Why are you guys making it so complicated? Just go to Windows Update then Hide the update in question and you won't be bothered anymore.

I reinstalled on 26 machines last night. I was my privilege to walk to each of them, open MU and choose custom install, and then hide six non-critical updates so that my students won't inadvertently install them "because they're there." Thank goodness all of the machines were in the same room. I've incorporated this routine in the past, but need to stay on top of it as the updates roll in. Lesson learned, the hard way. Lest we forget, the name of the game is unattended.

If you have that many machines to maintain, you should be running Update Server which is free and you should be managing which updates they can install from the server.

I'd like to encourage everyone reading this thread to also check out GUIDE: Download Everything Microsoft, a complete, step-by-step, how-to, which includes all of the most useful information contained in this thread you are currently reading, as well as information on some other closely related items that you should consider integrating into your XPCDs. Much of the linked guide's information has been discussed in other disparate MSFN Forums threads (like this one), but it is all brought together in one place along with new information not covered anywhere else on MSFN.

Guide Topics Include Integrating:

• Windows Installer 3.1 v2 (3.1.4000.2435) - KB893803
  
• Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications - KB905474
  
• Windows Update Agent
  
• Windows Genuine Advantage Validation Tool ActiveX Control - KB892130 (LegitCheckControl.cab)
  
• Office Genuine Advantage Validation Tool ActiveX Control (OGAControl.cab)
  
• Windows Update ActiveX Control (wuweb_site.cab)
  
• Microsoft Update ActiveX Control (muweb_site.cab)
  
• Office Update Installation Engine ActiveX Control (opuc4.cab)
  
• Microsoft Update Catalog Internet ActiveX Control (MuCatalogWebControl.cab)
  

All of the above items are closely interrelated as it they all pertain to downloading Microsoft Software Updates to your Windows XP computer. In fact, many of the above items are so closely intertwined that some will not work correctly without the correct installation of others.