Need standalone download for Windows XP Service Pack 1

[John7690]

I ran into an unusual situation yesterday and need help to solve the circular
problem.

I am resurrecting an old Dell 4300 desktop for my son to use as his first
computer. The box was inherited from my mom with a dead hard drive. Using
parts I had lying around I replaced the drive and added a USR5417 wireless
modem to connect to our home wireless network for internet access.

The problem is that the OEM installation disc for XP Home is a pre-SP1
version and it turns out that the driver for the wireless card requires SP1
to install, hence the recursive error: I can't download SP1 via Windows
Update without the card and I can't get the card working without SP1!

I searched the download section of Microsoft.com and found this:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...F8-1684-4202-B2D0-C6A43430F12A&displaylang=en

It is described as "Windows XP Service Pack 1a Express Install (32-Bit) for
End Users" which sounds like exactly what I am looking for however it is only
1.9 MB and I suspect that the actual SP is a lot bigger than that. I am not
at home so I cannot test it but I fear that this is just an installer that
downloads the actual SP once it is run. Can anyone verify this and if that's
the case, is there anywhere I can go to get the actual service pack to
download as a stand-alone install? Any other ideas on how to make this work
without going out and buying additional hardware?

I do not have a dial-up account that I can use, the only really practical
way I can connect to the internet is via wireless. Any help is appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

-John

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

I ran into an unusual situation yesterday and need help to solve the
circular
problem.

I am resurrecting an old Dell 4300 desktop for my son to use as his first
computer. The box was inherited from my mom with a dead hard drive.
Using
parts I had lying around I replaced the drive and added a USR5417 wireless
modem to connect to our home wireless network for internet access.

The problem is that the OEM installation disc for XP Home is a pre-SP1
version and it turns out that the driver for the wireless card requires
SP1
to install, hence the recursive error: I can't download SP1 via Windows
Update without the card and I can't get the card working without SP1!

I searched the download section of Microsoft.com and found this:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...F8-1684-4202-B2D0-C6A43430F12A&displaylang=en

It is described as "Windows XP Service Pack 1a Express Install (32-Bit)
for
End Users" which sounds like exactly what I am looking for however it is
only
1.9 MB and I suspect that the actual SP is a lot bigger than that. I am
not
at home so I cannot test it but I fear that this is just an installer that
downloads the actual SP once it is run. Can anyone verify this and if
that's
the case, is there anywhere I can go to get the actual service pack to
download as a stand-alone install? Any other ideas on how to make this
work
without going out and buying additional hardware?

I do not have a dial-up account that I can use, the only really practical
way I can connect to the internet is via wireless. Any help is
appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

-John

Yes, the Express Version is only a loader. You could download the
full version from here:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...BE-3B8E-4F30-8245-9E368D3CDB5A&displaylang=en
then burn it on a CD and run it off that CD on the Dell machine.

 

[John7690]

Thank you for the link Pegasus! That sounds like the solution, however I
want to make sure; the title says SP2, I assume that it includes SP1 as well,
right?

Thanks again!

-John

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

AFAIK, SP2 includes SP1.

Thank you for the link Pegasus! That sounds like the solution, however I
want to make sure; the title says SP2, I assume that it includes SP1 as
well,
right?

Thanks again!

-John

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

Yes. SP1 is not required in upgrading XP Gold to SP2.