Updates - Windows & IE

I have an old computer running on XP professional that I need to update as a
back up. II am running IE7 and have not updated anything for sometime. I
have conected successfully to a broadband connection to do Windows updates
and download IE8 but cannot connect to microsoft! I can connect to MSN, BBC
etc etc and search for the required sites but as soon as I click a microsoft
related site it cannot connect.

Any ideas please?
Thanks for reading my ramblings :-)
Jx

PiscesLady wrote:
> I have an old computer running on XP professional that I need to update as a
> back up. II am running IE7 and have not updated anything for sometime. I
> have conected successfully to a broadband connection to do Windows updates
> and download IE8 but cannot connect to microsoft! I can connect to MSN, BBC
> etc etc and search for the required sites but as soon as I click a microsoft
> related site it cannot connect.
>
> Any ideas please?
> Thanks for reading my ramblings:-)
> Jx


The system can connect to Windows Update after installing IE8?

*** Was the installed security software (antivirus or a security suite)
actively monitoring the system when IE8 was installing ? ***

If it was, you should uninstall IE8 and then reinstall it when the
system has been configured to boot to what is known as a Clean boot:

How to configure Windows XP to start in a "clean boot" state
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310353


If not, check the hosts file and see what is listed there. It is located
at Windows\System32\drivers\etc. Open it with Notepad. Below the
examples showing in the hosts file, it should be showing these entries
*only*:

# localhost name resolution is handled within DNS itself.
# 127.0.0.1 localhost
# ::1 localhost

If any entry is listed that shows Microsoft.com, delete it. If this is
not what's causing the connectivity issue to MS sites, then close the
hosts file now.

Suggest you scan the computer with Malwarebytes anti-malware (MBAM) *IF*
there are a bunch of sites listed in the hosts file that belong to
Security software companies and Microsoft as that is a sign of an
infection: http://www.malwarebytes.org/

Click the Download free version button and *save* the download.
Once it completes, run MBAM to install it and allow it to update it's
definitions during the installation procedure.
When the installation is finished, scan the computer using the Default
Quick scan option.
IF there are any issues preventing MBAM from running, please read this:

Procedures to help resolve issues preventing MBAM from running
http://forums.malwarebytes.org/index...howtopic=17607

When the scan is finished a page will open that will list what, if
anything, was detected. Click the Remove selected button if anything was
detected. Please post back with what MBAM detected, if anything.


MowGreen
================
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
================

banthecheck.com
"Security updates should *never* have *non-security content* prechecked

Right-click on My Computer & select Properties: What Windows version is
displayed in the resulting General tab (e.g., Windows XP Professional
Service Pack 1)?

What anti-virus application or security suite is installed and is your
subscription current? What anti-spyware applications (other than Defender)?
What third-party firewall (if any)?

Has a(another) Norton or McAfee application ever been installed on the
computer (e.g., a free-trial version that came preinstalled when you bought
it)?


PiscesLady wrote:
> I have an old computer running on XP professional that I need to update as
> a
> back up. II am running IE7 and have not updated anything for sometime. I
> have conected successfully to a broadband connection to do Windows updates
> and download IE8 but cannot connect to microsoft! I can connect to MSN,
> BBC
> etc etc and search for the required sites but as soon as I click a
> microsoft
> related site it cannot connect.
>
> Any ideas please?
> Thanks for reading my ramblings :-)
> Jx