined below –
“Would you like to schedule this volume to be checked the next time the system restarts? (Y/N)”
- Type “Y”, and press Enter again.
- Restart your device next so that the hard drive scan starts automatically.
- Once the scanning completes, you will receive a report stating whether your hard disk is alright to be used or needs a replacement. Act accordingly so that you can upgrade your Windows.
3. Run Windows Update Troubleshooter
If the CHKDSK command doesn’t reveal any issue with the hard disk, the problem may lie somewhere else. The “Update Troubleshooter” is an in-built tool on Windows that you may run to find and fix any update-related issues on your PC. Here’s how to perform this task –
- Press Win + I to launch the Settings app.
- Type “Troubleshoot” in the search field, and press Enter.
- Click to expand the first result i.e. Troubleshoot settings.
- On the succeeding page, click Other troubleshooters.
- Under Most Frequent, you may find the Run button beside Windows Update. Well, click on it.
- When the troubleshooting window opens up, hit Next and follow the on-screen instructions.
- Let this tool find and resolve any issues on your PC automatically.
- Once the troubleshooting finishes, restart Windows and see if you can now upgrade easily.
4. Fix Error 8007042B – 0x4001E via SFC/DISM tools
The presence of corrupted system files or the System Image itself may also trigger issues like 8007042B – 0x4001E. To resolve this, try running the System File Checker tool to find and repair corruptions with system files and folders. Here’s how you use this tool –
- Launch CMD as an administrator.
- On the elevated prompt, type the below code, and press Enter –
sfc /scannow
- Wait for this tool to complete 100%. Once this is over, restart your PC.
From the next logon, try upgrading your device again. In case the error 8007042B – 0x4001E appears again, initiate the DISM scan using the steps below –
- Right-click on the Windows icon and select Windows Terminal (Admin).
- The terminal will default land into Windows PowerShell.
- Type the code below and press Enter.
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
- Just like SFC, let this tool complete 100% as well.
When the DISM scanning finishes, reboot your PC and see if you can now update your Windows 11/10.
5. Update Device drivers
Drivers play an important part in serving better communication between system hardware and software. If you haven’t upgraded different device drivers since long ago, there is a possibility of them becoming corrupt or obsolete. You may update all device drivers by visiting Windows Update and checking for optional updates.
I hope you are now able to update your Windows 11/10 PC without getting into error code 8007042B – 0x4001E.
Read Next: Learn how to perform a clean installation of Windows 11 using an ISO file.
