Vista - Wont download updates or anything from Microsoft

Hello guys I hope you can help as this is driving me nuts.
I have installed Vista Premium 32 bit I have a net gear wireless pci card and have jsut installed Vista sp1 premium on my com fresh after I though it was some thing I have installed wrong on my com as I can not dl any updates from microsoft or dl any thing from microsoft web pages eg windows messenger. I keep getting a error number on my updates as follows : code 8054402c and from the webpages from microsoft it jsut come up with a can not diisplay page after i click download. I have tried on both Ie and firefox same thing happens. have you got any suggestions.

can you please double check the error code, microsoft dont have any record of that error code at all, closest to that error code i can find is something to do with a stop error involving the DCOM service

THIS WORKS… well for me it did the Error codes (ie. 8024402C…etc blah blah blah) you get is due to having active X not being active well how do you do its there are many ways…
Try…
one..
go to
cntrl panel
network and internet
internet options
security (top second tab)
and set securty level to custom adjust all active x to ether prompt or enabled and you should be able to get updates working…
if failed attempt one doesnt work for you try
Two.
go to network and sharing center in control panel
once in here locate where ur connected at (linksys,netgear..etc)
to the right it should say view status
click Properties it will prompt you to confirm privlages push continue
while in networking tab locate internet protocal Ver. 4 highlight and to the right click properties set prefered dns to 4.2.2.2 and alternative dns to 4.2.2.3 and it should work if not i have more ways

found that after so much reading at point 2 fixed problem for me I hope it helps other people out there

i realised i had this problem this morning. i closed avg, spybot and stuffed about with proxy settings only to learn i had 'direct access' or something (i.e. no proxy).

i read somewhere that closing windows firwall worked. i tried that and it WORKED!!!!!!!!!! win update and defender both updated fine when the firewall was switched OFF!

im guessing every time i have to update ill need to close firewall first. good luck.