Computer Cannot/will Not Connect To Ftp Sites?

Now the problem: simply put, I cannot connect to any ftp site (even tp.microsoft.com). I strongly believe this has something to do with my computer itself, but I've done endless searches on google and tried several solutions to no avail. Here is a list of what I have tried thus far:-Connecting using the command prompt. On the command prompt I've typed in "ftp ftp.microsoft.com" and it goes straight to the "ftp>" . Whenever I try to use a command the prompt responds with a "Not connected". However, if I ping the ftp server it does respond like it should.-Using software ftp clients (Firezilla, SmartFTP, etc.). I put in the necessary information and that's basically as far as it gets.-Checking "Enable Passive FTP" in IE. That did zip.

-Adjusted Firewall settings... (based on suggestions from forums and such). To the best of my knowledge, everything set as it should. The settings I adjusted were on Windows FirewallThis is what leads me to believe it is my computer that is the problem because when I use this web-based clients its pretty much the only thing that works and I am able to manipulate the files just fine.That's pretty much all my attempts in various forms and google searches. I should also note that I am connected wirelessly to my school's network, but the network doesn't seem to be the problem because I tried connecting using my roomate's laptop and it connected just fine.