How do I Fix a 12029 Error?

By Barry Index

Updated September 28, 2017

Items you will need

  • Windows PC

  • Internet connection

Learn to fix Windows Error 12029
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Windows Error 12029 is a common warning message that occurs when trying to connect to a website or while using an Office application. The warning seems so urgent, yet an Internet search to repair it leads to conflicting advice, causes and remedies. Some sites blame Trojans, malware and viruses for Error 12029 while others say the problem lies in corrupt registry files. These root causes certainly are possible, however their likelihood is rather low and they should therefore be considered last. There are other more manageable solutions to try first that don’t involve downloading third party software to fix a problem that may not even exist.

Connect to another website using the same browser or application that caused the Error 12029 message. Successfully accessing another website using the same software indicates that the web server being used was unavailable at the time. Web servers occasionally go down when they exceed a maximum number of simultaneous connections. All you can do is wait and try again later.

Open a command line window to verify there is no TCP/IP Address problem. On the Desktop, click “Start,” then “Run.” In the box type “cmd.” Next, type “ipconfig /all,” and a list of connections appears. Check in the IP Address, DHCP and DNS Server headings that there is an address for each one, a number in the following format: 123.456.7.8, or some similar variation. If so, the problem does not lie with the IP Address and you may proceed to step three.

However, to fix a missing IP Address, DHCP or DNS Server, type in the command line, “ipconfig /release,” and then type “ipconfig /renew” for new addresses. If this still fails to assign new addresses, contact your Internet service provider.

Open a command line window to verify that you are not having a DNS Server problem. Click “Start,” then “Run,” and type in the box “cmd.” Next, type “nslookup website.com,” where website.com is the site you were trying to access when the 12029 error warning popped up. Any result of a nslookup that shows addresses in the following format is okay: 123.456.7.8, or some similar variation. Move to step four.

However, if there are no addresses listed, type in the command line, “ipconfig /release,” and then “ipconfig /renew” to refresh the address. Try the nslookup again, and if there is still a problem, contact your Internet service provider.

Verify that your firewall is not blocking the connection to the web server that your application is trying to access. On the Desktop, click "Start," then "Control Panel," and click on "Windows Firewall." Choose the Exceptions tab and go down the list to find the name of the program you have been using that caused Error 12029. Mark the check-box to add the program. If this still fails to correct the problem, continue to step five.

Run a complete virus scan to locate malware and a registry cleaner program to fix any corrupt registry files. These solutions are the last line of defense against an Error 12029 message. As you may now realize, starting with these measures can still end in failure without having fixed the above problems first. After running a virus scan, and registry cleaner, reboot your machine.

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