I had to recently set up a Windows 2008 R2 VM on Hyper-V so I could test switching domains and came across this error.
Wim Matthyssen wrote this great blog to help resolve the issue. I would not have figured this out otherwise!
Resolve Windows Update Error “Code 80072EFE” on a Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 (x64) built from the DVD ISO with release date February 23, 2011 – Wim Matthyssen (wmatthyssen.com)
Resolve Windows Updates error with “Code 800272EFE
To resolve this error, follow a few simple steps.
If you’re using an even older version of the ISO, start by installing Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 for x64-based Systems (KB976932). You can download it using this link: https://catalog.s.download.windowsupdate.com/msdownload/update/software/svpk/2011/02/windows6.1-kb976932-x64_74865ef2562006e51d7f9333b4a8d45b7a749dab.exe
Once installed, or if you utilized the W2K8 R2 DVD ISO released on February 23, 2011, you can move on to the next step.
Then, to restore Windows Update functionality, you’ll need to install several updates. Below, you’ll find a list of these updates along with their download links from the Microsoft Update Catalog:
Download all these updates and save them in a shared folder accessible from the W2K8 R2 server, or store them locally on the server itself.
Then, install these updates in the following order: first, KB4474419; then KB4490628. After installing the second update, reboot the server.
Once the server is restarted, install the update, KB4570673, and finally, KB4534310. After the installation of the last one, reboot the server once more.
Once the server has rebooted for the second time and all the updates are installed, Windows Update should function normally again. When you begin updating, be prepared for quite a lengthy list of updates that need to be installed, and these updates will also require a few reboots.
Conclusion
To resolve the Windows Update Error “Code 80072EFE” on a Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 (x64) server built from the DVD ISO released on February 23, 2011, it’s necessary to install several updates in a specific order.
I hope that the update steps outlined in this blog post will prove helpful in fixing this error for you.
If you have any questions or suggestions regarding this blog post, please feel free to reach out to me via my X handle (@wmatthyssen) or leave a comment. I’m more than happy to assist.