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Future XP Updates

Discussion in 'Windows XP' started by sdculp, 2013/12/07.

  1. 2013/12/07
    sdculp

    sdculp Inactive Thread Starter

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    Regardless of what I may do with future versions of Windows, I will keep XP going in one of my computers for the foreseeable future in order to be able to work with data and software which may be incompatible with later versions.

    My hard drives are partitioned so that the OS is in it’s own partition. The version is Sp.3 and all updates are installed. I keep C: backed up with Acronis, Macrium Reflect and EaseUS Todo but there is always that unforeseen situation where a complete install is necessary.

    In the case of a clean install after XP is no longer supported, how can I obtain or install the updates? For instance, can the update files, which I assume are $……$ be preserved and installed? If so, how?
     
  2. 2013/12/07
    SpywareDr

    SpywareDr SuperGeek WindowsBBS Team Member

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  4. 2013/12/07
    sdculp

    sdculp Inactive Thread Starter

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    Thanks for the reply.

    The security center seems to be geared to the latest updates, but in the case of a clean install, one would need ALL of them. Would the update center detect that none were installed and proceed to install all several thousand of them?
     
  5. 2013/12/07
    SpywareDr

    SpywareDr SuperGeek WindowsBBS Team Member

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    Yes. Just re-installed Windows XP Pro (in a virtual machine) maybe a month or so ago and there are some 270-odd updates listed in its "Microsoft Update" > "Review your update history ".
     
  6. 2013/12/07
    sdculp

    sdculp Inactive Thread Starter

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    That sounds encouraging. I guess I'm a bit suspicious, but I hope that Microsoft doesn't "pull" all those files once they stop support.
     
  7. 2013/12/07
    SpywareDr

    SpywareDr SuperGeek WindowsBBS Team Member

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  8. 2013/12/07
    sdculp

    sdculp Inactive Thread Starter

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    Looks good.
     
  9. 2013/12/07
    SpywareDr

    SpywareDr SuperGeek WindowsBBS Team Member

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  10. 2013/12/07
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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    As a side note - if your XP machine does not require Internet access simply disable the NIC and forget about security updates. Probably a good idea to download copies of SP1 & SP3 though.
     
    rsinfo likes this.
  11. 2013/12/07
    James Martin

    James Martin Geek Member

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    How do you locate these old updates anyway? I'm not familiar with ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/peropsys/ part of the web address.
     
  12. 2013/12/07
    SpywareDr

    SpywareDr SuperGeek WindowsBBS Team Member

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  13. 2013/12/07
    sdculp

    sdculp Inactive Thread Starter

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    Backing up a fresh install is the best way to go. Unfortunately for me, mine got lost when a hard drive died.

    Some recommend a fresh install every year or so. But the idea of over 120 applications with associated installation codes and preference setups is a LOT of work! I prefer “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. If it gets to the point where it isn’t repairable, then I would go that route.

    I haven’t worked with ftp for years. As I remember, the problem with ftp is knowing where to go to find out what you want and then understanding how to work with what you find. For instance, one would think that ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/../ would show a lot of stuff. But there is nothing there about Windows updates, and most of the files are 10 or more years old.

    ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/peropsys/windows/public/ that I got from your link only seems to have references to Windows 3.1 and Windows 98 and I don’t understand what those files are for. Ftp doesn’t seem to me to be a practical way to do updates.
     
  14. 2013/12/07
    James Martin

    James Martin Geek Member

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    Ditto for me too.

    I tried to locate a few ftp files using the address bar, but struck out except for the provided links above.
     
  15. 2013/12/08
    SpywareDr

    SpywareDr SuperGeek WindowsBBS Team Member

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    The .txt files (index.txt, readme.txt, etc.) seen in many of the directories can help you locate what you're after. And of course you can also use Google.

    For example, let's say I wanted to download the Windows 95 Installer Cleanup Utility. Google the string:


    and you'll note three things right there on the Google results page:

    1. The name of the file is "msicu.exe ",

    2. The file's name and description is located in the ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/softlib/index.txt file, and

    3. that "msicu.exe" file must be located in the Ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/softlib directory (softlib=software library) because that's where the "index.txt" file containing the filename and brief description is located.
    So, go to Ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/softlib, scroll down and click the "msicu.exe" file to start the download.

    To find out more about the msicu.exe file, Google:


    Or here's the old original Microsoft description:
    Code:
    From:
    [url]http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;290301[/url]
    
    The Windows Installer CleanUp Utility is provided  "as is" to help resolve installation problems for programs that use Microsoft Windows Installer. If you use this utility, you may have to reinstall other programs. Caution is advised.
    SUMMARY
    Microsoft has updated the Windows Installer CleanUp Utility. With the Windows Installer CleanUp Utility, you can remove a program's Windows Installer configuration information. You may want to remove the Windows Installer configuration information for your program if you experience installation (Setup) problems. For example, you may have to remove a program's Windows Installer configuration information if you have installation problems when you try to add (or remove) a component of your program that was not included when you first installed your program.
    
    The Windows Installer CleanUp Utility does not:
    
        * Remove Windows Installer.
        * Remove files of any programs that are installed by Windows Installer, such as Microsoft Office 2003.
    
    The Windows Installer CleanUp Utility does:
    
        * Provide a dialog box where you can select one or more programs that were installed by Windows Installer. You select the programs on the Installed Products list in the Windows Installer CleanUp dialog box. After you make this selection, the utility removes only the Windows Installer configuration information that is related to those programs.
        * Remove the files and registry settings that make up the Windows Installer configuration information for programs that you select. 
    
    If you use this utility to remove the Windows Installer configuration information for your program and you plan to reinstall the program, you should reinstall the program in the same folder where you originally installed it. This prevents duplication of files on your hard disk or disks.
    MORE INFORMATION
    This version of the Windows Installer CleanUp Utility works correctly in all 32-bit versions of Microsoft Windows. The 32-bit versions of Microsoft Windows are: :
    
        * Microsoft Windows Server 2003
        * Microsoft Windows XP
        * Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition
        * Microsoft Windows 2000
        * Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 3 or later
        * Microsoft Windows 98
        * Microsoft Windows 95
    
    The following file is available for download from the Microsoft Download Center:
    DownloadDownload the Windows Installer Cleanup Utility package now.
    Contents of the Readme.txt File
    
    README FOR WINDOWS INSTALLER CLEAN UP UTILITY
    JANUARY, 2004
    
    WHAT IS THE WINDOWS INSTALLER CLEAN UP UTILITY?
    You can use the Windows Installer Clean Up Utility to remove Windows Installer 
    settings from your computer if a problem occurs. Although Windows Installer is 
    designed to be very robust, Windows Installer can become damaged if any of the 
    following issues occurs:
    
     - Your computer's registry becomes corrupted.
    
     - You or someone else inadvertently changes a registry setting that is 
       used by Windows Installer and that causes a problem.
    
     - The installation of a program that uses Windows Installer (for 
       example, Microsoft Office 2000) is interrupted.
    
     - There are multiple instances of Setup running at the same time, or 
       an instance of Setup is  "blocked. "
    
    WHY IS THERE ONLY ONE VERSION?
    There were two versions of the Windows Installer Clean Up Utility: Msicu.exe 
    (designed for use in Microsoft Windows 95 and Microsoft Windows 98), and 
    Msicuu.exe (designed for use in Microsoft Windows NT). This version of the Windows 
    Installer Clean Up Utility works correctly in all 32-bit versions of Microsoft 
    Windows.
    
    WHAT IS MSIZAP.EXE?
    The Windows Installer Clean Up Utility uses the Msizap.exe program file to 
    perform clean-up operations on the Windows Installer registry settings. Microsoft 
    does not recommend that you run Msizap.exe manually because Msizap.exe uses a 
    command-line interface. Msizap.exe does not provide the same ease of use or 
    level of protection as the Windows Installer Clean Up Utility.
    
    HOW DO I INSTALL THE WINDOWS INSTALLER CLEAN UP UTILITY?
    Run the Windows Installer Clean Up Utility when you download it. By default, 
    the Setup program installs the Windows Installer Clean Up Utility files in the 
    following folder on your hard disk:
    
       C:\Program Files\Windows Installer Clean Up
    
    You can install the utility in another location if you want to. All the files 
    that are used by the Windows Installer Clean Up Utility (Msicuu.exe, Msizap.exe, 
    and this Readme file) are copied into this folder. A shortcut for the Windows 
    Installer Clean Up Utility is created on the Programs menu under the Start menu.
    
    If you try to install the Windows Installer Clean Up Utility from a floppy disk, 
    you may receive the following error messages:
    
       Internal Error 2724. UNINSTALL 1,
    
       Installation ended prematurely because of an error.
    
    To prevent this problem, install the Windows Installer Clean Up Utility only 
    from your hard disk.
    
    HOW DO I RUN THE WINDOWS INSTALLER CLEAN UP UTILITY?
    To run the Windows Installer Clean Up Utility, use either of the following methods:
    
     - Click Start, click Programs, and then click the shortcut for the 
       Windows Installer Clean Up Utility.
    
     - In Microsoft System Information, click Windows Installer Clean Up on the 
       Tools menu.
    
    When you do this, you receive a dialog box that displays the following message:
    
       Continuing further will make permanent changes to your system. You may
       need to reinstall some or all applications on your system that used the
       Windows Installer technology to be installed. If you do not want to 
       proceed, please press the 'Exit' button now. Choosing 'Remove' will 
       make the permanent changes.
    
    The dialog box also lists all the currently installed programs that are 
    registered with Windows Installer. Because the Windows Installer Clean Up 
    Utility also uses Windows Installer, the Windows Installer Clean Up Utility 
    is listed in this dialog box.
    
    You can select multiple items in the list by holding down the SHIFT key 
    or the CTRL key while you select the items.
    
    There are four buttons in the dialog box:
    
       Button name  Purpose
       ---------------------------------------------------------------------
       Select All   Selects all the programs in the list.
    
       Clear All    Clears the selection of all the programs in the list.
    
       Remove       Removes the Windows Installer registry settings that are 
                    associated with the selected program or programs.
    
       Exit         Quits the Windows Installer Clean Up Utility.
    
    If you click Remove, the Windows Installer Clean Up Utility displays the 
    following prompt:
    
       Warning - All items selected will be removed from the Windows Installer 
       database. In order for the items to work properly, you must individually 
       re-install all items selected. Select OK to continue removing product,
       Cancel to abort.
    
    If you click OK, the Windows Installer Clean Up Utility removes all the Windows 
    Installer information that is associated with the selected programs, including 
    the entries for the programs in the Add/Remove Programs tool in Control Panel. 
    If you remove the settings for a program that is currently installed on your 
    computer, the program can no longer add or remove components or repair itself. 
    To prevent problems, Microsoft recommends that you reinstall your programs before 
    you use them.
    
    WHAT IF I RECEIVE AN ERROR MESSAGE?
    The Windows Installer Clean Up Utility is designed to inform you if there is a 
    problem. The following table lists the error messages that you may receive from 
    the Windows Installer Clean Up Utility and their causes.
    
       Error message                            Cause
       ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
       This utility requires that Msizap.exe    Msizap.exe version 2 cannot be
       version 2 or greater reside in the same  found in the same folder as 
       folder.                                  Msicuu.exe.
    
       You must have Administrator              To run Msicuu.exe, you must be
       rights to run this utility.              logged on with administrator 
                                                rights.
    
       This utility requires that the Windows   Msicuu.exe uses the Windows 
       Installer be installed and properly      Installer object model to identify
       registered.                              the installed products. To correct
                                                the problem, try reregistering 
                                                Msi.dll.
    
    HOW DO I REMOVE THE WINDOWS INSTALLER CLEAN UP UTILITY?
    When you install the Windows Installer Clean Up Utility, an entry for the utility
    is created in the Add/Remove Programs tool in Control Panel. To remove the Windows
    Installer Clean Up Utility, click the entry in the list of installed programs, and
    then click Add/Remove.
    
    The information in this article applies to:
    
        * Microsoft Office 2003, All Editions
        * Microsoft Office XP, All Editions
        * Microsoft Office 2000, All Editions
        * Microsoft Office Access 2003
        * Microsoft Access 2002
        * Microsoft Access 2000
        * Microsoft Office Excel 2003
        * Microsoft Excel 2002
        * Microsoft Excel 2000
        * Microsoft Office FrontPage 2003
        * Microsoft FrontPage 2002
        * Microsoft FrontPage 2000
        * Microsoft Office InfoPath 2003
        * Microsoft Office OneNote 2003
        * Microsoft Office Outlook 2003
        * Microsoft Outlook 2002
        * Microsoft Outlook 2000
        * Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2003
        * Microsoft PowerPoint 2002
        * Microsoft PowerPoint 2000
        * Microsoft Office Publisher 2003
        * Microsoft Publisher 2002
        * Microsoft Publisher 2000
        * Microsoft Office Visio Professional 2003
        * Microsoft Office Visio Standard 2003
        * Microsoft Visio 2002 Professional
        * Microsoft Visio 2002 Standard
        * Microsoft Visio 2000 Professional Edition
        * Microsoft Visio 2000 Standard Edition
        * Microsoft Office Word 2003
        * Microsoft Word 2002
        * Microsoft Word 2000
        * Microsoft Office Project Professional 2003
        * Microsoft Office Project Standard 2003
        * Microsoft Project 2002
        * Microsoft Project 2000
    
    Last Reviewed:	8/25/2004 (4.4)
    Keywords:	kbsetup kbBTSAdapters kbfile kbhowto KB290301 kbAudEndUser kbAudITPRO
    
     Contact Us 
    
    © 2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.  Terms of use  Security & Privacy  Accessibility
     
  16. 2013/12/11
    ThomasJK

    ThomasJK Well-Known Member

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    SpywareDr wrote about the availability of MS updates...
    "...even the MS-DOS 6.22 Stepup upgrade is still available from Microsoft "
    That is amazing, 19 years old updates are still available. Maybe I should take that, since I am running
    MS-DOS 6.0 on this computer :)
    Well, I just dont have that Stepup-license. Before this, I had never heard about a Stepup-licence, and I was
    amazed, that MS made freely available an update, to their then latest OS.
     

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