Best registry keys for Windows & Office Updates/Hotfixes and...

Chad Harris · Aug 2, 2004

I am trying to find out in addition to Add/Remove which can be an erratic place for hotfixes to show up (Direct X 9 is an example that comes to mind) and is also nebulous in naming some Hotfixes, and in the case of Office Version Number in Help, if there are Registry Keys that

1) ID and list Hotfixes for *Windows XP*
2) ID and List *Office Hotfixes*

These keys have very little in it--hardly any of the hotfixes--maybe reference to two or three KBs on hotfixes in them:
Hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Key: SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Hotfix

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates

3) Is there any new version of hfnetchk, Qfecheck.exe or other tool or command line command and switch that does this as well? I noticed Q282784:

Qfecheck.exe Verifies the Installation of Windows 2000 and Windows XP Hotfixes
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;282784

Tia,

Chad Harris

Kelly · Aug 2, 2004

HTML, Chad?

/xp_tweaks.htm

Taskbar Repair Tool Plus!
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/taskbarplus!.htm

I am trying to find out in addition to Add/Remove which can be an erratic
place for hotfixes to show up (Direct X 9 is an example that comes to mind)
and is also nebulous in naming some Hotfixes, and in the case of Office
Version Number in Help, if there are Registry Keys that

1) ID and list Hotfixes for *Windows XP*
2) ID and List *Office Hotfixes*

These keys have very little in it--hardly any of the hotfixes--maybe
reference to two or three KBs on hotfixes in them:
Hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Key: SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Hotfix

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates

3) Is there any new version of hfnetchk, Qfecheck.exe or other tool or
command line command and switch that does this as well? I noticed Q282784:

Qfecheck.exe Verifies the Installation of Windows 2000 and Windows XP
Hotfixes
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;282784

Tia,

Chad Harris

Chad Harris · Aug 2, 2004

Kelly--

I didin't intentionally "set it" for HTML from Toolbar Formatthat registry
key was pasted from "Is It True" and 'normally' it's been my experience that
it would show up as plain text and not kelly?green. Interestingly, to me,
it didn't and I don't know why it stayed green (HTML) but would like to.
Hyperlinks show as HTML when everything else is plain text though, and
nobody seems to mind that--I don't know if they are just accepted as
necessary but say a bold font is perceived as over the line in taking up
bandwidth on the newsgroup? Can you make a distinction? Soon I think
dial up will become extinct particularly if pending legislation passes, at
least in the U.S.,that would ala-carte Cable TV and a little further in the
future push broadband out to everyone or hopefully prices will lower.

Do you know of the "best" registry keys for checking lists of hotfixes,
because I know I've seen better ones than these two that I'm finding?

Hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Key: SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Hotfix

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates

Do you have any preference of tools hfnetchk vs. Qfechk.exe? And I wondered
if the command line tools are difficult to use?

Also I really apprecciated the links from your site I wouldn't have found a
couple weeks ago. Anything like that is always a treat. I must have missed
them in trying to explore A to Z. It has several rich layers and sub pages
that you can't quite find anywhere else. I'm still working on linking
people to topics instead of A to Z pages, and just can't quite get down the
way to do it. Either you or David Candy explained the pattern, but I wasn't
able to get it down yet.

Best,

Chad
_______________________________________________________

Wesley Vogel · Aug 2, 2004

Windows XP Pro SP1.

I haven't figured out where the Office updates are located.

I may even have missed one or two. ;-)
Mine...

Qfecheck.exe version: 5.0.2195.4605

The Belarc Advisor uses qfecheck.exe.
---

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\HotFix\KB817778
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\HotFix\KB821253
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\HotFix\KB821557
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\HotFix\KB823182
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\HotFix\KB823559
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\HotFix\KB823980
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\HotFix\KB824105
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\HotFix\KB824141
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\HotFix\KB824146
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\HotFix\KB825119
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\HotFix\KB826939
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\HotFix\KB828028
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\HotFix\KB828035
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\HotFix\KB828741
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\HotFix\KB829558
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\HotFix\KB835732
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\HotFix\KB837001
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\HotFix\KB837272
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\HotFix\KB839643-DirectX9
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\HotFix\KB839645
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\HotFix\KB840315
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\HotFix\KB840374
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\HotFix\KB841873
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\HotFix\KB842773
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\HotFix\Q147222
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\HotFix\Q282784
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\HotFix\Q323255
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\HotFix\Q328310
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\HotFix\Q329048
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\HotFix\Q329115
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\HotFix\Q329170
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\HotFix\Q329390
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\HotFix\Q329441
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\HotFix\Q329834
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\HotFix\Q331953
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\HotFix\Q810565
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\HotFix\Q810577
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\HotFix\Q810833
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\HotFix\Q811493
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\HotFix\Q811630
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\HotFix\Q814033
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\HotFix\Q815021
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\HotFix\Q817287
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\HotFix\Q817606
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\HotFix\Q819696
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\HotFix\Q828026
===========

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\DataAccess\KB870669
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\DataAccess\Q832483
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\DirectX\DX9\SP1\KB839643-Direc
tX9
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows Media Player\KB837272
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows Media Player\Q828026
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows Media Player\wm817787
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows XP\SP0\KB837272
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows XP\SP1\Q282784
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows XP\SP2\KB817778
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows XP\SP2\KB821253
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows XP\SP2\KB821557
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows XP\SP2\KB823182
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows XP\SP2\KB823559
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows XP\SP2\KB823980
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows XP\SP2\KB824105
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows XP\SP2\KB824141
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows XP\SP2\KB824146
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows XP\SP2\KB825119
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows XP\SP2\KB826939
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows XP\SP2\KB828028
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows XP\SP2\KB828035
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows XP\SP2\KB828741
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows XP\SP2\KB829558
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows XP\SP2\KB835732
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows XP\SP2\KB837001
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows XP\SP2\KB839645
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows XP\SP2\KB840315
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows XP\SP2\KB840374
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows XP\SP2\KB841873
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows XP\SP2\KB842773
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows XP\SP2\Q819696

Chad Harris · Aug 2, 2004

Wesley--

Thanks for this. Some of the XP sites state those registry keys I listed
above. The ones I posted I got from what used to be Wayne's XP Registry
Guide and now has evolved to Is It True. I couldn't find a lot in Jerry
Honeycutt's MS Press book, although there may be info on his web site.

http://is-it-true.org/nt/xp/registry/index.shtml

I have Belarc--nifty tool. Along those lines with more information, but I
don't think with regiastry heys for hotfixes like Belarc is Everest Home
Edition which personel-wise is partly an Evolution from Aida 32 (I think I
got tipped to the "switch" from Kelly's site or one of Kelly's posts.

I was after confirming Office 2003 SP1--I know Office 03 seems fairly good
at showing in Add/Remove but the problem with Add/Remove is that it's
entries are often vague and MSFT could pack a lot more useful info in it
including possibly IMHO a link to a major registry key for the entry of the
application and accurate information instead of the ridiculously inaccurate
and unhelpful frequency of use. Most people know if and when they use an
application.

I think the Office people on those groups suggest the version in Help that's
given at the bottom of the SP intro KBs as the best confirmation, but I
thought there should be registry keys somewhere.

Thanks very much for reminding me about Belarc and thanks for your removal
tool links for various items the other day.

Best,

Chad Harris

__________________________________________________________

Wesley Vogel · Aug 2, 2004

Chad,

Microsoft Office Downloads Home Page
http://office.microsoft.com/OfficeUpdate/default.aspx

Under...
Office Update
Check for free updates that improve Office's stability and security.
Click: Check for Updates

Takes you to Microsoft Office Update and checks for updates
After it scans...
In the left hand frame...
Under...
Things To Do...
Click: Show already installed Office updates

Each installed update has a link, for example...

Office XP Service Pack 1 (English version)
Office XP Service Pack 1 (SP-1) provides the latest updates to Office XP.
SP-1 contains significant security enhancements, as well as stability and
performance improvements. SP-1 updates the following Office applications:
Word 2002, Excel 2002, Outlook 2002, PowerPoint 2002, Access 2002, FrontPage
2002, Publisher 2002, and Office Web Components 2002.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...A4-31FC-480B-9CD9-ADCCB6997CE3&displaylang=en

-----

Aida32 ver. 3.93
http://www.aumha.org/downloads/aida32.zip

Don’t forget to download the user’s guide.
http://www.aumha.org/downloads/overflow/aida32_guide.zip

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.
Wes

In

Chad Harris said:
Wesley--

Thanks for this. Some of the XP sites state those registry keys I
listed above. The ones I posted I got from what used to be Wayne's
XP Registry Guide and now has evolved to Is It True. I couldn't find
a lot in Jerry Honeycutt's MS Press book, although there may be info
on his web site.

http://is-it-true.org/nt/xp/registry/index.shtml

I have Belarc--nifty tool. Along those lines with more information,
but I don't think with regiastry heys for hotfixes like Belarc is
Everest Home Edition which personel-wise is partly an Evolution from
Aida 32 (I think I got tipped to the "switch" from Kelly's site or
one of Kelly's posts.

I was after confirming Office 2003 SP1--I know Office 03 seems fairly
good at showing in Add/Remove but the problem with Add/Remove is that
it's entries are often vague and MSFT could pack a lot more useful
info in it including possibly IMHO a link to a major registry key for
the entry of the application and accurate information instead of the
ridiculously inaccurate and unhelpful frequency of use. Most people
know if and when they use an application.

I think the Office people on those groups suggest the version in Help
that's given at the bottom of the SP intro KBs as the best
confirmation, but I thought there should be registry keys somewhere.

Thanks very much for reminding me about Belarc and thanks for your
removal tool links for various items the other day.

Best,

Chad Harris

__________________________________________________________

<SNIP>

Best registry keys for Windows & Office Updates/Hotfixes and...

Chad Harris

Kelly

Chad Harris

Wesley Vogel

Chad Harris

Wesley Vogel