Downloading updates to A: drive

[Catherine]

My brother wants me to download a patch onto disk for him
from the Microsoft website. However, I do not see any
options when I do updates for saving to disk instead of
installing on the hard drive. Can this be done? If so,
how? Please note - this is not a situation where he has
a pirated XP program or anything - he has a Dell with
Windows XP that was factory-installed that has crashed ,
therefore he does not have acces to the internet. He
called Dell and they have suggested that someone download
this patch so that he can install it and try to restore
his computer without having to use the recovery disk,
because supposedly this patch, if it works, will keep him
from having to re-install all the software he has
purchased since he bought the computer.

 

[Norm]

Catherine, go to the Windows Update screen and on the left, under "See Also"
select Windows Update Catalog. On the next screen click "Find updates for
Microsoft Operating systems" and then scroll down the list for XP SP1. Then
click on "critical updates and service packs". Hopefully you will be able
to identify what he wants and then you can download it to either your disk
or to floppy.

 

[Alex Nichol]

My brother wants me to download a patch onto disk for him
from the Microsoft website. However, I do not see any
options when I do updates for saving to disk instead of
installing on the hard drive. Can this be done?

It will download initially into Temporary Internet Files. Empty that
out first for convenience (in Internet Options, middle of front page,
click 'Delete Files'). Then set about getting the patch - presuming
both machines have XP, and when it gets to install, with a dialog about
agreeing to do so, hold things while you copy the downloaded .exe file
away to somewhere else. Cancel the install unless you want to patch
your own machine. Take it over to the other machine and run it.