computer help please...

alright, i'm on a computer in a computer lab right now, our it department is backed up so hopefully you guys can help out. our school requires us to use cisco clean access in order to access the internet, and part of the program requires windows updates to be kept updated and installed. however, there are 2 updates which whenever i try to download them, will not finish the installation process. there's no error message, it's just when usually you see the screen that says windows updates installed, i get it that windows could not install the updates. any ideas of what's going on? this isn't the first time it's happened, yet somehow i've been able to download them after a while. any little tips someone would like to share?
thanks!

 

firewalls off...

 

hahahahahahahahahahahahaha

 

sorry for the late update, but here it is. (i'm still computerless, so it's been tough keeping up with forums, email, etc., makes me wonder how people ever graduated college without a computer.)
my computer is still at the it department here, they're running something called spindrive, or along those lines, they think it may be a problem with my hard drive. so, they told me that once this scan is over with, they'll try to get me back into windows so i can back up all of my files, and call dell to get a replacement hard drive, which they assured me would be covered under warranty, so fingers crossed on that one.
it went from being unable to download the patch from cisco, (sorry schatten, i don't know what the real issue was with it, but it kept freezing up every time i tried downloading it) to not being able to install windows updates to it being a problem with my hard drive. so, with any luck, i'll only have a week of hell without a computer, but unfortunately in that week i have 2 papers and 3 tests, so it's gonna be fun.
on a side note, i don't know if anyone's had this problem before, but the only thing of real value on my computer that i don't want to have to replace out of pocket aside from the drive itself, is microsoft office, but someone told me that if you call microsoft up and tell them what happened, they're usually pretty good about sending you a replacement copy. has anyone had any experience with this?

 

i agree, it does seem to be a bit overkill for the problems i've been having, but then again, my extent of computer knowledge is nothing compared to the guys working for it. im heading back to talk to them around 1230 today, so hopefully i'll have some clearer answers by then.

 

well, it's looking like my computer will finally be done today. i had to order a new hard drive through dell, which was luckily covered under warranty, no questions asked, plus next day delivery, so i came out smelling like a rose from that one which i expected to be a lot of me getting upset at dell.
they've installed the harddrive/xp sp2, and are working on trying to move over any good file left on my hard drive, so hopefully they are able to do so, otherwise i have a brand new computer.

 

whew, it's nice to be back on my own computer again. the computer is working fine now, got the hard drive, and all of the xp components installed, and they are working on weeding out all of the good components on my old hard drive to be transferred over, fingers crossed. the only thing of value that i may have to rebuy, (pictures are the main thing i'm concerned about though) is microsoft office, however i'm in contact with someone over at microsoft trying to get a replacement product key to take the place of the old one, i still have the cd, it's just we've used up all 3 keys on it. it's seemed like forever since i've had my computer back, and i've definitely learned a valuable lesson, and i hope everyone here does this: back up your important files!