The Windows Update Error 80072f8f occurs when the Time and Date settings on your Windows computer is out of sync. I.E.Incorrect. An incorrect date and time may be the result of a faulty CMOS battery or malfunctioning RAM or buggy hardware. However, the most common cause, you forgot to set your time. The error pops up when you try to update Windows via Windows Update. Here are the fixes.
If you receive Windows Update error 80072f8f while checking for updates, your computer’s date and time might not be the same as the date and time for the online Windows Update service.
Change Computer’s Date and Time
- Click Start button
- Search for the Control Panel
- From there, select Clock, Language, and Region
- Now, in this section, click Date and Time.
- Within the Date and Time tab, ensure that your computer’s date and time are correct. If they’re not, click Change date and time.
- In the Date and Time Settings dialog box, do the following:
- To change the date, under Date, click the left or right arrows to find the current month in the calendar, and then click the current date.
- To change the time, under Time, double-click the hour, minutes, or seconds that you want to change, and then click the arrows to increase or decrease the value.
- Once complete, click OK.
You ought to restart your computer after completing the steps. Once restarted, try to run Windows Update once more. Now, the Windows Update Error 80072f8f no longer appears.
Windows Update Error 80072f8f: Auto-Sync Time And Date
If for some reason your date and time settings keep changing, you can opt to have Windows automatically sync and update the settings for you. To do so, follow the below steps.
- Click the Start button
- Search for Control Panel
- In the Control Panel interface, select Clock, Language, and Region
- Then, click Date and Time.
- Click the Internet Time tab, and then click Change settings. (You may need to enter an Administrative Password)
- Lastly, select Automatically synchronize with an Internet time server, select a time server, and then click OK.
Scan and Fix Corrupt Files
- To begin,
- Windows 10 users: Right-click your Start Menu and select Command Prompt (Admin). Skip to step five.
- Windows 8 users Go to the Search through your Charms bar, located by swiping on your screen from the right or hovering your mouse in the top right corner. Then follow step two.
- Windows 7 users: Click the Start Menu in the bottom left and follow the prompts below.
- Next, type Command Prompt into the search field.
- Now, right click on Command Prompt and select Run as Administrator.
- You will now see the Command Prompt window entitled Administrator: C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe
- In the Command Prompt window type the following command: SFC /scannow and press enter. Note the space between SFC and /.
- SFC begins to check Windows files and replaces any which are found to be missing or corrupt.
- Once SFC finishes it will output a CBS.log file in the C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\ location. The log can be helpful in diagnosing any problems with System File Checker.
- Restart your PC and run Windows Update.