Cannot Connect, Any programs other than FF Options

[smoke]

Hey guys. Not a single program on my computer will connect to the Internet. The only thing that will connect is web browsers. Things like AIM, Skype, Y! Messenger, and Limewire won't connect no matter what I do. I've searched high and low over the Internets, and I get the same answer. Everyone says it's my Firewall. It's not. I've disabled the firewall, made sure all those programs were allowed to connect, and everything. It's nothing with my Internet because my desktop works fine. This is just an issue with my laptop. I use it more because I like to watch cable on my big ass HDTV while surfing the web. Its OS is Windows XP.

Any ideas? This is killing me. I'm very tech savvy and I can usually figure out whats wrong with my computer and fix it in minutes, but this has me stumped. It's probably something really simple and I'm just over analyzing the problem.

Thanks in advance for any help!

[Maccabee]

Have you updated your computer?
In xp I believe you go here in ie.
Thats really all i can think of.