Capturing Windows Updates

This is probably a dummy question for someone nearly a term into an advanced W2K systems and networking course and I am too embarrassed to ask my teacher or fellow students!

In ME and 9x I could always capture and save updates so that if I needed to reinstall Windows I did not need to download them again - the Virtual Machine and DirectX being an example of large files boring to keep downloading.

However, in XP I cannot find where the files go so that I can capture and save them. I have done a complete search in every part of Windows and its folders both during and after the Windows Update process and in Program Files.

This is really annoying me and I feel so stupid :o

Gran its now very easy to do this.


Go to windows update when its loaded, on the left, click the link for "Personalise Windows updates"

Click the checkbox "Display the link to the Windows Update Catalog under See Also"

Click save settings, now on the left you should see a link to Windows Update Catalog - click it

Click Find updates for Microsoft Windows operating systems

Select which os you want to download updates for

press search

You will then get a list of 40 critical updates and 53 recommended updates - Click whichever one you want to do first.

Word of warning - I have found you can add all the updates to the download basket, but when you click the link to look at your download basket it errors out - it seems to be some downloads in combinations with others stop it working... that and too many selected. I select 10 at a time - it usually is happy with that.

Have fun!

Thanks Noo Noo, I now have a page open at the Windows Catalogue - I had always thought it was an advert for things like Flight Sim and games so I had disabled it!

Wow! a Geeks' Paradise, an Alladdin's Cave of goodies! no more wasting hours downloading updates when I reinstall an OS. Just make CDs for each OS I use.

I was absent the week we did updating at class so I will add this knowledge to my course folder.

Great! Noo Noo to the rescue yet again!:)

:thumbs2: