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Error 80072EFE - Windows Update cannot hold the connection

80072EFE means the connection between your PC and the update servers was cut mid-conversation. Nothing is wrong with the updates themselves - something on the path is dropping the line: the router, a VPN or proxy, an overzealous firewall, or a corrupted update cache retrying a broken download forever. The checks below go from the most common cause to the rarest.

Quick answer

Restart the router (power off, 30 seconds, on) and disconnect any VPN or proxy, then check for updates again. If the error persists, temporarily disable third-party antivirus web protection and retry - and if that is not it, reset the update cache (method 3).

Symptoms - how this problem looks

Checking for updates fails with 80072EFE
The error appears in the WindowsUpdate_80072EFE form in logs
Updates fail only on this network, or only behind a VPN
Downloads start and die partway through
The error comes and goes between attempts
Third-party antivirus or firewall is active on the PC

Why it happens

Unstable route to the servers

A router in a bad state, flaky Wi-Fi or an ISP hiccup cuts long HTTPS transfers - update downloads are long transfers.

VPN, proxy or firewall interference

VPNs and proxies reroute update traffic; some firewalls and antivirus web shields inspect it and break the connection mid-stream.

Corrupted update cache

A half-downloaded package makes Windows retry the same broken transfer - clearing SoftwareDistribution forces a fresh start.

Very old systems

On long-unpatched systems (Windows 7 era) the update agent and certificates are too old to talk to today's servers - the same code appears for that deeper reason.

The fixes, in order

1. Fix the network path

  1. Restart the router: power off, wait 30 seconds, power on.
  2. Disconnect VPNs and disable proxies (Settings, Network & internet, Proxy - everything off unless your network requires one).
  3. If on Wi-Fi, try a cable for the update session - or at least move closer to the router.
  4. Check for updates again.

2. Take security software out of the equation

  1. Temporarily disable the web/network protection module of third-party antivirus (or its whole real-time shield).
  2. Retry the update check. If it works now, add an exception for Windows Update traffic in the antivirus settings and re-enable protection.
  3. Third-party firewalls: same test - disable, retry, add the exception, re-enable.

Re-enable protection right after the test - the point is to identify the cause, not to run unprotected.

3. Reset the update cache

  1. Right-click Start, open Terminal (Admin).
  2. Run net stop wuauserv and net stop bits.
  3. Run ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old.
  4. Run net start bits, net start wuauserv, then check for updates - the download starts clean.

4. Run the troubleshooter and repair system files

  1. Settings, System, Troubleshoot, Other troubleshooters, Windows Update.
  2. Then, in Terminal (Admin): DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth and sfc /scannow; restart and retry.

The automatic option

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Frequently asked questions

The error appears only sometimes. Is that normal?

Intermittent 80072EFE is the signature of an unstable path - flaky Wi-Fi, a struggling router or an ISP issue. Method 1 (and a wired connection for the update session) usually settles it.

I get 80072EFE on an old Windows 7 machine. Can it still update?

Windows 7 stopped receiving regular updates in January 2020, and its stock update agent struggles to reach today's servers at all - the error is expected there. For a machine you still rely on, the realistic path is upgrading to a supported Windows.

Could my hosts file or DNS block Windows Update?

Yes - "privacy" tweaks and some tools add Microsoft update hosts to the hosts file or a blocking DNS. Check C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts for microsoft/windowsupdate entries and remove them, or switch DNS back to automatic.