Weird XP/time synchronisation problem

[Bouncing Zabaglione Bros.]

I've got this weird problem I can't figure out. My Windows XP Pro for the last couple of weeks just won't connect to any time server using the built in windows time update with any NTP server. I always get the response "an error occured while Windows was synchronizing with <hostname>"

I've tried setting things explictly in the group policy editor, disabling all firewalls/domains/workgroups, logging in as Admin, connecting directly to my cable modem, even doing a repair installation. I've searched Microsoft and googled all over, and no one seems to have reported the same thing.

I can connect using any other kind of NTP client to the same servers (which ping fine), other people at my ISP have no problems, and another XP machine here works fine through my NAT router.

Anyone got any ideas what else I can look at short of wiping the disk and starting from scratch, which I really don't want to do.

Edit: Now I rechecked with the exact (US) spelling of the error, there seem to be a lot of people that get this error for no apparent reason, and no one seems to have a fix. I'm stumped that one machine here has no problems, and another with the same OS and patches simply will not longer work.

 

[Althornin]

mind posting the exact text of the message, including event id?
If you do, i might be able to help you.

 

[Bouncing Zabaglione Bros.]

Timeout (30000 milliseconds) waiting for a transaction response from the w32time service.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

Event 7011.

Manually trying to update the time doesn't seem to generate an entry in the log, just the error message I gave in the original post above.

 

[BRiT]

Have you tried using "time.nist.gov" instead?

 

[Bouncing Zabaglione Bros.]

Have you tried using "time.nist.gov" instead?

Yes, that and a load others. The servers work fine from my other XP machine, and fine from the problematic machine using other NTP clients. It's almost like XP doesn't send the NTP packets to the server any more (which is what a few people suffering the same problem have said after putting packet sniffers on their lines).