2015-10-02

IT/Tech: Problems with Windows Update Errors: 80072ee2 and / or 80200056 before you try whatever you find

Introduction

From time to time I wonder why developers - to whom I belonged for a very long time as well - do not know how to handle errors a way users do understand. And potentially themselves do as well.

The above mentioned errors and a potential fast solution.

Coming across the above errors or others after installing Windows 8.x, Windows Server 2012(R2), Windows 10 or Windows Server 2016 (or however it is going to be named later) it could be the case that you simply forgot to activate Windows or that it doesn't activate itself. If this isn't the case this solution here won't help you, you need to go on in your search for a solution.

If you installed find activation is missing, the solution is simple:
  1. Login with the Administrator account - you might want to try an 'Admin' account but this way it is safe. In other words, activate the local Administrator account if you haven't done so in your Windows Clients... in Server, the account is activated by default.
  2. Make sure you have a valid IP and can access the Internet - you might want to open a web page, e.g. this one here ;o) If you don't have a valid connection, please fix this first. Than retry the update without going on with 3. - if Windows Update works, you are done; if not, go on with three.
  3. If you have a working Internet connection, open CMD (command prompt) and enter

    slmgr /ipk Y-O-U-R Windows Key
  4. Wait  for the confirmation box.
  5. Now enter

    slmgr /ato
  6. After the confirmation, your Windows is activated - if not confirmed, something went wrong. Since I haven't observed this by now, likely you missed the error message when entering the Windows Key or something else went wrong - since I haven't experienced this by now, I am sorry but I am of no help. You might want to have a look in the Event Viewer...
  7. Windows Update is now - you don't need to reboot by the way - ready to go, installation should work.

If not - again me and this article are of no help and I am sorry that I wasted your time.

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