Strange internet connection issue

A laptop is running XP Home SP2 and it's running more or less fine. It's fast (for what it is) and it surfs fine, connects to the internet OK, etc. BUT.... no security apps can connect to do their updates. I had to update AntiVir manually. Just to see if it was only AntiVir, or the PC, I installed ASquared and SuperAntiSpyware to see if their updates would work. They don't. They both claim that an internet connection could not be made, or to check my network settings, etc..... I can even be surfing in the background, with a web page actively open and when I try to update, they still can't connect. Windows Updates works, and like I said, IE6 works.... any ideas???

 

And the firewall?

 

As far as I know, the only firewall installed is the built-in Windows XP firewall, and that is disabled. I didn't see a 3rd party firewall listed in Add/Remove Progs, but maybe I should look a bit deeper. Maybe something is "hiding out" in the background. Thanks for the idea... I didn't even think about a 3rd party firewall
I'll poke around some more and see what I find....
Thanks again.

 

There was something called Symantec Client Security that somehow didn't showup in the Add/Remove list, but did show up in the All Programs list. I had to use a 3rd party uninstaller to get rid of it. But that did it. As soon as the "helpful" Symantec app was gone, everything ran perfectly.
Note the sarcasm dripping from the word 'helpful'....

Thanx for the advice studiot

 

Symantec traces are almost as difficult as AOL traces to eradicate.

Glad it's gone.