Okayfirst off I know how you feel. I was ready to just trash my computer but it all worked out with patientice and determination. It's pretty much a pain in the butt.okay i didn't have to disable my windows I just had to make a port for LW. If you can get in there and LW has a check beside it you can go ahead and turn it on. If you can get to the first part and, to my understanding, there is a globe on the bottom left hand screen, if there isn't a brick wall in front of it then it's not a firewall, anyone please correct me if I'm wrong.As far as Mcafee goes I had mine turned off too and it still wouldn't let me do it so if you want it I'm pretty sure you have to delete Mcafee from your files. It worked for me. If you go to your help and support under start then you can ask how to uninstall programs. Click on the link it gives you. Then click on Mcafee and click uninstall. Mcafee will ask you what programs you want to uninstall and you check mark all of them. Then it'll delete it and restart your computer and when it does LW SHOULD work. When you type your word in search if it shows you the message"Your search might not turn up b/c of no connection" then you click ok and for me it worked and I've been downloading ever since with no problems. Again, it is a risk taking your anti-virus off but there are several links on this forum where you can get other programs that won't interfer with LW or so I'm told.Please use this method as a last resort. I was completely desperate by the time I tried this method.Hope it helps