You may sometimes receive an error "Windows could not search for new updates" with an error code 80072EFD in Windows vista or error code 8024402C in Windows 7 while checking for windows updates.
You may experience temporary internet connection loss when you try to use windows update on an office laptop over a direct internet connection at home. This might be due to configuration of proxy in internet explorer or if internet connection is working in internet explorer but you still receive error 80072EFD in Windows vista and 8024402C in Windows 7. This might be caused due to an independent proxy configured for windows update in Vista and Windows 7 which is not dependent on internet explorer proxy.
To fix the error 80072EFD, we need to disable the proxy for windows update using command prompt.
Type netsh winhttp show proxy.
if there is a proxy configured type netsh winhttp reset proxy.
It will say direct access
Also there is a KB article from Microsoft for windows update proxy issue.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/836941
