ms update, will not access hotmail

cannot install ms update. It just hangs and gives an error message, which Microsoft knows about, 0x80072EFD, tried all their suggestions which are based on downloading MS Update, which it will not do.

It has Windows XP newly reinstalled, as I thought it was a virus as it will not access some MS sites, SP2, 2.2GHz Athlon, 1GB RAM, 250GB, .net Framework 2.0, IE8, Installer 3.1, gets most other websites,

Can I download ms update on another PC and transfer it?