How can I use the advanced search more effectively, so that I will be less a pain?

[Herschel]

I attempted to limit my search to Fedora Core 3 and updates using: the
search string "Core 3" AND update.  Nonetheless, the first item in the
list was for Fedora Core 1 ...

There are just too many hits that are seemingly randomly ordered by date
to be certain what I am encountering has not been previously answered.

So forgive me if this is repetitious.

The install went fairly well on an older IBM laptop that previously
"worked" with Mandrake 9.1 Pro.  After connecting to the Internet I
began to be bothered by the notice indicating I should update the Fedora
Core 3 installation.  Despite all variations, no matter combination and
no matter how small the list of selected packages, at the end of the
load I receive a message of failing to find a critical package.  It is
of the form:

"Error while attempting to retrieve the package [insert the name
selected] ...
The message was:

An HTTP error occurred:
URL: http: [gives what appear to be reasonable web site locations]
Status Code: 404
Error Message: Not Found"

I tried to update emacs alone, bash, Firefox as well as part of the
kernel and in every case I ran into this form of failure.  I have heard
too often about the ability to update Fedora  to not think something I
am doing is at fault.  What dumb thing am I doing that is causing me
this grief?

TIA