Jon wrote:

I'm running WinXP pro SP2, the phone is an HTC Touch, but as I've
never manages to connect the two, the phone make and model doesn't
matter LOL

Something is clearly blovking it. Turn off antivirus stuff etc and have
another go.

I've tried from safe mode with nothing running, same thing there.

There is something deeply wrong with your PC then.

I'm more inclined to think it's m$ checking for competitors software
or something, I've tried on two different desktop machines and a
laptop, all with the same (lack of) result :^ They can't all be
broken, and in exactly the same way, it must be something else.

~Inigo