Windows XP SP2 'Stubby' Installer

TechLarry

TechLarry

RIP [H] Brother - June 1, 2022
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Aug 9, 2005
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Many may have no idea what I'm talking about here, but....

When XP SP1 was released, you could get it several ways:

1. Windows Update.
2. Cd Shipment.
3. Full Net Install Download.
4. 'Stubby' installer.

The 'Stubby' installer (my name for it) was a small, 500k or so program that when run, would examine your system and download ONLY the exact SP1 components needed for your particular PC to upgrade it to SP1.

It basically worked the same way that Windows Update does.

I need this same type of installer for SP2, but I can't seem to find one anywhere. Did they create this for SP2 ?

Thanks
 
I read this and all that comes to mind is:

"WTF!?!?!?!"

Just go get SP2 and slipstream it into an installer CD so from now on you have an XP SP2 CD ready to roll whenever it's needed.

http://download.microsoft.com/downl...0-73cf11fdcdf8/WindowsXP-KB835935-SP2-ENU.exe

If you're on dialup, I feel for you, but I was on dialup for 25 years soooo... :)

I've never heard of a "stubby" SP1 installer, it seems a bit silly to me, but even so that doesn't mean it never existed. There is no reason for anyone with an XP machine not to be running Service Pack 2 in this day and age, period.

From 50 baud to 56K, been there, done that... and I downloaded SP2 three times on dialup... hope that's not the excuse for avoiding it. :)
 
Creating a slipstreamed XP CD is definitely the best approach, by far.

If there is a problem related to downloading via dialup the simplest solution is to get a friend with broadband to download the complete service pack for you and bung it on a CD.
 
There are many reason's I need what I asked for.

Thanks for the idea, but it doesn't resolve my situation. I know how to do slipstreaming but it's not my resolution in this case. This is for a corporate environment using corporate images. I can't just go creating slip-stream XP CD's and send them around.

I still need it. Anyone know if it exists for SP2 ?

BTW... If you still don't know what I'm talking about, think about the IE6 reinstaller. It's a small 500k or so 'stub' that, when run, examines your system and then downloads and installs only what you need.

Same thing.


bbz_Ghost said:
I read this and all that comes to mind is:

"WTF!?!?!?!"

Just go get SP2 and slipstream it into an installer CD so from now on you have an XP SP2 CD ready to roll whenever it's needed.

http://download.microsoft.com/downl...0-73cf11fdcdf8/WindowsXP-KB835935-SP2-ENU.exe

If you're on dialup, I feel for you, but I was on dialup for 25 years soooo... :)

I've never heard of a "stubby" SP1 installer, it seems a bit silly to me, but even so that doesn't mean it never existed. There is no reason for anyone with an XP machine not to be running Service Pack 2 in this day and age, period.

From 50 baud to 56K, been there, done that... and I downloaded SP2 three times on dialup... hope that's not the excuse for avoiding it. :)
Click to expand...
 
BTW... As an example here is the version that existed for XP SP1a.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/updates/sp1/expresso.mspx

The download is only 1.93MB.

When executed, it looked at your system, evaluated it's current status (including all hotfixes already installed), and then only downloaded the components needed to fully update to XP SP1a.

It could turn what would be a 150MB download for the full SP1a Net Installer into a download of only 30MB or even less.

The official name for this is"Express Installer". It's the same thing that Windows Update uses when you install a service pack from there, just in a stand-alone version.
 
I found it!

Here is Microsoft's official description:

"The Express installation (recommended for users with only one computer to update)

You can link to the Express installation from the Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 Web site.

The Express installation is one method you can use to perform a standalone installation of SP2 on a single computer.

The Express installation package includes only the files that are required to start the installation and connect to the download server. The files included in this installation are the information (.inf) file and the version (.ver) file. The remaining files that you need are identified and downloaded when you link to the download server.

The Express installation detects the service pack files that are already installed on your computer and installs only those files that need to be updated. This significantly reduces the time it takes to download the files. :

I had a really hard time finding it on MS's site, so I just got it from betanews here:

http://fileforum.betanews.com/detail/Windows_XP_Service_Pack_2_SP2/1079735898/2

The download is only 1.93MB.

I did one machine using the windows update version of this (again, same thing, just web based) and instead of having to download all 266MB of the SP2 package, it only had to download 96MB.
 
Why not burn the full version of sp2 to a CD and install it from there. Or copy it to a folder on your server and do a network install. It would seem to me to be faster than downloading sp2 on every PC you plan to upgrade.
 
Because I'm dealing with people anywhere from the top of mountains to hotels in Hawaii.

Everything is remote.
 
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