Here, MiniTool Partition Wizard introduces the top 5 solutions to Windows update error 80072EFE. If you are bothered by the same error, you can try them one by one to solve it.

Microsoft is keeping releasing updates for Windows for some bug fixes and new features. Unfortunately, sometimes users encounter Windows update errors 80072EFE, 0x80070020, 0x8024a105, and other codes. Our previous has introduced some of them. In this post, I’d like to put together some solutions to 80072EFE.

When you encounter Windows update error 80072EFE, you usually see the following messages: Windows could not search for new updates. An error occurred while checking for new updates for your computer. Windows Update encountered an unknown error.

This error usually happened on Windows 7. Some users also see it on Windows 10. And it could occur due to various reasons. You might not sure which one you are facing. Don’t worry. Try the following solutions one by one and the error might be fixed.

Fix 1: Run Windows Update Troubleshooter

Windows has a built-in troubleshooter used to check and fix common errors. When you encounter Windows update errors 80072EFE, the first thing you can do is to run the Windows update troubleshooter. And here are the detailed steps.

Step 1: Open Control Panel.

Step 2: Select View by Small icons from the upper right corner of the Control Panel.

Step 3: Click Troubleshooting.

Step 4: In the following window, click Fix problems with Windows Update under the System and Security section.

Step 5: Click the Next button to start the troubleshooting process. Then follow the on-screen instructions to finish the operation.

After the troubleshooting, restart your computer. Then check for updates again. If the error 80072EFE code still exists, try the next solution.

Fix 2: Disable Your Third-Party Antivirus Programs

You should also scan your computer to check for viruses or malware attacks. If everything runs well, check if the problem is related to your third-party antivirus software. Sometimes it may prevent your PC from installing updates. Try disabling it and check whether the Windows update error has been solved.

Fix 3: Update Outdated Drivers

An outdated or corrupted driver could also lead to Windows update errors 80072EFE. To solve the problem, you need to make sure you have installed the latest driver software for your devices. You can download the latest driver software from the official website of your PC manufacturer. You can also follow the steps below to update device drivers. Here I take graphics card driver as an example.

Step 1: Go to Device Manager on your PC.

Step 2: Expand the Display adapters category. Then right-click your graphics card and select Update driver.

Step 3: In the pop-up window, select Search automatically for updated driver software. Then wait until the latest driver is installed.

After installing the driver, you need to restart your computer. Then check whether Windows Update works properly.

Fix 4: Clean Junk Files

If there are too many junk files on your computer, your disk space will run out soon and it could lead to various problems, such as Windows update error 80072EFE. To solve the problem, you can run Disk cleanup. On Windows 7, you just need to:

Step 1: Click the Start button.

Step 2: Go to All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Cleanup.

Step 3: In the pop-up window, select the drive you want to clean up and click OK.

Step 4: Check the files to delete and click OK.

For more tools for removing junk files, you can refer to this post: Top 8 Junk File Cleaners to Increase Your Disk Space.

Fix 5: Perform System Restore

If all the solutions above failed to solve the problem, you can try to restore your computer to a previous point when the error didn’t appear. On Windows 7, you need to:

Step 1: Click the Start button and go to All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Restore.

Step 2: In the Restore system files and settings window, select Choose a different restore point and click Next.

Step 3: Select a restore point according to the date and time from the list. Then click Next. Then follow the on-screen instructions to finish the process.

After restoring the system, you can check whether the Windows 7 update not working issue has been solved.

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