Patch-Update Deployment

I am looking for a method to quickly install windows service packs, updates, patches, hotfixes, etc. These 'patch files' are local on my hard drive, downloaded manually from the windows update website, and will be installed locally. I have, in the past, applied one update and then restarted(rinse, repeat). This method is very time consuming and I fear that if I do not follow this method some form of corruption or lack of installation will occur. I am on dialup, so redownloading the patches each time I reinstall is out of the question. I would also like to use this for the occasion that I reformat a friend or family member's system. I am preferably looking for a free solution to this problem.

 

clarock,

You can burn the patches to a cd & keep them for later installation. You can also slipstream your copy of Win XP.

 

This little program is FREE and will let you do what is called Slipstreaming. CLICK

 

Will that work with OEM?

... I don't want to redownload the updates or get the updates from a 3rd party either.

 

Probably but not sure. It is FREE to try.

 

clarock--If you are dealing with only one PC (and not having to update several from the same download), why not allow MS do both the downloading and installing for you in one step? I do not mean allowing auto download/installation in the background. You retain the freedom to download and install the updates you choose and when you want.
That is what I do.

 

dialup and 'other systems' are the keywords here..

 

Third party are not the keywords either. The updates are from M$ and you just put XP and the SP2 on the same disc. I don't know if you can add the updates that come later to that same disc or not. That program that I posted in my other post takes both the XP and the SP2 on the same disc for you.

 

So, in short you're saying that there's no faster way to install the updates than to have them local on a drive and install them one at a time while restarting to ensure they do not corrupt?

There's no way I could safely chain install them, excluding the windows setup entireley, after windows is installed? I can't compile my own sort of service pack or something?

I once installed SP1, restarted, installed SP2, restared and then installed all other patches/hotfixes in one session, restarted, installed .NET, restarted, installed Media Player Stuff, restarted... It seemed to be OK... but, I didn't know for sure...

Are there any ways to verify that the patches/hotfixes/sps/etc are installed properly, without corruption, with the latest file version, etc?

 

Thank you for the info, especially for the "First off, you don't need to install SP1. SP's are cumulative and SP2 contains it all." bit; I wasn't sure about this.

The only question I still have is: 'how do you know for sure that they updates are not some how corrupted or mis-versioned, due to our ignoring the restart prompt?'.

It also seems like there would be some way to supress all the EULA, next button, restart now junkola. Anybody have an idea about supressing this?

(I would like someone to 100% verify this)

 

There is a way. You have to specify switches /quiet /norestart.

Full details are given below. Hope it helps.

---------------------------
KB893803v2 Setup
---------------------------
AVAILABLE SWITCHES:
[/help] [/quiet] [/passive] [/norestart] [/forcerestart] [/warnrestart] [/promptrestart] [/overwriteoem] [/nobackup] [/forceappsclose] [/integrate:<fullpath>] [/log:<fullpath>]

/help Displays this message

SETUP MODES

/quiet Quiet mode (no user interaction or display)
/passive Unattended mode (progress bar only)

RESTART OPTIONS

/norestart Do not restart when installation is complete
/forcerestart Restart after installation
/warnrestart[:<seconds>] Warn and restart automatically if required (default timeout 30 seconds)
/promptrestart Prompt if restart is required

SPECIAL OPTIONS

/overwriteoem Overwrite OEM files without prompting
/nobackup Do not backup files needed for uninstall
/forceappsclose Force other programs to close when the computer shuts down
/integrate:<fullpath> Integrate this software update into <fullpath>
/log:<fullpath> Create log file at <fullpath>


---------------------------

 

If you have to install a lot of patches, manually typing every file name with the switches becomes a big pain. I use a batch file for that.

PeteC, I believe that you can slipstream patches onto Windows XP CD & install it on any numbers of PC as long as you have the correct individual XP key. Have been doing so for last year and no problems so far.

 

Thanks guys.. I'll batch file those patches.

But, still remains the question: How do you know for sure the applied patches are not corrupt (really applied, correct versioning, etc).



[edit]
ok, wait... i found this:

 

Yay! I can do it too!

Thanks again for all the help guys!

[Edit]

OK.. I found this utility:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;q282784#XSLTH4135121122120121120120

I ran it and it said:
KB893066: This hotfix should be reinstalled.

I resinstalled that update and it said all was ok when i ran Qfecheck.exe again...

So, now I'm uneasy again..

 

Well, having this utility from microsoft is nice... but, I think it only checks the hotfixes and not the other patches and such.. I'd really like to have some way to be sure of the installations, especially since this utility turned up a bad install...