• Unknown Error 50
• Windows Update Error Message
• Windows Update Error Encountered
• Windows 10 Update Error
• Unknown Error 4000 Iphone Update

Code 80072EFE may occur whenever you try to install pending updates on Windows 7/8/8.1 or 10. Here are 8 ways to fix the problem you can try. Deploy all the “Software Update Groups” to the “Unknown Computers” collection. This option will require you to deploy all updates multiple times which is not fun. Include the two “Unknown Computer”(one for x86 and one for x64) objects in your normal Collection that you use to deploy Software Updates.

Last updated on February 2nd, 2018

This tutorial contains several methods to fix Windows Update Problems in Windows 7/8/8.1 & Server 2008/2012 OS. In many cases, even in fresh Windows installations, the Windows Update is not working as expected, or it stuck when checking for updates or it displays several errors whenever you try to search for the available updates.

In such cases your system may become slow or unresponsive, because the Windows Update service (svchost.exe) causes high CPU usage. The Windows Update service is an essential feature in all Windows versions, because it is needed to provide all the available important and optional updates needed for the proper Windows operation and security.

The Windows Update problems often occur on Windows 7 or Vista based computers and in most cases, the errors are caused without any obvious reason and without a permanent solution to fix them from Microsoft. For all these reasons, I decided to write this troubleshooting guide, with the most efficient methods to resolve Windows Update problems on Windows 8.1, 8, 7 & Server 2008 or Server 2012.

Problems-Symptoms that are solved with this guide:

Windows Update is checking for updates forever.
Windows Update stuck/freezes.
Windows Update cannot find new updates.
Windows Update cannot currently check for updates because the service is not running.
Windows Update occurred an Unknown error: Code 8007000E

How to Solve Windows Update Issues on Windows 7/8/8.1 & Server 2008/2012

Important:
1. Before proceeding to apply the methods below, in order to troubleshoot Window Update problems, make sure that the Date and Time settings are correct on your system.

2. Try the following trick: Change the Windows Update settings from 'Install updates automatically' to 'Never check for updates (not recommended)' & restart your system, After restart set the update settings back to 'Install updates automatically'and then check for updates. If this trick fails then set the Windows Update Settings to 'Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them' and then check for updates again.

3. If you have performed a fresh Windows 7 or Server 2008 installation, install Service Pack 1 for Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2, before you continue.

4.Make sure that your computer is clean from viruses and malware. To accomplish this task you can use this Malware Scan and Removal Guide to check and remove viruses or/and malicious programs that may be running on your computer.

Method 1. Force Windows to re-create the Windows Update Store folder.

Method 2. Install the KB3102810 security Update.

Method 3. Install the latest Update Rollup.

Method 4. Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter.

Method 5. FIX Corrupted System Files and Services (SFC).

Method 6: FIX Windows corruption errors with the System Update Readiness tool (DISM).

Method 7: Update Windows by using the WSUS Offline Update tool.

Method 1. Force Windows to re-create the Windows Update Store folder

The Windows Update Store folder (commonly known as 'SoftwareDistribution' folder), is the location where Windows stores the downloaded updates.

-If the SoftwareDistribution folder becomes corrupted then it causes problems with Windows Update. So, one of the most efficient solutions to resolve problems with Windows Update, is to recreate the SoftwareDistribution folder. To do that:

1. Simultaneously press the Windows + R keys to open run command box.
2. In run command box, type: services.msc and press Enter.

3. Right click on Windows Update service and select Stop.

4. Open Windows Explorer and navigate to C:Windows folder.
5. Select and Delete the “SoftwareDistribution” folder.*
(Click Continue at 'Folder Access Denied' window).

Unknown Error 50

* Note: The next time that the Windows Update will run, a new empty SoftwareDistribution folder will be automatically created by Windows to store updates.

6. Restart your computer and then try to check for updates.

Method 2. Install the KB3102810 (KB3102812) security Update.

I have seen many times, that Windows Update is checking for updates forever (stuck) without finding updates, even in fresh Windows 8, 7 or Vista installations. Thankfully, Microsoft has released a security update to resolve the 'Installing and searching for updates is slow and CPU utilization is high' issue. To apply the fix:

Step 1. Install Internet Explorer 11. *

* Note: This step is applied only to a fresh Windows 7 or Windows 2008 installation. If Internet Explorer 11 is already installed on your system, then skip this step and continue to step 2 below.

1. Download and install Internet Explorer 11 according to your OS version.
2. Restart your computer.

Step 2. Install the KB3102810 Update.

1. Download – but do not install it yet – the following security update according to your OS version, to your computer:

• Windows 7 & Server 2008:KB3102810
• Windows 8.1 & Server 2012:KB31028102

2. After the download, restart your computer.
3. After the restart, immediately install the security update, otherwise the installation hangs.
4. After the installation, restart your computer.

Step 3. Delete the SoftwareDistribution folder.

1. Follow the steps in Method-1 and delete the 'SoftwareDistribution' folder.
2. Restart your computer.
2. Navigate to Windows Update and check for updates. Then, let it run at-least half to one hour. If you 're lucky, Windows will find all available updates.

Method 3. Install the latest Update Rollup to fix Windows Update issues.

The Windows Update Rollups, in most cases can fix issues with Windows Update. But before installing the latest Windows update rollup, first change the way that Windows install updates to 'Never check for updates (not recommended'. To do that:

1. Simultaneously press the Windows + R keys to open run command box.
2. In run command box, type: wuapp.exe and press Enter.

3. Select Change settings on the left.

4. Set Never check for updates (not recommended).

6. Proceed and download the latest Windows Update rollup for your system, but don't install it (yet).

7. After the download, restart your computer.
8. After restart, then proceed and install the downloaded rollup.
9. Check for updates.

Method 4. Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter.

Microsoft offered the Windows Update Troubleshooter tool, in order to fix problems with Windows Update.

1. Download and run the Windows Update Troubleshooter, according to your Windows Version in order to reset the Windows Update components.

* Source: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/971058

2. Restart your computer.
3. Check for updates.

Method 5. FIX Corrupted System Files and Services (SFC).

The next method to solve Windows Update problems is to run the System File Checker (SFC) tool in order to fix Windows' corrupted files and services. To do that:

1. Open an elevated command prompt:

• Right click at Windows start button and select Command Prompt (Admin)

2. In the command window, type the following command and press Enter.

• SFC /SCANNOW

3. Wait and do not use your computer until SFC tool checks and fixes the corrupted system files or services.
4. When SFC tool finishes, reboot your computer and check for Updates.

Method 6: FIX Windows corruption errors with the System Update Readiness tool (DISM).

The System Update Readiness tool is a Microsoft tool that can fix Windows corruption errors.

Windows 7, Vista&Server 2008:

1. Download and save to your desktop the System Update Readiness tool according to your Windows version.
2. Double click to install the downloaded file (e.g. Windows6.1-KB947821-v34-x86.msu).

3. When the installation is completed, restart your computer and try to install Windows Updates.

Windows 8, 8.1 & Server 2012:

1. Right click at Windows start button and select Command Prompt (Admin).
2. At the command prompt window, type the following command & press Enter:

• Dism.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /Restorehealth

3. Be patient until DISM repairs component store.

4. When the operation is completed, you should be informed that the component store corruption was repaired.

5. Close command prompt window and restart your computer.
6. Check for updates.

Method 7: Update Windows by using the WSUS Offline Update tool. (Windows 10, 8.1, 8 or 7)

1. Download the latest version of WSUS Offline Update utility.

2. After the download, extract the 'wsusoffline.zip' file.

3. From the 'wususoffline' folder, double click at UpdateGenerator.exe application.

4. At Windows tab, select the Windows Edition, that you are using.

5. Press the Start button.

6. Be patient until the WSUS Offline Update utility downloads all the available updates.

7. When the download is completed, open the client folder (wsusofflineclient) and double click at 'UpdateInstaller.exe' application.

8. Place a check at 'Automatic reboot and recall' checkbox.

9. Finally press the Start button and be patient until the WSUS Offline Update installer, installs the downloaded updates to your system.

That's it! Which method worked for you?
Let me know if this guide has helped you by leaving your comment about your experience. Please like and share this guide to help others.

Contents:

Unknown Device Issue Overview:

As long as there is a device not working on Windows 10, not recognized or incompatible, you may notice this device displays as unknown device with a yellow exclamation in Windows 10 Device Manager.

For instance, after you plugged in the USB device, your USB mouse or keyboard doesn’t work at all and when you check it in Device Manager, there are one or more unknown devices showing under Other devices branch in Device Manager.

In short, this unknown device Windows 10 issue comes up due to mainly two aspects, the one is that Windows 10 can’t detect the hardware, not to mention to find the driver for the device, and the other one lies in that the device driver is incompatible with Windows 10.

What is Unknown Device?

Unknown device means a device cannot be recognized by Windows 10, show it renamed as an unknown device in device manager. Many devices can be called as an unknown device if Windows 10 cannot recognize it and cannot install a driver for the device, such as a graphic card, audio card, touchpad, mouse, keyboard, Bluetooth devices, USB devices etc. This often happened after you upgrade your system from Windows 7, 8 to Windows 10 or you plug a new external device on Windows 10.

How Do I find a Driver for an Unknown Device?

As Windows 10 cannot identify the hardware, it cannot install a right driver for the device, Windows 10 unknown device in Device Manager error code 28 or any other device manager error codes pop up. You can find what your error code is from Driver Properties.

Whatever your error is, USB unknown device or any other device unfound, you can make full use of the ways below to find a driver for your device and enable Windows 10 to recognize the device. At the very beginning, you are supposed to find a driver for an Unknown Device. If no driver is found for the unknown device in Device Manager, perhaps you need to troubleshoot more problems on Windows 10, such as system file, hardware error, etc.

Solutions:

Solution 1: Using Hardware ID to Find Drivers for Unknown Devices

In the first place, you can use the hard id to find the driver for Windows 10 unknown device. In some conditions, maybe you can’t find the device name, so you are unable to find the unknown device driver from the official site or from the Internet. But every device has a hardware id, so if you know the hardware id of a device, you can use the hardware id to fix the unknown device driver issue. Here is the solution you need: how to use hardware Id to find a driver.

Solution 2: Update Unknown Device Driver

Possibly, besides hardware ID, you can get the right driver for Unknown device by updating it in Device Manager. The process of updating a driver is to find the device driver for Other devices.

Update Unknown Device Driver Via Device Manager:

1. Open device manager.

Windows Update Error Message

2. Expand Other devices and choose the Unknown devices.

3. Right-click it and select Update Driver Software.

This action will let Windows search the driver in the local disk and online to find a driver for the unknown device.

Using the device manager can to some degree install the right driver for the unknown device. So if this way can help solve unknown device problem, it will be good.

If this cannot help, try to install a compatible device driver from other methods.

4. Choose another option of Browse my computer for driver software.

5. Choose Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer. This will show compatible devices drivers and all drivers in the same category as the device.

6. In the compatible hardware list, check Show compatible hardware and you can choose the model to install this driver to replace it for your unknown device.

After it is installed, the unknown device error may disappear and the real device may be listed in device manager. If required, you would better restart Windows 10 to take effect.

Windows Update Error Encountered

Windows 10 Update Error

Update Unknown Device Driver Automatically:

If the device manager cannot solve find a driver for the unknown device, you can try to a professional and safe driver updating tool – Driver Booster. You can use Driver Booster to identify the unknown device and then download or update the driver. Furthermore, Driver Booster is capable of fixing various error code in Device Manager, now that unknown device doesn’t have a driver, you can manage to fix the error code by Driver Booster.

1. Download Driver Booster at first.

2. After installing and running it on Windows 10, hit Scan to find out which drivers are missing, which drivers are incongruent, which drivers are faulty on your PC.

3. Then locate the driver for the unknown device to Update.

4. Here if you are not sure what device driver is causing the unknown device on Windows 10, it is feasible to Update Now to update all the device drivers for Windows 10.

Tips: How to Use Driver Booster to Fix Device Error Codes?

Here if you are encountering device error code 1 or 10 or whatever, you are able to fix the driver error code by Driver Booster.

After Driver Booster scanned for the problematic device drivers, on the left side, click Tools button and then hit Fix device error to let Driver Booster find out what causes unknown device appears in Device Manager.

When the drivers are installed, you can enter the device manager see there is still unknown device under Other devices. In some cases, it is likely that unknown device disappears from Windows 7, 8, 10 Device Manager as Driver Booster has found the driver for the undetected device.

Solution 3: Find Driver by Windows 10 Updates

Unknown Error 4000 Iphone Update

In order to install the right driver for the unknown device so as to remove the device error, there is another way open to you, namely, finding a driver by checking Windows 10 updates.

1. Go to Start > Settings > Update & Security.

2. Under Windows Update, on the right side, choose to Check for updates.

For some unknown devices, after Windows 10 update, Windows 10 not recognizing the device can be fixed successfully.

Solution 4: Disable Driver Signature

When the unknown device appears in Device Manager, it implies that the device drivers are not recognized or not working on Windows 10. And as you all know, there is a driver signature for every certified driver. But sometimes, you failed to find the driver for the device as Windows 10 can’t allow your PC to install the driver due to the factor of driver signature.

Hence, on the basis of the driver safety, it is worth a shot to disable driver signature enforcement to install the driver for unknown device. May it will fix Windows 10 unknown device error.

Solution 5: Run SFC

After upgrading the Windows 10, more than an unknown device pops up under Other devices. In some sense, other devices unknown device results from the corrupted system files on Windows 10. Therefore, you would better try to run the System File Checker to see if an unknown device will perish from other devices.

1. Type in Command Prompt in the search box and then right click it to Run as administrator.

2. In Command Prompt, input sfc/scannow and then press Enter to activate SFC.

Then SFC will begin file checking and correct the problematic files if possible. You can head to Device Manager to check whether or not the unknown device still shows under Other devices.

In a word, you can follow the methods above to fix the unknown device driver error issue on Windows 10.

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