Windows Update Service won't start

My windows update service is not working. When I try to manually update, I get an error window that says "Windows Update cannot currently check for updates, because the service is not running. You may need to restart your computer." There is no error code. I've contacted Microsoft, and here are the steps I've taken per their instructions.
1. Clean boot. Using msconfig, I've disabled all non-microsoft services, then restarted.
2. Rename the Windows Update Softwaredistribution folder. I actually wasn't able to do this. I accessed the command prompt as an administrator, and entered this command, "net stop WuAuServ". (w/o quotations). The response I get is, "the service name is invalid."
3. Verify the relevant Windows Update services. When I go to "services.msc", Windows Update is not listed in my services! BITS is set to automatic.
If you have any ideas, please help. I have of course ran malware scans. I have some screen shots, update log, and sys info if you need it. Thanks a lot!