Cannot download - Socket Error #11004

[bitman]

I don't know how Spybot S&D ever worked that way since it must have things such as a Proxy server specially configured within the program.

It doesn't use the Internet Explorer settings and probably for a good reason. If a piece of malware has taken control of Internet Explorer it could modify these settings and not allow Spybot or other anti-malware to obtain updates.

At least the way it works the malware must get control of the core networking of the OS to attain this.

[twintub]

I don't think any malware has hot in - This is a fresh install and had SP2 and anti-virus/spam/firewall installed from the outset.

Just a thought - I'm using a different external USB modem to what I was using before the upgrade. I wonder if the drivers for this are causing the problem?????

[UWHusky]

Ok, so I found the solution (that worked for me) from a forum out there, but it took some time before I stumbled across it. Here is my plagiarized solution cut and pasted from another forum (I don't even remember which one, since I had Googled this so much).

Remove Spybot from the list of 'programs' in your Norton Firewall. Start the update again 'Norton' will prompt to permit or block Spybot accessing the Internet. Permit 'Spybot' and VOILA, everything works. If you use any other firewall like 'Mcafee' do the same thing, remove 'Spybot' from the list of programs and it will work. Disabling the firewall only may not work.

Hope this works for you; I know I tried all the other solutions that I had seen on multiple forums (download from other mirrors, re-install, use alternate update methods), but this one works.