Unable to inst~~~ updates to XP home ed

~~~ updates to Windows XP Home since Sept. 15 have failed. I have administrative privilages, I have Cryptographic Services running. I have performed the registry hacks Microsoft suggested. I do not get any error messages. I inst~~~ed Microsoft .NET framework about Sept. 15, (could be the problem). Microsoft confirms that ~~~ updates failed numerous times but offers no solution. There just has to be others in the same pickle.