3 ways to fix Microsoft Store error 0x80072ee7 The server stumbled we all have bad days

After a clean install of Windows 10, the Microsoft Store reported The server stumbled – we all have bad days with error code 0x80072ee7. Some people got this notification after upgrading from Windows 7 to Windows 10 too.

Error 0x80072EE7 may also mention the following text: Check Your Connection – Microsoft Store needs to be online, it looks like your not.

In any case, the Microsoft Store has a problem that prevents it from communicating with the Microsoft server. This blog post helps you to check, exclude, and edit some things. Which allows you to solve the 0x80072ee7. Follow the solutions in chronological order. Check after every step if the Microsoft Store is working again. If not, go to the next fix.

Fix 1: Set fixed DNS servers on your network connection

It is a proven fix for many 0x80072ee7 issues: don’t use automatic DNS, but set them manually. Some DNS servers do not redirect you to the right servers. Setting your DNS server to Google or Quad9 could be your savior. Follow these steps to manually set your DNS:

Click Start and search for “View network connections“
Click View network connections
Choose your network which you are currently using. This may be a Wireless Connection (WiFi) or a Local Area Network (LAN) connection.
Right click on it and select Properties
Scroll down to “Internet protocol version 4 (TCP/IPv4)“
Click Properties
Select Use the following DNS Server addresses
Fill in the DNS Servers
1. Preferred DNS Server – 9.9.9.9
2. Alternate DNS Server – 149.112.112.112
  These DNS servers are from Quad9. You may also use Googles DNS servers (8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4), but for the sake of privacy, I chose Quad9
Click OK to save the settings.
Close all tabs and Windows
Start the Windows Store again. If you still get 0x80072ee7 – The server stumbled…, try to reboot your PC (but to be sure: bookmark this page first, so you can go to fix 2)

Fix 2: Verify your HOSTS file is empty

A HOSTS file is located in %windir%\System32\drivers\etc (typically: C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc) and contains IP-addresses and hostnames. It helps you resolve unknown host name, but may also override DNS server lookups. On home computers the HOSTS file is empty 99,9% of the times. Therefore, if there’s anything in there, it may be harmful and you should comment it out (put a # in front of each line).

Here’s how to check your host file for unwanted records:

Click Start and search for “Notepad“
Right-click Notepad and choose “Run as Administrator“
In Notepad, click File – Open…
In the File Name bar, type %windir%\System32\drivers\etc\hosts and click Open
In the HOSTS file, make sure every textual line starts with #.
If there are any lines without the starting #:
1. Writedown/know which lines are not starting with #
2. Start the line with a #
3. Click File – Save
  In this way, you make sure the HOSTS file is not
Restart the Microsoft Store to see if it fixed 0x80072ee7. Changes in the HOSTS file have an immediate effect. If it doesn’t work yet, continue to fix 3.
(you want to restore the HOSTS file to the original content. But you may also do this afterward).

Fix 3: Make sure Windows Update service is running

If the WIndows Update service is not running, the Microsoft Store may also display error 80072ee7. There is a lot of cooperation between Windows Updates and Store Apps. Follow these steps to check if the Windows Updates service is running:

Click Start , type Services and click Services (App)
Scroll down to Windows Update. Make sure the service Startup Type is set to Manual (Triggered)
If not, double click Windows Update.
In the Windows Update window, set Startup Type to Manual and click OK.
Restart the Microsoft Store. And hopefully, it solved error 0x80072ee7. If not, try the next fix.

Fix 4: Repair Windows Update

To repair Windows Update, please check out my previous blog about fixing error 0x8007007e
It actually is about another error, but the fix is the same: reset all windows update components and try again 🙂

In addition: If you’re still on Windows 7, you may also want to check out this Microsoft site. But actually, that would be my last resort if I still had this Microsoft Store problem.