WindowsUpdate error 0x8007277a, MSE not updating either

Had a laptop that stopped loading Windows Updates following a spyware infection and subsequent clean-up by MBAM. Internet access was ok.

Eventually tracked the fix down to a winsock reset ...

Look in Start > Accessories and find Command Prompt
Right-click and Run As Admin

Then type ...
     netsh winsock reset
     netsh int ipv4 reset

You should get a prompt to restart the computer. We didn't need to, restarting the Windows Update service was sufficient to get everything working again (Start > Control Panel > Admin Tools > Services)

[Just as an aside, we had already run the Microsoft Windows Update Fixit tool and renamed the SoftwareDistribution folder - just in case the above netsh commands don't work on their own]

Antivirus XP 2008 or 2009 virus/spyware removal

I've come across a few PCs in the past month with the Antivirus XP 2008 problem. Basically its some spyware that fakes your Security Centre to look like there's a problem and needs fixing. It looks very authentic. There's a very thorough write-up at The Register, Anatomy of a Hack.

Two of the infections I saw had got in past AVG. One had 7.5 Free and the other had v8 but slightly dated definitions - unlucky timing, I wouldn't hold it against the folks at AVG. My AVG 8 Pro spotted the .exe as soon as I copied it over to the PC.

I've heard of a couple of cases where people have had to put hours into extracting the bad and getting their PC back up and running - should have called Redleg tech support first ;-) Best fix I've come across has been the AntiMalware product from Malwarebytes. You can find it over here.