Skip to main content

Looking for Windows XP SP3 ? Get AutoPatcher XP



Carl Brown of ComputerTechs OnSite writes in - "We need Windows XP Service Pack 3 badly. When I install a new XP system, after SP2 there are over 60 updates now. You predicted SP3 would be out sometime in 2006 ? 2006 is almost over."

Carl, most of the "XP SP3 predictions" were based on statements from Microsoft executives and the Windows Service Pack roadmap available on the MSFT website.

Microsoft initially hinted that XP SP3 could be released before Longhorn but very soon, Windows Vista became the top priority and SP3 development was pushed further back.

SP3 was planned as a regular bug fix release with no new features though there were rumours that IE 7 and Windows Media Player 11 could be bundled with XP SP3. Unfortunately, nothing of this sort happened and Microsoft finally pushed XP SP3 to first half of 2008.

Now the next big question - how to keep track of various security patches, updates and hotfixes that have been released by Microsoft since Windows XP SP2 debuted in August 2004 ? Slipstreaming security updates into XP SP2 CD would be a tedious task considering the frequency of Patch Tuesdays.

While you can install Windows XP SP2 from the CD, connect the computer to the internet and turn on Windows Update so that all patches are automatically downloaded and installed, this is certainly not the best approach - imagine when your net connection breaks or you have to build 10 computers or you don't have internet at all ?

Well, here's an easy installer package that will install every single Microsoft update on your XP SP2 computer without you having to connect to the computer. The program is called Autopatcher for XP and maintained by a group of Windows enthusiasts who update this program every month embedding new fixes that Microsoft released in the previous month.

Like other standard Windows installers, Autpatcher also features a slick looking GUI and and can be customized to install as much or as little as you please. While you can download Autopatch from the web, I would recommend getting it on a CD or DVD if you are on a slow connection.

The most remarkable part of Autopatcher is that you don't have to restart your Windows machine after every update. With AutoPatcher, you can install critical patches offline, eliminating the risk of getting infected while using Windows Update.

More resources: Autopatcher FAQ, Autopatcher Help

Update: Windows XP SP3 will be released for sure according to Mary Jo Foley who quotes a Microsoft employee "As we have previously confirmed, we will be releasing another service pack for XP over the course of the (XP) product lifecycle. We are now tentatively targeting the first half of 2008 for release. Right now our priority is Windows Vista - we'll have more information to share about the next service pack for XP after Windows Vista ships."

Popular posts from this blog

How to Download Contacts from Facebook To Outlook Address Book

Facebook users are not too pleased with the "walled garden" approach of Facebook. The reason is simple - while you can easily import your Outlook address book and GMail contacts into Facebook, the reverse path is closed. There's no "official" way to export your Facebook friends email addresses or contact phone numbers out as a CSV file so that you can sync the contacts data with Outlook, GMail or your BlackBerry. Some third-party Facebook hacks like "Facebook Sync" (for Mac) and "Facebook Downloader" (for Windows) did allow you to download your Facebook friends' names, emails, mobile phone number and profile photo to the desktop but they were quickly removed for violation of Facebook Terms of Use. How to Download Contacts from Facebook There are still some options to take Friends data outside the walls of Facebook wall. Facebook offers the Takeout option allowing you to download all Facebook data locally to the disk (include...

Firefox Keyboard Shortcuts for Power Users

All features in Mozilla Firefox browser are accessible through the use of the keyboard. You can use shortcut keys to view and save Web pages, search the web, open new webpages, work with bookmarks, or find text on the current webpage. Some of the most common keyboard shortcuts in Mozilla Firefox are Ctrl+N (to open a new Firefox window), Ctrl+T (to open a new tab), Ctrl+F4 (to close the current tab) and Ctrl+S to save the current webpage. Mozilla Firefox supports many more powerful keyboard shortcuts. For instance, by pressing a simple key combination, you can manually delete autocomplete entries from the Firefox location bar or Web forms. I am sharing a list of my favorite Mozilla Firefox Keyboard Shortcuts that make web browsing with Firefox even more fun . And you also save your precious time as navigating through several layers of Firefox Toolbar menus is no longer necessary. 1. Web Search Ctrl+K moves the cursor to the Search Bar. You can then type in the terms you wish to fin...

Digital Inspiration

Digital Inspiration is a popular tech blog by  Amit Agarwal . Our popular Google Scripts include  Gmail Mail Merge  (send personalized emails with Gmail ),  Document Studio (generate PDFs from Google Forms ) and   File Upload Forms ( receive files  in Google Drive). Also see  Reverse Image Mobile Search , Online Speech Recognition and Website Screenshots , the most useful websites on the Internet.