Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

Windows Update pop-up suggested dowloading and installing
SP2---70-odd Megabytes. But when I went to Microsoft website
to download SP2, it downloaded a file almost 279 MB. One
of you MVPs like to resolve this paradox? Thanks.
--
William B. Lurie

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

Two different animals.
The first skips the critical updates you've previously installed, the second
is the full (I.T.) version including all updates, intended for burning to CD
& installing on multiple PCs.

--

johnf

> Windows Update pop-up suggested dowloading and installing
> SP2---70-odd Megabytes. But when I went to Microsoft website
> to download SP2, it downloaded a file almost 279 MB. One
> of you MVPs like to resolve this paradox? Thanks.
> --
> William B. Lurie

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

Thanks, John, but there's a little inconsistency here. For one thing,
I got the impression that they wouldn't allow me to download the 70 MB
version to install when I feel like. For another, how can one fixed-size
version which skips previously installed updates cover all people,
some of whom may have opted not to install certain updates?
W B L

johnf wrote:
> Two different animals.
> The first skips the critical updates you've previously installed, the second
> is the full (I.T.) version including all updates, intended for burning to CD
> & installing on multiple PCs.
>
> --
>
> johnf
>
>
>>Windows Update pop-up suggested dowloading and installing
>>SP2---70-odd Megabytes. But when I went to Microsoft website
>>to download SP2, it downloaded a file almost 279 MB. One
>>of you MVPs like to resolve this paradox? Thanks.
>>--
>> William B. Lurie
>
>
>


--
William B. Lurie

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

No, John is correct.

The IT version is a full 279MB because it contains all the updates to Service
Pack 1 (including the Service Pack itself, plus all the updates since, including
Service Pack 2). It is designed to be installed on a fresh install of XP
(although most IT Professionals merge it with a copy of XP in a process called
slip-streaming). IT Professionals use this version of the XP because they won't
have to determine what updates are installed on the many systems they have to
update. With this SP, they can push it automatically via script or by Microsoft
System Update Server.

The 70MB file is for those individuals who have kept up with the updating of XP.
Those individuals need only the software to update their systems to SP2.

The truth is, Microsoft cannot determine what you need to download until it can
scan your system. That's why it would be difficult to allow you to store this
download. It's only valid for the scan just completed. If you made a change to
your system in the intervening time, then installed the update, it would be wrong.

The 279MB update contains all the updates. The installer examines your system,
then installs only the updates you need. So if machine A needs 120MB, it gets
it; if machine B needs 70MB, that's all it gets.

Regardless, teh 279MB file contains all of the updates.

HTH

courtney sends...


William B. Lurie wrote:
> Thanks, John, but there's a little inconsistency here. For one thing,
> I got the impression that they wouldn't allow me to download the 70 MB
> version to install when I feel like. For another, how can one fixed-size
> version which skips previously installed updates cover all people,
> some of whom may have opted not to install certain updates?
> W B L
>
> johnf wrote:
>
>> Two different animals.
>> The first skips the critical updates you've previously installed, the
>> second is the full (I.T.) version including all updates, intended for
>> burning to CD & installing on multiple PCs.
>>
>> --
>>
>> johnf
>>
>>
>>> Windows Update pop-up suggested dowloading and installing
>>> SP2---70-odd Megabytes. But when I went to Microsoft website
>>> to download SP2, it downloaded a file almost 279 MB. One
>>> of you MVPs like to resolve this paradox? Thanks.
>>> --
>>> William B. Lurie
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

Hi

An upgrade to SP2 via Windows Update can vary between 80 & 120 MBs -
depending on what WU finds already on your system (file not downloadable
separately). The downloadable SP2 file (266 MBs) contains all the previous
Updates. This file can be used to update XP from an 'original' CD install,
SP1/1a or used to create a slipstreamed XP SP2 CD for a 'Clean' install of
XP SP2.

--

Will Denny
MVP - Windows Shell/User
Please reply to the News Groups


"William B. Lurie" <billurie@nospam.org> wrote in message
news:%23Gubz0UqEHA.3980@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> Thanks, John, but there's a little inconsistency here. For one thing,
> I got the impression that they wouldn't allow me to download the 70 MB
> version to install when I feel like. For another, how can one fixed-size
> version which skips previously installed updates cover all people,
> some of whom may have opted not to install certain updates?
> W B L
>
> johnf wrote:
>> Two different animals.
>> The first skips the critical updates you've previously installed, the
>> second is the full (I.T.) version including all updates, intended for
>> burning to CD & installing on multiple PCs.
>>
>> --
>>
>> johnf
>>
>>
>>>Windows Update pop-up suggested dowloading and installing
>>>SP2---70-odd Megabytes. But when I went to Microsoft website
>>>to download SP2, it downloaded a file almost 279 MB. One
>>>of you MVPs like to resolve this paradox? Thanks.
>>>--
>>> William B. Lurie
>>
>>
>>
>
>
> --
> William B. Lurie

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

William B. Lurie wrote:
> Thanks, John, but there's a little inconsistency here. For one thing,
> I got the impression that they wouldn't allow me to download the 70 MB
> version to install when I feel like. For another, how can one
> fixed-size version which skips previously installed updates cover all
> people, some of whom may have opted not to install certain updates?
> W B L

William

The smaller file is for an online interactive install. It checks for any
updates that may already be installed and only installs the needed files to
bring a particular system up to SP2.

The second, larger version works the same way, but contains all of the
updates that may be needed. This larger file can be used offline to bring
any system up to SP2. This larger file can also be used to slipstream an XP
installation CD. This is the same package that is contained on the official
SP2 CD that is available from Microsoft.

--

Ronnie Vernon
Microsoft MVP
Windows Shell/User

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

Will Denny wrote:
> Hi
>
> An upgrade to SP2 via Windows Update can vary between 80 & 120 MBs -
> depending on what WU finds already on your system (file not downloadable
> separately). The downloadable SP2 file (266 MBs) contains all the previous
> Updates. This file can be used to update XP from an 'original' CD install,
> SP1/1a or used to create a slipstreamed XP SP2 CD for a 'Clean' install of
> XP SP2.
>
Okay, I thank you all for, and understand the logic and
the differences. I normally prefer to do upgrades like
that off-line, so I'll just wait for my CD to arrive in
the mail. Just as a point of information.....I intend to
upgrade my backup (cloned) system first, leaving my main
hard drive in a safe condition. I don't trust my main
system to something not previously tested by me and found
safe. That way I only have to walk in my own footsteps, not
somebody else's.

And I can't do SP2 on my cloned system online because Symantec
gets unhappy and requires re-activation of their software
every time I try to go online with my cloned system. I
wouldn't mind having to do that when and if it becomes
necessary, but every now and then they even refuse to
activate, make me phone in, go through too much "Big Brother
is watching you" rigamarole.

--
William B. Lurie