How to get all XP service packs, updates, etc. together to avoid future downloads?

Question

I am going through an agonizing re-install, on day three now of Windows Updates, VS Service Packs, etc. It's been tough having to download all this again on a 384kbps ADSL line.

Besides the installs that I explicitly download, how can I back up installs such as all the Windows Updates; SQL Server 2008 Express that installs through Web Platform Installer, and any other goodies that MS deem to be better left uncontrolled by me?

ADDENDUM: Many people are giving answers that involved downloading. My whole point is to avoid downloading again what Windows already has downloaded.

Solution 1

http://www.wsusoffline.net/ This is what i use as part of my toolkit - it downloads everything and has a front end that automatically patches up a box. The neat thing about it is you can pick as many of as few products as you need, and it'll apply only the ones you need.

Windows XP is currently under legacy products, and since WSUS offline updates directly downloads the updates off MS, this may stop working when MS stops hosting patches, some time in the future.

EDIT: As of 2014, support for XP has been dropped on new updates of WSUS offline updates - You can find the last version that supports this, 9.2.1 in their archives.

Solution 2

Perhaps nlite would be useful?

nLite is a tool for pre-installation Windows configuration and component removal at your choice. Optional bootable image ready for burning on media or testing in virtual machines. With nLite you will be able to have Windows installation which on install does not include, or even contain on media, the unwanted components.

Features

* Service Pack Integration
* Component Removal
* Unattended Setup
* Driver Integration
* Hotfixes Integration
* Tweaks
* Services Configuration
* Patches
* Bootable ISO creation

Solution 3

This is the best officially supported solution

Step 1 - Download and install SP3:

Take a look at the Service Pack Center to find the download link for the latest Service pack.

From everything I've read, Service Pack 3 will be the last service pack to be released for XP.

Step 2 - Fetch the latest security updates (released after SP3)

Take a look at the Microsoft Security Bulletin Search tool to determine which updates you'll need to download.

Here are the settings I recommend to get all of the relevant updates after post-SP3

Then it's just a matter of downloading the relevant install executables for offline use.

Note: While I would personally choose to use the WSUSOffline tool that @Journeyman suggested, there are risks of using an unofficial tool to support Microsoft products. Downloads that come from third parties may contain malicious code so Microsoft may push to get a third party tool shutdown overnight if it deems the tool unsafe for its users. WSUSOffline gets around that by downloading the actual updates directly from Microsoft but as with all unofficial tools, convenience comes with risk.

Solution 4

If you are talking about a single machine/hardware config, you could make an image of the system using any of the many system imaging programs, then just re-deploy the image whenever you want to do a full re-install.

If you're mainly talking about Windows, you could slipstream the various updates into an updated installer disc.

Solution 5

Make all the downloads, install and updates that you want. Get a backup and burn it. This will be the easiest method.

You can also use nLite.

Have you ever wanted to remove Windows components like Media Player, Internet Explorer, Outlook Express, MSN Explorer, Messenger... How about not even to install them with Windows ?

nLite is a tool for pre-installation Windows configuration and component removal at your choice. Optional bootable image ready for burning on media or testing in virtual machines. With nLite you will be able to have Windows installation which on install does not include, or even contain on media, the unwanted components.

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Comments

[SDsolar]

To get the two most recent XP updates (as of 6/19/17) use these two links: microsoft.com/en-us/download/confirmation.aspx?id=55245 and microsoft.com/en-us/download/confirmation.aspx?id=18770

[Ivo Flipse]

Hopefully it's a little more automized than last time I used it...

[quack quixote]

this is what i do; download the major service packs and keep them on a network drive for easy access. note the standalone XP SP3 installer doesn't want to install on bare WinXP; it wants you to install an earlier service pack first.

[quack quixote]

you can do this with the hotfixes too, it's just a lot of work since you have to find and download them from microsoft directly. several sites do a regular "Patch Tuesday" roundup that blog the latest releases; use them to get a list of what to download, or just use the Windows Update site. (google "patch tuesday" or "microsoft security bulletin" for what's recent.)

[Richard]

There are many ways to do this including: links from KB pages, links from security bulletin pages, "use administrator options" on Windows Update, and the Windows Update Catalogue: catalog.update.microsoft.com/v7/site/Install.aspx

[Thalys]

WSUS offline update, while unofficial, was started off by a german computer/security site (heise.de). I also recommend it since i use it with nearly every fresh build, primarily to avoid having to manually reboot the system multiple times. YMMV but personally i think its worth the minimal risk.

[Evan Plaice]

@Journeyman I completely agree. That's why I personally endorse it. Thanks for the additional background, knowing where WSUSOffline comes from gives me more peace of mind.

[Camilo Martin]

Great to know this! I can only think "where has this been all these years?". Thanks!

[Francisco Tapia]

added in my toolkit too

[Frank Lesniak]

Doesn't look like this works anymore since Microsoft killed off the Windows Update/Microsoft Update site for 2000/XP/2003 in Aug 2020.