Keep Windows XP updated – the easy way

I still come across PCs installed with Win XP SP2 and guys without any thought about SP3 or post-SP3 patches.  All had automatic updates disabled, but that is understandable (the haphazard connection speed and on-line-time makes automatic updates fail or partially install hotfix – leading to OS corruption).

updated: new post with updated patch file till Oct 2011 here.
update: April 2014.  This post is outdated as MS has discontinued support for WinXP this month.

This post is not about SP3 installation or about slipstreaming SP3, but about applying post-SP3 patches.  There is not going to be an SP4 for Win XP, but the OS is not going to die off too – at least as long as extended support phase isn’t over in 2014.

• Problem 1
• Every patch Tuesday, Microsoft will (may) release security patches for Windows OS and there is no easy way keep the system patched, without automatic updates.
• Problem 2
• When we format & reinstall the OS for various reasons, we need to patch those machines.
• Problem 3
• As of Feb 2011, there are 100 security fixes (Critical, Important and Moderate) for the bare OS (Windows XP SP3, 32 bit) alone.  Depending upon the versions of IE, .NET and WMP, there could many more.
• Problem 4
• Depending upon the patch and PC security settings, installing a patch may involve 4 to 7 clicks (‘Double click + Run + Next + I agree + Next + Reboot Later + Finish’).  If it is painful now, think about the next 3-1/2 years of patches left!  No wonder people don’t bother to patch.

Solution
The obvious answer is to download and store a copy of these hotfixes for patching the OS at leisure.  And a way to auto-apply those patches, without endless clicking.
;-)

So, here I give away the two mad.madrasi ways to apply the patches – easy and too-easy.  Both are an unattended, one reboot way to patch the OS and get up to speed.


The easy way:

• Download all the post-SP3 patches to a folder on the PC. My own is in “D:\XPonlyOS”.
• Create a list of files in the folder.  The easiest way to do that is by typing ‘dir /a /b /-p /o:gen >filelisting.txt’ at the command prompt.  Only make sure you are in the ‘XPonlyOS’ folder.
• Edit the filelisting.txt  to reflect this MS support article and save it as a batch file.  Use the ‘Replace’ command in Notepad++:
  • Replace >>> .exe^p >>> with >>> .exe /u /z^p >>> Replace All
  • Replace >>> WindowsXP >>> with >>> %PATHTOFIXES%\WindowsXP >>> Replace
• • All
• The f
• inal file has to resemble this: (Replace last line ‘/z’ with ‘/forcerestart’)
  • @echo off
    setlocal
    set PATHTOFIXES=D:\XPonlyOS
    @echoon 
    %PATHTOFIXES%\WindowsXP-KB######-x86-ENU.exe /m /z
    %PATHTOFIXES%\WindowsXP-KB######-x86-ENU.exe /u /
  • PATHTOFIXES%\WindowsXP-KB######-x86-ENU.exe /u /forcerestart
• M
• ake sure the batch file is in same folder (‘D:\XPonlyOS’) and run it. (read ‘Notes’ below)

The too-easy way:

• Download the XPonlyOS.7z or XPonlyOS.zip from my MediaFire account. 
• Extract it to a convenient location like ‘C:\XPonlyOS’. 
• Open the folder and run ‘patch_xp_onlyos.bat’.  (read ‘Notes’ below)

Either way, watch the system being patched without bothering you.  It takes about 1 hour in my PC.  After that scan with the free Belarc Advisor to check whether the PC is up to date.

Note:

1. The XPonlyOS.7z file is ~53 MB and extracts to ~92 MB
2. The MD5 Hash is : 82cb70fa73623f2b8adc5e2ffcf40fba    XPonlyOS.7z
3. The SHA-1 Hash is: 0534677820ef256e45bd119dcfcc1f6997a7473c    XPonlyOS.7z
4. The XPonlyOS.zip file is ~90 MB and extracts to ~92MB
5. The MD5 Hash is : 71c48291bf3370d677a3bd7d29a4311e    XPonlyOS.zip
6. The SHA-1 Hash is: 78ea325ba958323f4640882e9bed8b9d15b17b55    XPonlyOS.zip
7. If your firewall protests too much, add the batch file to ‘trusted file/zone’.
8. Modify the ‘PATHOFFIXES’ as per your download/saved location (The default is ‘C:\XPonlyOS’).
9. If Belarc Advisor warns of more missing hotfix, download and install them.
10. This applies to Windows XP Pro SP3, 32 bit edition only & not for other editions.
11. Includes only the hotfix for the bare OS and not of IE, .NET, WMP or XML etc.
12. Read the Licence page – it applies in full - don't blame me later.
13. The Batch file ‘patch_xp_onlyos.bat’ has a ‘pause’ command before the last hotfix - (inserted Feb 2011) to review if all patches have been applied without error.

updated:  zip file added 02 Nov 2010

updated:  patch file updated till Feb 2011

updated: new post with updated patch file till Oct 2011 here

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