Failed update error message 0x800A01CE

Hi
I'm unable to update Windows XP via the Windows update page (IE7|Tools|Update)
http://www.update.microsoft.com/wind....aspx?ln=en-us

I get the message:
"The website has encountered a problem and cannot display the page you are
trying to view. Error number: 0x800A01CE"
The options provided below might help you solve the problem.
For self-help options:
o Frequently Asked Questions
o Find Solutions
o Windows Update Newsgroup
For assisted support options:
o Microsoft Online Assisted Support (no-cost for Windows Update issues) [BTW
they lie! There is no way one can ask MS for e-mail support for installation
without first providing one's credit card details!]

I spotted there was a link to "New! Get Microsoft Update today!" itried
following that and got the same result!

I have Windows XP Prof, IE v7, a Commodo firewall (but the same problem
occurs when I turn it off), and AVG Anti-virus 8.0. I use spybot but the
problem still occurs when I turn it off.
Some possibly relevant Windows Services settings are:
- Background Intelligent Transfer Service(BITS) Manual started
- COM+ Event System (EventSystem) Manual started
- Cryptographic Services Automatic started
- MS software Shadow Copy Provider" (SWPRV) manual started
- Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Automatic started
- Remote Procedure Call (RPC) locator Manual started
- System Event Notification Service" (SENS) Automatic started
- System Restore Service Automatic started
- Volume Shadow Copy (VSS) Manual started

In the "Windows Update Log" in the C:\Windows directory, looking for for an
update created the following "Error messages" :
2009-03-08 11:34:25:671 2380 4a8 COMAPI -------------
2009-03-08 11:34:25:671 2380 4a8 COMAPI -- START -- COMAPI: Search
[ClientId = WindowsUpdate]
2009-03-08 11:34:25:671 2380 4a8 COMAPI ---------
2009-03-08 11:34:25:687 2380 4a8 COMAPI WARNING: Unable to listen to
self-update/shutdown event (hr=0X800706BA)
2009-03-08 11:34:25:687 2380 4a8 COMAPI WARNING: Unable to establish
connection to the service. (hr=800706BA)
2009-03-08 11:34:25:687 2380 4a8 COMAPI - WARNING: Exit code = 0x800706BA
2009-03-08 11:34:25:687 2380 4a8 COMAPI ---------
2009-03-08 11:34:25:687 2380 4a8 COMAPI -- END -- COMAPI: Search
[ClientId = <NULL>]
2009-03-08 11:34:25:687 2380 4a8 COMAPI -------------
2009-03-08 11:34:25:687 2380 4a8 COMAPI FATAL: Unable to initiate
asynchronous search, hr=800706BA

I had Windows update set to only advise me when updates were available. I
changed it to automatic. Still got nowhere on the Windows Update website!

Microsoft and Microsoft Update are in my list of trusted Web sites
My IE security settings for "userdata persistence" are set to 'enable'.
I turned off IE|Tools|Pop-up-Blocker
I turned off Comodo firewall, and turned on the MS firewall. No difference!
Tried turning everything off except AVG Anti-Virus and the MS firewall. No
difference!
I found a list of error codes on the MS web site BUT it did not list error
0x800A01CE! [How typical of Microsoft!]

I tried:
- Stop the Background Intelligent Transfer Service and the Automatic Updates
service
- Rename the "Catroot2" and "SoftwareDistribution" folders
- Re-rgistering MS & Windows Update files
(regsvr32 wuapi.dll
regsvr32 wuaueng1.dll
regsvr32 wuaueng.dll
regsvr32 wucltui.dll
regsvr32 wups2.dll
regsvr32 wups.dll
regsvr32 wuweb.dll)
-and restarting the Background Intelligent Transfer & Automatic Updates
Services

All in all - dozens of different things tried, with no luck.

Do any of the experts out there know what the problem is?
Thanks, Mike