error code 0x80072efe windows update will not install and windows explorer keeps shutting

If you receive Windows Update error 80072efe while checking for updates, you might need to add the website addresses from whichWindows Update downloads updates to your firewall exceptions or "allow" list.

To add the Windows Update websites to a firewall exceptions list

• Windows Firewall already include these sites in the exceptions list. If you use a different firewall, refer to the software publisher's help to see how to add these websites to your firewall exceptions list:
  • http://*.update.microsoft.com
  • https://*.update.microsoft.com
  • http://download.windowsupdate.com

If the problem persists after you have followed the steps above, see this Knowledge Base article on the Microsoft Help

If this post helps to resolve your issue, please click the "Mark as Answer" If you find it helpful , Mark it as helpful by clicking on "Helpful" button at the top of this message. By marking a post as Answered, or Helpful you help others find the answer faster.

• Which version of the Windows operating system am I running?

      http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/help/which-version-of-the-windows-operating-system-am-i-running

   • Is my PC running the 32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows?

      http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/find-out-32-or-64-bit

Always state your full Windows version (e.g., WinXP SP3; WinXP 64-bit SP2; Vista SP1; Vista 64-bit SP2; Win7; Win7 64-bit) when posting in a forum or newsgroup. Please do so in your next reply.

What anti-virus application or security suite is installed and is your subscription current?  What anti-spyware applications (other than Defender)?  What third-party firewall (if any)?

Has a(another) Norton or McAfee application ever been installed on the computer (e.g., a free-trial version that came preinstalled when you bought it)?

You may encounter temporary connection-related errors [e.g., 0x80072EFE] when you use Windows Update or Microsoft Update to install updates  

[http://support.microsoft.com/kb/836941](http://support.microsoft.com/kb/836941)

How do I reset Windows Update components?  

[Ignore the APPLIES TO section if Win7; Access KB971058 via Internet Explorer (32-bit) only; Run the Fix It in DEFAULT and AGGRESSIVE modes, then reboot]  

[http://support.microsoft.com/kb/971058](http://support.microsoft.com/kb/971058)

* * *

~Robear Dyer (PA Bear) ~ MS MVP (IE, Mail, Security, Windows & Update Services) since 2002 ~ Disclaimer: MS MVPs neither represent nor work for Microsoft

Scan virus in "Safe Mode with Networking"

================================

Note: If you are using a cable modem or home LAN connection, please start from item 1 below. If not, please skip items 1~3 and go to item 4.

1. Restart the computer.
2. After "POST" (the Power On Self Test usually has a text mode screen at the beginning when a system boots up), keep pressing the F8 key until the Windows Startup menu appears.
3. Choose "Safe Mode with Networking" and press Enter.
4. Please open Internet Explorer and visit http://safety.live.com .
5. Please click the "Full Service Scan" button and follow the instructions on the screen to scan for virus on the computer.

After performing the above steps, please restart the computer to check whether the issue is resolved.

Also use the below mentioned software to scan your system if necessary

http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php

Microsoft Malicious Removal Tool - 32 bit

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=AD724AE0-E72D-4F54-9AB3-75B8EB148356&displaylang=en

Microsoft Malicious Removal Tool - 64 bit

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=585D2BDE-367F-495E-94E7-6349F4EFFC74&displaylang=en

Online scanner

http://www.eset.com/onlinescan/

http://onecare.live.com/site/en-us/default.htm

http://www.kaspersky.com/virusscanner

If this post helps to resolve your issue, please click the "Mark as Answer" If you find it helpful , Mark it as helpful by clicking on "Helpful" button at the top of this message. By marking a post as Answered, or Helpful you help others find the answer faster.

useless29,

If you still have this problem, then try running the fast and easy tdssrootkill tool in this thread (abuadnan's post).

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en/itprovistaie/thread/0ce7c1e6-7ef2-48e1-b7c9-c8f1e97c71d5

Here is the direct link.....

http://support.kaspersky.com/downloads/utils/tdsskiller.exe

It gets rid of a nasty trojan that many virus detectors dont detect.   The trojan causes more problems than just not being able to get updates.

Read the comments of the happy campers in that thread (bottom half) who ran that great program - its free and only takes 5 min. 

Spread the word if it worked for you too.   This is not getting the credit it deserves, and the result of that is alot of wasted time going around the problem through complex windows settings that dont remedy the trojan.

ps.  i'm spreading the word across the many duplicate threads with this same problem title, where this most elegant fix is not being mentioned ...the experts need to recognize this two-step fix because the nasty trojan has many other symptoms besides no updates and across many platforms.