Window update 8.1. run into problem. Error found - Code 80072EFE

Question

I seldom used this laptop and recently try to update it but it cannot perform. It shows there an error - Code 80072EFE.  Can  someone help and expline what is wrong.

Answer 1

The first part of my reply is the Microsoft advice, the second from other Windows users here:

There used to be a Troubleshooter listed there to download.

But Microsoft has removed the link to it so run the Troubleshooter from the Control panel > All Control Panel Items > Troubleshooting,

If the troubleshooter does not fix the problem, click on the link supplied under this sentence and go to the Microsoft website and follow the listed steps to repair your Windows Updates functionality.

Fix Windows Update issues

What does this guided walk-through do?

This guided walk-through provides steps to fix problems with Windows Updates, such as taking a long time to scan, or error codes while installing updates.

Common error codes

The steps in this guided walk-through should help with all Windows Update errors and other issues. As an example, here are some commonly seen error codes: 0x80073712, 0x800705B4, 0x80004005, 0x8024402F, 0x80070002, 0x80070643, 0x80070003, 0x8024200B, 0x80070422, 0x80070020.

How does it work?

We’ll walk you through a series of troubleshooting steps to get your Windows up to date. Be sure to follow the steps in order.

1. Select your Windows version with the radio button
2. Rename software distribution folders
3. Download the most recent Servicing Stack Update (SSU)
4. Fix Windows file corruption
5. Reset or reinstall Windows

Click Yes or No at the end of each step if it has fixed the problem or not and move onto the next step

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But after a Reset this poster TwoPuddies  found a way to solve the unable to update problem.

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/updating-win81-after-reset-and-installing-office/6018eb0e-f9c0-4340-9f9d-20dd8a97bb63?page=2

Hey Mr Bill Smithers,

Juts to give an update: I didn't actually try to reinstall Windows. Instead I procrastinated for a while then decided to go looking for a solution again that didn't involve reinstalling Windows, prior to giving up and then reinstalling. Ha!

I'm not sure how I found it but I found someone else having the same problem with a Lenovo laptop who had found a solution after posting on another forum (I posted here and Lenovo forums). I hope I'm not breaking rules by posting links to external websites (my apologies if I am) but here goes:-

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/t/635451/win-81-reinstalled-now-have-problems/

The link says if KB3173424 doesn't solve the problem (this is the KB file the link you posted to the Fix Windows Update issues tells people to download as part of the troubleshooting process) then download the July 2016 rollup which is KB3172614 - which is dependent upon having KB2919355 and KB3021910 installed.

The machine I was having trouble with had only KB2919355 installed but I thought I'd try installing KB3173424 anyway, and as soon as it had installed and rebooted the machine I had 227 updates waiting for me. Woo!!!

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Also read how Æþelleo  solved their Windows Update problem after a reinstall:

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/manual-updates-to-make-windows-81-update-service/4104307f-0277-4cb9-b866-2bf053c60352