How to create CD of Windows updates (vs. doing direct live update) (vanity)

self

[rudy45]

I am working with a client that has a LAN and high speed Internet connection in its central office. The client has several nearby "satellite" locations, each with one or two PCs, with only dialup Internet access.

I am facing a challenge in keeping the remote PCs current with Windows updates. Trying to download them over a dialup connection will take HOURS.

Here's what I would like to do instead:
- At each PC, connect to Microsoft via dialup for a scan of needed updates
- Record the list of updates
- At central office, do download of updates and create a CD of them (rather than directly updating the computer that is doing the download

I was told that the Technet section of microsoft.com allows me to download and burn a CD. However, I am having trouble finding it. All I continue to see is the option to do direct, live update.

Does Microsoft really allow me to download and create such a CD? Why am I having trouble finding the right part of the Microsoft web page?

Any other thoughts or suggestions are welcome. Thanks.

[zeugma]

Why am I having trouble finding the right part of the Microsoft web page?

You're using windows, yet you expect microsoft to make something easy for you? :-) You should know by now that's not the microsoft way.

[qwertyz]

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/search.aspx?displaylang=en

[Incorrigible]

 

http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/cd/order.asp

Order the Windows Security Update CD

Updated Date: April 16, 2004
 

The Windows Security Update CD will be shipped to you free of charge. This CD includes Microsoft critical updates released through October 2003 and information to help you protect your PC. In addition, you will also receive a free antivirus and firewall trial software CD.

This CD is only available for Windows XP, Windows Me, Windows 2000, Windows 98, and Windows 98 Second Edition (SE).

Please allow 2-4 weeks for delivery.

To get started, please choose your location (language) from the appropriate drop-down menu. Customers outside the US and Canada: Please select a location and language below to order a CD. (CD availability varies by country.)

[Gorzaloon]

(Tinfoil) Maybe MS prefers realtime online updates, so that while they are at it, they can take a look and see if there is anything they should tell the RIAA about.

Since their Media Player is so eager to "Manage media content", it would be no surprise. (/Tinfoil)

[Vulpes]

I think you will want to look into Software Update Service (SUS) and Windows Update Service (WUS) on Microsoft's site

[NJ_gent]

I believe Microsoft has a seperate page for Corporate customers to download individual updates for network-based installations. That may no longer be available, however, as they'd prefer to get you using Software Update Services (SUS). That being said, you can also order a CD from Microsoft, but I believe that costs a small fee, and it will obviously be out of date rather quickly.

If the computers in the satellite offices are Windows 2000 or above, your best option is to configure automatic updates to automatically download and install available updates at a specified time when you know the computers will be active. I generally prefer to set this towards the end of the work day, as it sometimes requires a reboot. If you're dealing with 98/ME machines, you can get the critical updates notifier (available under the recommended updates on the Windows Update site), which will prompt the users to download available critical updates. The successor to SUS, WUS, should be available shortly, if it is not already. You can read more about that here.

[Myrddin]

The Windows Update site maintains downloadable images for corporate LAN deployment. Your situation is very common. Surf the update site and find the corporate LAN download images.

Check here as a starting point.

[sionnsar]

Windows Update ping!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Good info.

[Codeflier]

Ping for later

[Golden Eagle]

I think this is the information you need:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;323166

You'll need your own cd burner software after you've downloaded the patches. Hope it works for you, we do it all the time.

[zeugma]

Great link qwertyz.

Just for fun, I went there to see what it would take to get a system running W2Kpro fully patched. It would appear that I'd need SP4 for W2K. Then, I'd have to download 250 separate "hotfixes" to go along with them. I could cut them to a disk I suppose, but that still leaves me with a lot of work ahead of me.

If one were an unlucky administrator of a Win-XP server, and I wanted to make a CD for patching systems, I'd need to download SP1 for Win-XP, then 499 patches! Jeez! I'd not realized how truely broken their patching process is.

I really feel sorry for poor bastards stuck on that treadmill.

[Golden Eagle]

It would appear that I'd need SP4 for W2K. Then, I'd have to download 250 separate "hotfixes" to go along with them.

Your numbers are way off, there's nowhere near that many patches needed post-SP4. My guess is you already knew that but as usual jumped at any chance to smear Microsoft, even with bogus information.

If one were an unlucky administrator of a Win-XP server...

Windows XP is not a server operating system. You probably knew that too.

I'd need to download SP1 for Win-XP, then 499 patches!

More bogus information, quite obviously. Microsoft is often deserving of criticism, but making up lies about them is just as bad as anything they've done to anyone.

[zeugma]

Your numbers are way off, there's nowhere near that many patches needed post-SP4. My guess is you already knew that but as usual jumped at any chance to smear Microsoft, even with bogus information.

You are a moron. If you want to see for yourself... HERE is the link for the post-sp1 patches. Count them for yourself.

Do you ever get tired being such an obvious shill?

[Xenalyte]

Not quite on topic, but I wiped my drive and reinstalled XP Pro over the weekend. Since some Windows Updates require a) that you install them separately from other updates and b) that you reboot after installing, I restarted - I counted - 37 times. My hand to God.

If my PC weren't a fast boot, I'd still be there.

[zeugma]

In contrast, I upgraded one of my Fedora servers just last night from media I have a subscription service to which included about 50 package updates including a kernel upgrade and it required exactly 2 reboots. One to boot off the media, and one after it was complete.

[Salo]

Nice, but by the time you get the cd, it's out of date.

What I would like is a way to burn a live (as of the day I create it) cd that I can send home with my users - many don't have a broadband connection and have gotten infected before they could get patched, and Christmas will be here before we know it.

I have a CD I send out that has a free virus scanner, free IE popup blocker, spybot S&D and Firefox to help users make their PCs less vulnerable to viruses and spyware, but having all Windows updates would be a real help - especially if it could be automated so all they do is put the cd in and let it rip (like the one from MS).

[RightFighter]

You are a moron. If you want to see for yourself... HERE is the link for the post-sp1 patches. Count them for yourself.

Do you ever get tired being such an obvious shill?

I always enjoy when someone calls someone else a moron and then offers up their "proof", and that proof turns out to be bogus. The page you linked to in this post contains information concerning fixes for issues that have arisen since Service Pack 1 was released. Most of these issues are accompanied by hotfixes that will resolve the issue in question, but they are not intended to be installed on EVERY machine, only on machines that are experiencing that problem. So, you can't really say that there are 499 patches that you have to install to bring a system up to date. That's misleading.

It's a lot better than if MS just said "Sorry, that didn't happen on our test machines so we're not going to fix it." I get mad at some of the things that they do too, but when you realize what a HUGE company they are, I think they actually do a pretty good job of solving these issues.