Connection Error - Digital Editions Cannot Connect to the Activation Server. Please Check Your Internet Connection...

[bg21016037]

Windows 7, Avast Antivirus, Spybot; previously using ADE 2.0 with no problems. Last confirmed successful use 9 days ago. Sometime last week, when I tried to return my library books, an error message saying something like please check your internet connection came up. Thought it was a temporary thing, but restarting and waiting a few days later to retry came up the same. My internet is definitely working, but ADE keeps registering a connection error. I tried deauthorizing and reauthorizing 2.0, 3.0, and 4.0 by uninstalling, restarting the computer, then reinstalling and trying to reauthorize, but the Connection Error - Digital Editions Cannot Connect to the Activation Server. Please Check Your Internet Connection. message keeps popping up. I have tried the install with Windows Firewall, Avast, and Spybot shut down. I have also tried looking through the forums, but nothing is working.

Before I uninstalled, ADE was authorized but didn't work because it didn't think it was connected to the internet. Now I can't authorize because it still doesn't seem to be connecting to the internet.

In the last week, I have only installed the recent recommended windows updates, namely the few released this month. I have also just tried ADE 4.03 which gives me the same error.

Any ideas on what to do would be appreciated. Also, are there any known issues that have happened recently? There seem to be some other people with the same problem.

[bg21016037]

6/23 Trying to authorize with Windows firewalls down completely (adding exception did not work) allows ADE to finally stop showing the error connection message and takes it to the authorizing mode with the bar flashing green. Unfortunately, with 4.0, I waited an hour and the authorization still didn't go through. Uninstalled, restarted, installed 2.0 and right now, half an hour later, it is still "authorizing." Will try 3.0 later. Also, I have done everything in admin mode.

Is the problem with the recent Windows security updates? With the ADE server? While authorized, I kept getting the ADE could not connect to the fulfillment server and now I can't authorize.

[bg21016037]

So I have tried installing ADE 4.03 on the same wireless home internet connection on a different laptop, Windows 8, and it successfully authorized. No fiddling with firewalls or anything. This rules out this being an ADE overall server issue or a home internet issue. That is not my computer though, so I'd really like help in figuring out how to make ADE work on this Windows 7 one.

Recap: ADE keeps giving the Connection Error message UNLESS it is being authorized with all firewalls down (firewall exception does not work) in which case, it never goes past the authorizing screen with the flashing green bar. Have tried in admin mode 2.0, 4.02, and 4.03. Was previously using 2.0.

More recap: Recently only installed the Windows updates released this month; could try uninstalling them to see if that would help, but I'd like to figure out how to make ADE run without having to do without important Windows updates and potentially leaving the computer with other issues