Network (offline) install of Windows XP SP1

Question

I am installing Windows XP Pro on a virtual machine (Virtual Box). The install went fine, and networking appears to be fine (can browse the internet through IE). However, I am unable to install Windows XP SP1a.

I downloaded the SP1a express installer, which is a small couple MB installer that downloads the remaining content during installation. However, when I run the installer, I get "server did not respond" errors.

Does anyone know of an official place to get the offline network installation version of SP1 or SP1a? I can't seem to find it on the MS website anywhere, everything I find points to the 'express' installer.

Solution

From what I can find, Windows XP Service Pack 1 did not have an offline install version.

However, SP2 includes all updates released before, so SP1 is not necessary. It should be enough to install SP2, followed by SP3. This doesn't include updates after SP3, though, so be sure to visit Windows Update.

You can download Service Pack 2 and Service Pack 3 from the Service Pack Center.

Correction provided by iOSXPC: Service Pack 1a does have an official 125 MB offline installation.

Comments

[user1686]

Why SP1a and not SP3?

[CoolUserName]

@grawity don't you have to install sp1 first? then sp2, before sp3?

[user1686]

No. SP2 then SP3 is enough.

[Thalys]

or just SP3 i believe, any SP will include the SP before it

[CoolUserName]

@JourneymanGeek Just tried SP3 first - complained that the OS must be at least SP1 to proceed.

[user1686]

@Journeyman: XP SP2 is cumulative (includes all of SP1), SP3 is partly incremental (includes SP2 but not SP1)

[Moab]

Yes they did ,I still have copies of the original offline installers, XP SP1 and the later SP1a, 137mb and 128mb respectively.

[Ed Randall]

Current (2021) download links: catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search.aspx?q=xp+service+pack and sort by size.