SUCCESS!!!!!
earlier thread was blocked access to pprune.
after all was said and done, it took a call to microsoft tech-via a UK number to customer service-then connected to someone in India to get it sorted.
after his talking me through run cmd and pinging around-no ping to pprune, but good pings everywhere else-he then sent me run system32-then looked for "drivers" folder, open that, then "etc" folder open-and then open "hosts" folder with notepad. came up with a list of IP's and websites. he then said to put a # in front of each line. he said it makes them into "comments." close and save. then back out, restart and lo and behold access to pprune possible.
i could have kissed him if he weren't so far away.
i offered to buy a drink, and that's when i found out he was in India.
God bless him.