Introduction:
This article discusses how to download updates from the Windows Update Catalog. The Windows Update Catalog offers updates for all operating systems that we currently support. These updates include the following:
We guide you through the steps to search the Windows Update Catalog to find the updates that you want. Then, you can download the updates to install them across your home or corporate network of Microsoft Windows-based computers.
We also discuss how IT Professionals can use Software Update Services, such as Windows Update and Automatic Updates.
Important: This content is designed for an advanced computer user. We recommend that only advanced users and administrators download updates from the Windows Update Catalog.
Steps to download updates from the Windows Update Catalog:
To download updates from the Windows Update Catalog, follow these steps:
Step 1: Access the Windows Update Catalog
To access the Windows Update Catalog, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://catalog.update.microsoft.com/v7/site/Home.aspx
To view a list of frequently asked questions about Windows Update Catalog, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://catalog.update.microsoft.com/v7/site/Faq.aspx
Step 2: Search for updates from the Windows Update Catalog
To search for updates from the Windows Update Catalog, follow these steps:
Step 3: Download updates
To download updates from the Windows Update Catalog, follow these steps:
Find the location that you specified in step 3c.
Note: If you have downloaded device drivers for installation, go to "Installing Drivers."
If all the items that you added to the download basket are installed successfully, you are finished.
If you want to learn about additional update services, please see the "Software Update Services for IT Professionals" section.
Installing drivers
To extract the driver files, type the following command at the command prompt, and then press ENTER:
expand <CAB FILE NAME> -F:* <DESTINATION>
937793 The staging and the installation of driver packages by using the PnP Utility (Pnputil.exe) in Windows Vista
Note: To install a cross-architecture print driver, you must already have installed the local architecture driver, and you will still need the cross-architecture copy of Ntprint.inf from another system. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
952065 You cannot install third-party printer drivers for cross-architecture support in Windows Vista or in Windows Server 2008
Software update services for IT Professionals:
For general information about Software Update Services, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/wsus/bb466186.aspx
Windows Update
IT Professionals can use the Windows Update service to configure a server on their corporate network to provide updates to corporate servers and clients. This functionality can be useful in environments where some clients and servers do not have access to the Internet. This functionality can also be useful where the environment is highly managed, and the corporate administrator must test the updates before they are deployed.
For information about how to perform enterprise-wide driver updates by using Windows Update, visit the following Microsoft TechNet Web site:
Automatic Updates
IT Professionals can use the Automatic Updates service to keep computers up-to-date with the latest critical updates from a corporate server that is running Software Update Services.
Automatic Updates works with the following computers:
For more information about how to use Automatic Updates in Windows XP, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
306525 How to configure and use Automatic Updates in Windows XP?
For more information about how to use Automatic Updates in Windows 2000, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
327850 How to configure and use Automatic Updates in Windows 2000?
Troubleshooting:
You may experience one or more of the following issues when you use Windows Update or Microsoft Update:
You may receive the following error message:
Software update incomplete, this Windows Update software did not update successfully.
For more information about this issue, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
319585 "Software update incomplete" error message when you visit the Windows Update Web site
You may receive the following error message:
Administrators Only (-2146828218) To install items from Windows Update, you must be logged on as an administrator or a member of the Administrators group. If your computer is connected to a network, network policy settings may also prevent you from completing this procedure.
For more information about this issue, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
316524 You receive an "Administrators only" error message when you try to visit the Windows Update Web site or the Microsoft Update Web site
Similar problems and solutions:
You can visit the Microsoft Web sites in the following sections for more information about how to obtain and distribute downloads from Windows Update or from Microsoft Update.
Installing multiple updates with only one restart
The hotfix installer that is included with Windows XP and with Windows 2000 post-Service Pack 3 (SP3) updates includes functionality to support multiple hotfix installations. For earlier versions of Windows 2000, the command-line tool that is named "QChain.exe" is available for download. For more information about how to install multiple updates or multiple hotfixes without restarting the computer between each installation, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
296861 How to install multiple Windows updates or hotfixes with only one reboot?
Microsoft security resources
For the latest Microsoft security resources such as security tools, security bulletins, virus alerts, and general security guidance, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/TechNet/Security/
For more information about the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer tool (MBSA), visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/tools/mbsahome.mspx
The Microsoft Download Center
For more information about how to download files from the Microsoft Download Center, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
119591 How to obtain Microsoft support files from online services?
Product-specific download pages
Windows XP
For Windows XP downloads, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/default.mspx
Windows 2000
For Windows 2000 downloads, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/downloads/win2k.mspx
Internet Explorer
For Internet Explorer downloads, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/downloads/ie/getitnow.mspx
Windows Media Player
For Windows Media Player downloads, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/download/AllDownloads.aspx
Office Updates
For Office updates, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://office.microsoft.com/ProductUpdates/
The information in this article applies to:
Keywords: MS Article ID 323166
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