Hmmm – well, here’s something I’d never seen in about 15 years of horsing with this stuff. I formatted an old Dell computer and it would connect to Google but not to Microsoft updates. What was wrong…? Well – a bunch of things. First of all, with our new Comcast static IP the DNS server does not work, when a static IP is set on a box, using “10.1.10.1” and “10.1.10.2” as the primary and secondary DNS servers(I was working on the computer remotely and had set a static IP). I mean – it worked for flippin’ Google and a few other sites. But, it didn’t work for various other sites – including Microsoft (updates, and, otherwise). This had always worked, previously……argh. The DNS servers needed to be: 68.87.72.130 and 68.87.72.131 – which I found by opening up the admin interface for the router, and, changing the secondary DNS server by one, ascending digit. But that wasn’t the whole thing. I also had to type “services.msc” form a command prompt and start the Intelligent Background Transfer Services and the Automatic Updates services. They were disabled and, of course, not running. Why were they disabled? I have no idea. I have never seen any of this stuff before – I don’t have a clue. Wolly shit…..who knows?

One thing I found out, about Microsoft updates, is this: if this thing doesn’t connect you can keep clicking the thing and eventually find a network dignostic tool that pings stuff and gives you a clue…..as far as DNS servers go, anyway. I don’t even recall how I figured out the services deal.