When one encounters “error 80072efe,” and it isn’t pretty.
It first showed up, Dear Gentle Reader(s), sometime after June 22, 2010. That’s the last time Windows Update was able to access the machine. And the last time I had true peace of mind. (By this morning it was pieces of mind—scattered hither and yon.)
For more than a month I ignored it. But it didn’t go away on its own. Then I contacted a local fix-it, but he didn’t seem eager to get into detail, not, especially for $25.00 an hour.
Then I went online and bought a program which would solve the 80072efe problem “in two minutes.” $58.00 later the little snip was still hanging around, gloating behind his blue error 80072efe. #@!^&!
Another local fix-it, at $95.00 an hour was engaged. He left, a little defeated, telling me the best solution might be to wipe the hard drive clean and start over. He was here for 2 hours but only charged me $50.00 “for diagnosis.” (The first note of some small success!)
Ensued were two weeks with e-mail exchanges between myself and two technicians working for Microsoft. They were very pleasant. Good English. Seemed knowledgeable. No luck with their suggestions.
Question: If one Googles (or Bings?) “error 80072efe,” one gets “About 24,900 results (0.25 seconds)” dating back to “ Last post: Jan 26, 2008;” wouldn’t one think that Microsoft would have come up with a solution for this “error?”
Well, they haven’t.
On to the local Office Max with a little consulting with some quite young and knowledgeable computer-types to buy an update. The end is in sight!
Hah!
Not content with merely wiping the hard drive clean, since one is going to all that trouble, one might as well upgrade from Vista to Windows 7. “Hurry! Hurry! Hurry! Step Right Up, Folks! Getcher easy-to-install programs Right Here! Hurry! Hurry! That’s it, Ol’ Geezer! Step Right Up!”
24 hours later, the deed is done. Not without mishaps.
It seems not only must the hard drive be wiped clean, it must also be re-installed before Windows 7 can be overlaid. That means hours of downloads to bring Vista up to speed. Over and over the Windows 7 installation failed because of the lack of “Vista Service Pack 1.”
You can’t find a download of Vista Service Pack 1. Well, not true, entirely. There is a download of Vista Service Pack 1 available, but “Do not download this for one machine only.”
Wouldn’t you think (note how frustrating this is—not using “one” anymore) that Microsoft would have thought all this out prior to shipping out copies of Windows 7? They knew Vista Service Pack 1 is essential to a Vista upgrade to Windows 7. They had to know it; they told me on the disk it had to be in the machine.
Why didn’t they put it in the program in the first place? Or at least have the program send out one of their little virtual messengers to get it during the process?
But they didn’t. And SP1 (it somewhere lost Vista) finally showed up. And the download/installation of Windows went on apace.
So far so good.
Peace of mind is restored.
I hope.
Trust, DGR(s), but Verify.
--especially anything Microsoft tells you.
P.S. If you see “error 80072efe,” immediately buy a new machine.
Sphere: Related Content
No comments:
Post a Comment
The courage of your conviction virtually demands your name, if we don't know you.