Windows update error 80072EE2 is a common problem that occurs when you try to check for updates on your Windows 7 computer.

This error can be caused by various reasons, such as corrupted files, registry keys, firewall settings, or internet connection issues.

Code-80072Ee2-Windows-7-Update-Error

I have both the 32-bit version and 64-bit version of Windows 7 and I recently logged into the 64-bit version, only to find out that windows update error code 80072ee2 is occurring.

Not only Windows 7 update feature failed to work, but web pages were also not opening in Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome, though internet connection was working.

I was little stunned at first, as the these things were properly working on my 32-bit version.

In this blog post, we will show you some possible solutions to fix this error and update your Windows 7 system successfully.

Solution 1: Run Windows Update Troubleshooter

Windows update troubleshooter is a built-in tool that can help you diagnose and fix common problems with Windows update. To run it, follow these steps:

  • Click Start and type troubleshoot in the search box.
  • Click Troubleshooting from the list of results.
  • Under System and Security, click Fix problems with Windows Update.
  • Click Next and follow the on-screen instructions to run the troubleshooter.

Solution 2: Delete Temporary Update Files and Registry Keys

Sometimes, the error 80072EE2 can be caused by corrupted or outdated files and registry keys that are stored in your system. To delete them, follow these steps:

  • Click Start and type services.msc in the search box.
  • Click Services from the list of results.
  • Find Windows Update service and right-click on it. Select Stop from the context menu.
  • Open File Explorer and navigate to C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution folder. Delete all contents inside this folder.
  • Open Run dialog box by pressing Win+R keys together.
  • Type regedit in the run box and click OK. This will open Registry Editor.
  • Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate key.
  • In the right pane, right-click on WUServer and WUStatusServer values and select Delete from the context menu.
  • Close Registry Editor and restart your computer.
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Solution 3: Check Your Firewall and Internet Settings

Another possible cause of error 80072EE2 is that your firewall or internet settings are blocking or interfering with Windows update. To check them, follow these steps:

  • Click Start and type firewall in the search box.
  • Click Windows Firewall from the list of results.
  • On the left pane, click Allow a program or feature through Windows Firewall.
  • Make sure that Windows Update is checked and allowed through your firewall.
  • Click OK to save changes.
  • Open Control Panel and click Network and Internet.
  • Click Internet Options and then click Connections tab.
  • Click LAN settings button at the bottom of the window.
  • Make sure that Automatically detect settings is checked and Proxy server is unchecked under Local Area Network (LAN) settings section.
  • Click OK to save changes.

How I Fixed Windows 7 update problem

So I tried to do a little research on Google and found the reason.

The Windows 7 64-bit version security features are still tough to understand and found that you need to include these browsers in the exceptions to Windows 7 firewall entries.

Though this solved my problem of web pages not opening in my favourite browsers, the original problem of windows 7 64-bit update not working, still remained.

Read Error Code Solution –

Simple Solutions to 80072ee2 error

Fix #1 : Uninstall Unused Network Adapters

You can have 2 Network adapters, with one working and another not-working.

In my case, the Atheros (non-working) Network adapter created another Local Area connection which was disabled.

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So I uninstalled this network adapter and the Windows 7 64 bit update started working fine. You can achieve this by these simple steps.

Right click the ‘My computer’ icon on the desktop
Select ‘Properties’ >  ‘Hardware’ tab >  ‘Device Manager’
Select ‘Network Adapters’ by clicking the ‘+’ sign
Right click the adapter connecting the pc to the home lan or gateway router
Select ‘Uninstall’
Reboot

Remove-Network-Adapter-Windows-7-Device-Manager

Windows 7 will find the drivers again and reload them.

If you have a non-working or useless network adapter like me, check also “Delete the driver software for this device” after you do uninstall, which will completely remove that particular driver software.

Fix #2 : Remove the Ethernet Device

@Gregd on techarena.in had a similar problem related to 80072EE2.

I have a pc which uses ICS to connect all the clients in my home network to the internet. WU would not work on either client. Kept getting 80072ee2 failure when searching for updates. Tried every solution I could find on the internet.

Finally I added up all the symptoms, one of which that I could not load other https pages, could not even reach the windows update site without using the proxy. Well, I decided the problem could be the ethernet connection from the ICS Host to the home network.

Removed the ethernet device from within device manager, rebooted and let XP home reinstall the device. After that, the clients could run Windows Update.

Fix #3 : Uninstall VMware or Virtual Nics

@Damien faced a similar problem, but related to physical nic and two virtual nics.

I had the same problem and when I read your post I thought that some conflict exits on my nic. But apart from my physical nic I have two more virtual nics due to VMware installation. So I unistalled VMware and update worked!!
I just resolved mine too … make sure ur Antivirus does not block any Bonjour Service … My McAfee blocked that service … so I unblocked it before the problem was solved.

Fix #4 : Shut Down HyperVisor VMs

@brainiac faced problems with his Hypervisor virtual machines.

My Windows Update suddenly stopped working several weeks ago. I run Windows Server 2008 with two virtual machines in Hypervisor. This system was set up a half year ago, then suddenly Windows Update started erroring with 80072ee2 (ERROR_WINHTTP_TIMEOUT) and 80072f78 (ERROR_WINHTTP_INVALID_SERVER_RESPONSE).

With this post and mention of VMWare, I finally fixed my version of the problem: simply shutting down the Hypervisor VMs and letting Windows Update run without the VMs stealing bandwidth.

Fix #5 : Uninstall Multi AntiVirus Programs

There may be some other issues like internet connectivity, third-party firewalls, third-party antivirus software, software accelerator programs, windows updated sites not added to trusted sites list etc which may cause this Code 80072EE2 error.

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The solution to such problems is in this Microsoft knowledge base article – KB 836941

Fix #6 : Add Firewall Exceptions

Sometimes it may be firewall exceptions list, where you need to add the following code to your firewall’s exceptions or “allow” list.

Windows Firewall ships with this version of Windows and should 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

Conclusion

So, these are some of the solutions to the Windows 7 Update not working problem with Code 80072EE2 Error.

If you liked this post, post in comments, if you’ve resolved this error or you’re still getting any errors.

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4 Comments

  1. Thank you!

    The suggestion to look at network adapters in Device Manager was the key. I had the laptop’s Bluetooth radio enabled, which created two Network adapters. I disabled the Bluetooth radios, which then removed the two Bluetooth network adapters. That was all it took. Windows update found 26 updates.