Daave said:
The absolute best way to back up these updates (and therefore save
precious time) is to regularly image or clone your hard drive.
It is possible to download individual updates, but this won't save you
any time unless you integrate (slipstream) them into a custom-made XP
installation CD.
But it would eliminate the time to *download* the updates, especially for
users with dial-up connections. Plus it eliminates even needing a network
connection through an ISP to retrieve the updates.
However, some updates are to be installed in a certain order, and you won't
know what is that order with a bunch of saved folders where each contains
the update (i.e., the "$<something>" folders under C:\Windows). When using
the online Windows Updates site, perhaps you've noticed that selecting one
update will result in disabling other updates. They cannot be installed
together. Plus one update, like going to IE8, will result in a different
set of needed updates that aren't to be installed if using IE6 or IE7. Some
updates roll in other updates. Some updates obviate other updates. Some
updates conflict with other updates (i.e., cannot be performed at the same
time). You could end up installing updates that are superfluous in your
particular instantiation of Windows.
There are some utilities that are supposed to help with maintaining an
offline catalog of Windows updates. One I saw (but have never used) is at
http://www.windowsupdatesdownloader.com/. An article discussing it at
http://www.blogsdna.com/1522/instan...pdates-with-windows-update-downloader-420.htm
notes it as a downloader for Windows Vista but the product's site doesn't
say it is just for Vista. While it creates an offline catalog of updates, I
doubt it knows which ones need to be installed separately of each other
(i.e., eliminate duplication of rolled up updates, like for hotfixes, or
those that are mutually exclusive).
Such downloaded (or offline) catalogs of updates won't include the driver
updates needed for whatever hardware on which you happen to install Windows.
So you'll still need to maintain your old offline catalog of driver updates
for whatever hardware on which you expect to install Windows. Most
motherboards have onboard controllers (sound, network, video, etc) which
means you won't be able to do much until you install the mobo's chipset
drivers. I've seen mention of a driver catalog utility over in the
alt.comp.freeware group. I just keep a CD full of the ones needed for my
current hardware but that won't help when installing Windows on a different
hardware platform.
