This is driving me mad:
Neither, Windows Update or automatic updates are working.

Haven't received any autoupdates in like a month or so. SETTINGS ARE CORRECT. (Trust me)

Windows Update scans my system normally, but shows none to download. I have XP SP1 and haven't gotten any other updates in a month or so either. The page looks like everything's in order (takes a while scanning, no errors etc...), but just doesn't show any needed updates.

I have Sygate Personal Firewall, all the settings should be OK, haven't touched them in a while, and the page "has access" or whatever. I'd be VERY surprised if the problem is with my FW.

I have NOT downloaded or installed any new software in a looong while that could have this effect.

Please, someone help me! TY in advance.

P.S. If it's news to anyone, Microsoft's online "help" and all customer care and all that suck. And that too drives me mad. Everything on their pages look and feel like ads. I feel a new Linux user waking up inside ;)

I too went through a short phase of Windows Update having issues. Though you got further than I, it always gave me an error message stating it had trouble scanning.

If you are still on SP1, surely you would have been prompted for SP2 by now. It should also be showing the patch for the new JPEG exploit. If I were you, I'd look at the firewall. Check Sygates "Application" panel and see which programs have Block, Allow, and Ask.

I've had programs try to access my network at a time when I didn't want it to, so it blocked it and I had to physically go in and change the access setting for that program back to Ask.

Thaks for the reply but I'm aware of this... Pretty much the first thing that came to mind when I started to suspect I had a problem.

Thanks also for confirming I have a problem... I wasn't aware of a JPG exploit... Got SP2 another way, though.

You're welcome. If you now have SP2, the JPEG flaw shouldn't be any problem. The only affected software seemed to be Windows XP SP1 and below, and just about every MS product that dealt with images, including Office, PictureIt! and a few others.

I use paintShopPro and downloaded the GDIK security tool from Microsoft, which checks to see if you have any software that uses the GDI component that is vulnerable to the flaw, and PaintShopPro thankfully doesn't seem to be vulnerable.

I use PhotoShop, so I don't think this exploit will be a problem.. But the point still remains that my Windows Update is not working. And Microsoft's forums helps etc. are of no use whatsoever.

Please, if anyone knows what might be causing this, help me out. I can't be the first or only person with this problem.