Windows Update web page not displaying

I cannot access the Windows Update page. I get this:

This happens on Firefox as well as IE8

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I have Windows XP Home SP3.

I recently stopped doing automatic downloads/installs of windows updates, and now I can't access the web page at all.

 

Go here in IE8 http://support.microsoft.com/kb/956196
and click on the Fixit button.

 

OK, now I can access the windows update website, but now I'm getting error 0x8007041D.

 

Do you also get the error if you go to Windows Update (Microsoft Update) via this link http://www.update.microsoft.com/ ?

Does this apply to you http://support.microsoft.com/kb/902322/ ?

 

Here are two solutions for your specific error:

 

902322 does not apply to me.

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When I tried to start the Automatic Updates service, I got this message:

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When I select Express (high priority updates), I get this message:

(I recently had trouble with browser hijacking & rootkit activity (I think), and recently cleaned it all up using the Read Me thread, so could that have anything to do with it? Automatic updates not working correctly was one of my symptoms, so I elected to stop receiving update notifications, but then couldn't access the website...now my computer seems to be clean & I elected to start receiving notifications again, but haven't received one (yet), so I'm trying the update site...)

When I select to Register or Reinstall the files, it says that it's registering and it get up to 100%, but then it says this: