Offline Windows Update

[TechguyUK]

I regularly do fresh XP and Vista installs for customers and after installing the OS and latest Service Pack I generally connect the machine to the net and run windows update...which for XP generally means around another 75 updates to download and install on top of SP3 and for Vista another 54 on top of SP2, each system invariable also needs a couple of reboots in between.

I know you can get iso's from MS containing all their latest security updates as well as build an MS update server for corporate deployment and that there are apps out there that will apparently manage your updates for you, but I'm not sure what the 'best' way is for a repair shop type enviroment.

I was wondering if any of you guys have any experience of storing updates locally and running windows update 'offline' ?

 

[Xander]

Are you not using CDs slipstreamed to include the latest service packs? If you're not, it'll save you a ton of time and trouble and, then, only have to worry about the smaller updates.

 

[TechguyUK]

Are you not using CDs slipstreamed to include the latest service packs? If you're not, it'll save you a ton of time and trouble and, then, only have to worry about the smaller updates.

Yes I am using CDs slipstreamed with the latest SP, the issue is the 70+ KB/Security updates XP needs on top of SP3 or the 50+ vista needs on top of SP2 that I get fed up dowloading repeatedly via an online windows update on each machine.

 

[dbdawn]

Set up WSUS or use the 3rd part application "WSUS Offline Update"

 

[xxsilk109xx]

I too have this issue, and would like to know more about how that is done. Sometimes those 75 updates can take over an hour to install.

 

[ATTech]

WSUS is so incredibly easy to set-up and manage.

 

[TechguyUK]

Ok, so assuming I set up a WSUS server, is it simply a question of 'pointing' customer machines that are in the shop at my WSUS server for their updates or do they need to be configured to be part of a domain or be running active directory etc in order to participate ?

 

[ATTech]

They don't have to be part of a domain. There is a script that you can find all over the internet that you run on a machine and it will point to your WSUS server for updates.

 

[DarDar]

have a look at this
http://download.wsusoffline.net/

and this:
http://www.windowsupdatesdownloader.com/ProgramFiles.aspx

 

[hyfidel]

You don't even need to fuss with a WSUS server. Just run WSUS Offline Updater every month and then copy it to a couple of flash drives.

 

[TechguyUK]

Thanks guys, very useful. I'll give it a go today.

 

[Cambridge PC Support]

I use IPCop as my firewall which has a transparent proxy which I've got set to cache pretty much everything, so once an update/program/whatever has been downloaded once, it'll just stream directly from the cache on subsequent downloads

 

[veedar]

Check out AutoPatcher.com

Q: What are the advantages of AutoPatcher over Windows Update?
A: The main advantage is that you just have to do one download in order to have all the patches and add-ons, such as Sun Java, MSN Messenger 7.x and Windows Media Player 10