I can't connect to Microsoft Download pages!

[Sta]

I've asked a PC wizz at work about my problem and also a professional coder had a go at sorting it, here it is:

It seems my PC doesn't want to connect to ANY microsoft downloading pages, it's so bad that my "windows update" does not work. I've gone through all the troubleshooting... i.e: Scan for viruses, Scan for viruses in safe mode, checked all firewall settings and disabled them while trying.
my OS is legit.
Does anyone have any ideas?

If even BG is short on solutions i will have to format my PC and that's looooooooong. Thanks for your time.

[Shuemue]

Have you checked your HOSTS file? See if somehow microsoft.com has been added to it.

Failing that, assuming you use Firefox, try WindizUpdate

[Shuemue]

How To: Hosts File FAQ

[Kriz]

I'd still run ComboFix, sometimes a really nasty rootkit can pass by most scanners and you'd be borked.

Can you pull up a command prompt and ping a microsoft site, and does it return 127.0.0.1?

[Sta]

Have you checked your HOSTS file? See if somehow microsoft.com has been added to it.

Failing that, assuming you use Firefox, try WindizUpdate

okay, i've checked and updated my hosts file. No luck... also, i tried DLing windizupdate but this showed up as i was try to connect:

Firefox could not install the file at

http://windizupdate.com/files/windizupdate.xpi

because: Install script not found
-204

i browsed around, it looks like it's outdated.

@Kriz:

Can you pull up a command prompt and ping a microsoft site, and does it return 127.0.0.1?

could you get put that into casual PC user language please? ^^ maybe bullet points lol

[Sta]

I'd still run ComboFix, sometimes a really nasty rootkit can pass by most scanners and you'd be borked.

I ran that, it fixed my problem. thanks man

[Furtwangler]

go to run, type in CMD, or just go to command prompt in vista, type "ping microsoft.com" or anything that would get you to a microsoft website, and it should say reply from (IP address here) bytes=xx etcetc. that IP address should be something other than 127.0.0.1 or anything with like 192.x.x.x, mine said 207.46.225.221

edit: nvm

[Kriz]

I ran that, it fixed my problem. thanks man

<3 Glad it worked.