Mark said:
Under Win98 I always used to specify the location where I
wanted the Windows Critical Updates etc to be saved to.
This enabled me to keep them all in a folder and then
burned to a CD in the event of a complete format and re-
installation. Can anyone please tell me how to do this in
XP. Curently the updates start automatically without
asking me to specify location.
Okay - I did not know there was a difference in saving Windows 98 updates
for later use and saving Windows XP updates for later use if using
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/ to update.. However...
If you use the regular Windows Update Web site, updates you select are
downloaded and installed, you are not offered the option to save them for
later use, or for distribution to non-Internet connected PC's. Nor can you
download updates for other computers (hardware/software drivers for
example). Also, a System Restore could overwrite updated files, but Windows
Update would still show the update as installed, and won't let you download
them again.
To save Windows Update files, connect to the Windows Update Catalog site.
Here you can download all updates for all Windows XP OS types, and driver
updates. Any updates you select will be collected in your Download Basket.
If you have all updates you need, click on the link for your Download
Basket. Here you can review/remove the updates you have selected. Press the
Browse button to browse for a folder on your system/network where you want
to save the files, then press the Download Now button. You have to accept
the License Agreement, after which the files will be downloaded.
Microsoft explains this in a knowledge base article:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=323166