ok when i connect to the following link all i get is a blank page ... http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/ any ideas?

Hi, try this, it should get you there. Bob http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/en/default.asp

The URL that Dave posted though will just redirect you to the URL that A+ posted. Anyways, try this.. WINUP-Problems When Viewing or Downloading From Windows Update KTTD

you may have a virus. the denile of survice certificate patch is on the download site, the certificates until this is installed , people can delete the certificate preventing you from going to the web sites. I had to format drive c and install win 98 again to get the system back up and working. I was blocked from yahoo , tucows and some other web sites. after your system havs run for 2-3 years and if you use the internet you should just bite the bullet and format and reinstall, you most likely have viruses tat are undetected as well as all kind of software errors. My 98 system at home works better then when it was new after I formated the drive and install win 98, when i first bought it it would not go into stand by after i did a fresh reinstall it would go into stand by. The system gets so bloated and curupted by other software over time, i now keep my systems as clean and unclutted with sofware as i can. the more you install the worse any system will become.

thanks for the help guys but ive sussed it it was because norton personal firewall had auto blocked svchost from recieving data from the net,, or summat like that anyways i removed it from autoblock and now everything is fine