ActiveX Problem Help!!!!!!!!!!!!

[snagemsdad]

I am running Windows XP home edition - SP2 on an AMD 900Mgh PC with MB RAM. Just recently, when I go to websites requiring the download of ActiveX to run (including Windows update), I get the information bar at the top of the screen that tells me the website may not be viewed without downloading ActiveX. However, when I click on the yellow bar below the toolbar, the only choice I get is Information Bar help. No choice to download ActiveX.

I have tried changing the Explorer Security settings to low in addition to trying to customize the security. However, no matter what I do I can't go any further.

I ran ad-ware and did come up with over 400 spy-bots which I removed. I also removed any programs that I thought might be interfering including Norton Anti-virus and installed AVG in its place. I ran a virus check with no viruses showing. AVG found no viruses.

Unfortunately, I just can't seem to be able to enable ActiveX downloads to run these webpages (including hotmail.com).

I am going to attempt to uninstall SP2 and then reinstall it to see if there is a corrupted file causing the problem. However, I am at my wits end and would appreciate it if anyone could give me some suggestions. This seems like it should be a simple fix, but I'm coming up empty-handed solution-wise.

Thanks in advance for your help.

[snagemsdad]

Sorry about the error, my original message should say 256MB RAM and 900Mhz AMD CPU.