updating an XP machine offline

decimator · 18 Dec 2008 at 09:37

I've got a PC with XP service pack 2 on it, but when I attempted to install a program on it I got an error message saying that I needed to update XP, does anyone have any idea how you do this on a machine that's not connected to the net?

Deleted member 77746 · 18 Dec 2008 at 09:53

That's manual updates. Can't you connect it to the net just to get all of the updates? Don't you no anyone with the Internet that could do it for you? Should only take about an hour or so from SP2.

decimator · 18 Dec 2008 at 10:13

optitech-uk said:
That's manual updates. Can't you connect it to the net just to get all of the updates? Don't you no anyone with the Internet that could do it for you? Should only take about an hour or so from SP2.

Well I could put the PC on the net connection that I'm using now, but I'd have to install and set up a firewall, modem drivers etc, I'm also a bit nervous about putting an unpatched PC on the net for that amount of time - I've done that previously and been hit with the Blaster worm, surely there must be a way of doing it without connecting to the net?

Deleted member 77746 · 18 Dec 2008 at 10:17

decimator said:
Well I could put the PC on the net connection that I'm using now, but I'd have to install and set up a firewall, modem drivers etc, I'm also a bit nervous about putting an unpatched PC on the net for that amount of time - I've done that previously and been hit with the Blaster worm, surely there must be a way of doing it without connecting to the net?

Yeh, manually update it, which includes finding out what patches are missing and manually downloading them, putting them onto a CD or what not and then running them on the unpatched system.

You would have best been slipstreaming SP3 into your disk and re-running setup and then install the drivers. Atleast your up to SP3 out of the box.

decimator · 18 Dec 2008 at 10:24

Ah right thanks, I'll try this:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...A8-5E76-401F-BE08-1E1555D4F3D4&displaylang=en

Deleted member 77746 · 18 Dec 2008 at 10:31

decimator said:
Ah right thanks, I'll try this:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...A8-5E76-401F-BE08-1E1555D4F3D4&displaylang=en

Yep, this is a good start. You could manually run this on the system to fully update it to SP3. To fully update it there is more to get but there is a little list.

decimator · 18 Dec 2008 at 11:25

Yep, that did it - the machine won't be going online and SP3 was enough, ta again.

Nanobot · 18 Dec 2008 at 15:31

When I run a Windows Update, I always make a note of the KB numbers and then go and download each one manually and store them. Saves repeating them if I need to rebuild or if someone needs to do as you did on an offline machine. I just write a batch file calling each kb file with /quiet /norestart switches so that I can chain them together and do one reboot...

eXor · 18 Dec 2008 at 17:47

Nanobot said:
I just write a batch file calling each kb file with /quiet /norestart switches so that I can chain them together and do one reboot...

Short and sweet.

Code:

FOR %%F IN ("%1\*.msu") DO (
echo Processing: %%F...
start /wait wusa "%%F" /quiet /norestart
)

nade · 18 Dec 2008 at 19:31

I use a little application called CTUpdate, it allows you to download all the updates for various versions of Windows and also versions of Office. It allows you to download all the updates and it can create an ISO image which you can burn straight to DVD for use on an offline PC. Or in my case it's handy for using in any offices that have really bad slow connections to the internet/proxy.

The general webpage is here: http://www.heise.de/ct/projekte/offlineupdate/download_uk.shtml

Or you can download the update generator directly from:
http://www.heise.de/ct/projekte/offlineupdate/download/ctupdate50.zip

Here is an example of the Application Window on my slightly older version:
Main Window