Autopatcher \ WSUS Offline \ Update Accelerator Plug In for IPCop

[rchecka]

Is anyone here familiar with these software packages from personal use?

 

Essentially I am looking for a way to update Windows locally or offline (instead of downloading Windows Updates) after I rebuild the various Windows OSs. All of these software packages claim to do so, all are free, but Autopatcher and UA say they can do Java updates, Flash Updates and other non-Microsoft updates as well.

 

Thanks in advance.

[rchecka]

I might as well follow up on this just to "solve" the question.

 

Anyone looking to update Windows PCs without downloading them directly to a newly rebuilt machine should download the free software from http://www.wsusoffline.net/docs/

WSUS offline does exactly what you need it to do in a simple interface, no unnecessary bells and whistles.

 

For me I will use it to download all the Windows Updates to a thumb drive, that way I don't have to put a security risk PC (a newly rebuilt PC with no security patches) on the Internet. When you do that it instantly becomes a sitting duck. Now I can keep it off the network, plug in a thumb drive, extract all the security updates so that at least it's close to updated, and then I can plug it in to the Internet without worrying about it getting an instant virus.

 

I tried Autopatcher and it was more in depth then I needed so I'd recommend wsus offline for that job.

 

 

Where are the nerd smileys damint!

[Steve]

If you're doing XP, 2000 or Vista installs, you can build a CD with all of the updates slipstreamed into it using this: -

 

http://www.nliteos.com/

 

That way, it installs them automatically as part of the Windows installation, so you don't have to do anything once the installation is complete (other than install any updates released since you created your installation CD).

 

For Windows 7 you can use RT Se7en Lite: -

 

http://www.rt7lite.com/downloads.html

 

Both of these tools allow you to slipstream drivers and third party installers into the Windows installation process too.

[rchecka]

Thanks for bringing that up. I have used that software (or something like it) to build the basic XP discs with patches current up to last year. That brings you so far but then you gotta keep burning discs or ISOs on thumb drives and they can be a little buggy in my experience with different systems. I had to use that for my personal system and it worked great because I could add the RAID drivers with the installation, so in that situation it is great. But for my purposes, I'd rather bring a system to a fairly current set of patches, and then bring them the rest of the way with a thumb drive vs. plugging it right in to the Internet and having to play catch up.

 

 

The nice thing I noticed about WSUS offline is that it also includes Microsoft Security Essentials as well, so you the minute you subject it to the Internet you have some defense. It's simple with a simple check box interface...

 

 

I've been testing it the last few days and I'm very happy with this freeware, it's exactly what I was looking for.