XP continuing updates

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I recently did a fresh install of XP sp3 and allowed it to download and install all post sp3 updates. Once that was completed, I made an image backup and also slipstreamed a disk to include all service packs and updates.

Normally, I don’t need this system to be on line. So, I keep the internet connection disabled. About a month after the re-install, I had a need to temporarily go on-line. As soon as I did, the system said that there were new MS updates available. There were 22 updates and all of them were .net framework related such as: Update for MS .net framework 2.0 sp2 & winxp x86 kb2863239. This was a surprise as I thought that I had all of the WinXP updates.

During the slipstreaming process, I used UCD to download all XP updates. Comparing a couple of the .net framework kb numbers with the UDC list, it appears that UDC did not download any .net framework files.

Can I expect to get more .net framework or other XP updates?
I found the one update file that I wrote down (above) on my C drive but now that all 22 are installed, I don’t know how to tell which is which among all the update files that are there. Do I need to re-do the slipstreamed disk to include these. If so, how do I determine which I need and should I get them from my C drive or direct from MS?

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Can I expect to get more .net framework or other XP updates?

Quite simply, yes. UDC only includes critical updates and hotfixes – there might be updates that are only relevant to your machine, which you’ll get afterwards. Dotnet framework updates certainly fall under that heading.

I suggest you make a note of all the updates you get after installation (you can easily see a list, and print it, at the MS Update site), download them from the Windows Update Catalog, and put them somewhere safe. Or try slipstreaming them – it’ll only cost you a CD.

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After doing the re-install, I allowed MS to automatically install all available updates. It was only later when I was doing the slipstreaming that I used UDC to download all the critical updates and hotfixes for that purpose. I probably confused the issue by mentioning that because, in this case, one really has nothing to do with the other.

Considering that we are way past EOS for WinXP, I thought that the update auto installs would be the end of it. Do you know what triggers the .net updates and others “relevant” to this machine? Why weren’t these last .net updates pushed to me right after the re-install?

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You’ll get .net updates if you have .net installed on your machine. If you don’t, you don’t.

You only have .net installed if you have software that needs it. So….maybe after installing Windows, you installed .net-type software. Only then would you get updates for it.

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Ahh. I was rather suspicious that that might be the case. The only reason that I am keeping XP going is for a couple of apps that I need from time to time. Apparently they don’t need .net because the .net updates didn’t load until I installed nlite software which apparently does. This is pretty much a clean install with all available updates now. The few apps that I’ve installed can be easily deleted. I think I will just do a new image backup and forget about the slipstreaming. I’m not sure what the slipstreamed disk will do for me that the image won’t.
Thanks

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Yup – different strokes for different folks. I prefer to go the slipstreaming route – mainly because I might want to change any other software in future, but hey, that’s just me.

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If I use the image backup to re-install I can easily delete the software included with it and install something new/different. Can you tell me what you mean by “change any other software”? Why is it better than using the image? Maybe I still want to do the slipstream process and just don’t know it yet:rolleyes:

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Well, let’s say I make an image which includes MS Office. I may decide in the future not to use Office and try something else. I could uninstall Office, but it might leave stuff in the registry, or appdata, that just adds to the junk. With a clean install of Windows, I’ve got a clean sheet.

(OK, maybe Office isn’t a good example, as MS stuff usually uninstalls quite cleanly, but you get what I mean.)

I could, of course, just make a clean Windows-and-nothing-else image, but installing Windows from scratch, with all the updates slipstreamed, only takes 40 minutes anyway. Not much of an advantage, really, in the grand scheme of things. And it’s not as if I’m installing Windows all the time these days.

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That’s kinda what I thought. I’ve been having trouble getting a good slipstream done. I think I’ll just stick to the image for now.
If you don’t mind. Maybe you could answer a question about my slipstreaming problem:

Using nlite on my old WinXP system, I created a bootable disk that included all service packs and all updates since the last one. I used UDC to download the updates. The disk booted OK on the XP machine and I let it load everything up to the setup screen (didn’t want to overwrite anything). I have Virtual Box running on my Linux laptop and tried to use this for a test install of XP using the newly created disk. The disk booted but very quickly stopped with the message “i8042prt.sys could not be found”. I did a search for the file and found it in i386sp3.cabi8042prt.sys on the DVD. Any idea what went wrong and what I might do differently?

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Frankly, no. I mean, if it’s there, it’s there. Nlite is well-supported and there’s loads of info here. You could do a lot worse than having a trawl through the forums.

I do remember there was a bug in Nlite which meant KB978338 had to be put below KB2509553. You just sorted the updates by date ascending, then with the arrows on the right, move KB978338 below KB2509553. But that only applied to XP Home, not Professional. I forgot to do it once, and it did miss a file; it still installed OK though. And that was with an earlier version of Nlite – it may be fixed now.

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What is UCD? Did you have to change the system date first before the install? I have needed to re-install from a corporate xp disk and found it necessary to go into Bios and change year to something like 2003…………..

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What is UCD?[/quote]
http://xdot.tk/

Did you have to change the system date first before the install?

No.

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Just a quick update:
Back when sp3 first came out, I followed some very good step by step instructions and made a slipstreamed disk to include sp 1, 2, & 3. It worked fine and I’ve used it on a couple of occasions. When I decided to make another disk to include all of the post EOS critical updates I thought that the first slipstreamed disk was a logical starting point. As I mentioned above, the second one didn’t work. I decided to try again using my original sp1 disk as a starting point. This time it worked just fine and I used it to do an install onto my virtual drive. All is going well with it so far.
I’m still working on being able to store and install all the .net framework fixes and updates offline. I found that there are 3 executables that will install the basic versions 1 thru 4 offline. But, that leaves lots of fixes and updates; some of which require a connection. I understand that there is a beta version of “unofficial” SP4 out there. I’ve read a few pros and cons. There is also a download file named .Net Framework AIO. I don’t yet know how to use it.

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Glad you’re doing well with it. If you use WUD you can choose to download what updates to download – just the .net ones if you want.

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Seems like I’ve looked every where. How did I miss that one? Looks like just what I need.
Thanks

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Tonyl,
I may need to post this on the MSFN site but I thought that since you have been so helpful I would fill you in on what’s going on. I downloaded the latest updates list for XP from WUD and, as you said, it includes everything including critical, optional, media player, and .net updates. I inserted the list into nLite, organized them by date, made a few other adjustments, and started the integration process. Soon after starting a message popped up that said: “dotnetfx35.exe – Not expected type of hotfix”. Then, on top of it, another message popped up that said the system was shutting down in __ seconds. I was able to stop the shutdown and the process continued. A short time later, three other messages popped up saying that certain updates were being skipped because they are “not made for this Windows version”. I clicked “OK” for each one and the process continued to the end. I made a bootable CD from the ISO and used it to install on a virtual machine. It appeared that all was good until I checked to see if all updates appeared in the Control Panel-Add/Remove Programs window. The .net, optional, and Media Player updates are there but not the critical updates. There are only 3 under the category of security update.
The dotnetfx35.exe file loads the initial version of .net framework 3.5 among other things, I guess. DotNetFx40_Full_x86_x64.exe is also in the list and it was integrated just fine. Maybe the problem was that it was in the list ahead of dotnetfx35.
I don’t think that the other 3 “skipped” files indicate a problem. According to Microsoft, the 3 skipped files have multiple versions for x86, 64, win2000, Vista, etc. However, the 3 skipped files had “x86” in the name and they are for XP.
I checked the last run in nLite and there are about 140 hotfixes and security updates. I’m wondering why only 3 were integrated. On another machine we have with XP there are well over 100 security updates which were installed from MS in typical fashion.
The only “adjustments” I made was to eliminate the foreign keyboards and languages (thought it might save some space), put in my product key, and regional info. It doesn’t seem like that should have caused a problem.
Maybe the threatened shutdown caused it? I suppose I can switch the two .net files around and do another run (wasting another CD) :rolleyes:
I would appreciate any comments you may have.

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It’s normal for the integrated updates not to appear in the list of installed apps. Think about it; they’re not actually updates now – they were there in the original installation. The only things that will appear are addons, i.e., things like Media Player and .net runtimes and fixes. They’re not updates to Windows and can be uninstalled.

It’s also normal for nlite to reject any updates that don’t apply. It’s probably best, especially, to install .net separately if you want it.

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That makes sense when I think about it that way. I did find what I assume are all updates from sp1 thru sp3 plus the ones I just added in C:windowssystem2CatRoot… Over 200 files there; mostly KB…

Just for grins I ran nLite again and put dotnetfx_35.exe ahead of dotNetFx40_Full_x86_x64.exe. Those two then integrated just fine. However, nLite then stumbled over another file related to wmp11 and tried to shut down again. I’m pretty sure that this is a different file than caused this the previous time. I guess I should report this to nLite.
Thanks for the help

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Reading through your posts I think you may be under the impression that you need to slipstream SP1, 2, and 3 in order, but you don’t. You probably know that, to install SP3, the minimum requirement is SP1a. But that minimum requirement only applies to a running system; it doesn’t apply to slipstreaming. Whatever base XP disk you have, you can just slipstream SP3 (and the post-SP3 updates) straight onto it.

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No. I think I understand that part OK. I’m starting with my original disk that includes sp1. I’m then slipstreaming sp3. I understand that sp3 includes all updates that came before. I’m assuming that what I’m seeing in C:windowssystem2CatRoot… (after booting the slipstreamed disk) are all the updates from 0 to sp1, sp1 to sp2, sp2 to sp3 (all included in sp3), and post sp3 (downloaded from WUD).

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Correct. Normally, SP3 won’t install on a system at SP1, because it’s not compatible. But the slipstreaming process replaces the non-compatible parts with the SP3 stuff, so there’s no issue.

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I am not sure it would apply in a slipstreamed case but for ordinary updates there is a command line parameter to run an update that will list updates installed. Run he Kb file with a ‘?’ and it will likely tell you what to use, sorry on Linux box now.

🍻

Just because you don't know where you are going doesn't mean any road will get you there.

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Yup; once a month I turn on XP updates to get the monthly MRT scan and do, occasionally get the Office Viewer security updates too (like I just did a day ago). 🙂

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Yes, I just leave mine on; there were about ½ dozen Office updates this week.

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I turn mine off since XP use to have an issue with svhost taking too many cpu cycles. They patched this one multiple times but I just got into the habit of turning off updates (and turned the update warning off) until I know patch Tuesday comes around. My XP Virtual machine remains happy. Hard to believe it’s been almost a year since Microsoft stopped pushing security updates for XP itself. I’m still using my XP VM as my main sandbox. Just hope the internet browsers continue to be relevant for XP (Yes; I know IE8 isn’t but I haven’t used IE8 for quite a long time now) but one day the powers that be will require some code that won’t run in XP but is essential for online presence. That day will be a sad one indeed. 🙂

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I am sure this has been brought up before on this site but here it is again for those still updating XP:
http://forum.scottmueller.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=2832

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First, you have to hack your system so Microsoft will think it’s a POS. Also, Microsoft has said there could be dire consequences if you should do this, but so far I’ve yet heard of anyone that got burnt doing the hack. Still, as time goes on, it’s less likely virus authors will even bother XP boxes. In a weird sense, it could be even more a secure OS then Win7/8 soon. lol

🙂

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