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Windows XP Updates Downloader


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Hi jcarle,

Downloaded and run, works as it says on the box ;)

I had however a .net error, which crashed the proggie, see attached picture :

post-15672-1137480467_thumb.jpg

Seems to be telling me that the path is too long. I did try this from my desktop, so yes it is very possible that path combined with the length MS uses for their filenames is the problem.

I'll try again from a root dir just to be sure. Will the program automatically ignore downloads that have already, er, downloaded, or do we have to untick the ones we have? Everything else seemed to download quickly, think this was the last file.

Edit: forgot to add, using the latest .Net 2.0 runtimes.

Let you know how it goes.

Otherwise, this is a great painless way to set up a hotfix cd I can carry around for pc's that dont have internet access. Thanks! :)

SP

Edited by seapagan
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Update:

Tried again from the root dir, and everything works great apart from the Windows Installer 3.1 Redstributable. Every time i try to install this, even as the only item checked, it gives me a .NET crash with 'Illegal characters in path' error.

SP

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Some sugestions:

Add a cancel button!

There is no option to choose where to place the files (not easy to find them when you open the exe directly from the archive)

And the locations of the updates are 'hard coded' in the source. It would be easier to maintain when you link to a list of updates I guess.

Seems like this is only for the english version now too...

ps: It looks better than the alternative :) (see updates for win2003)

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Hello

What a nice idea this program, at time where everybody make unattend installations, it help us a

Hello

What a nice idea this program, at time where everybody make unattend installations, it help us a lot.

Here some suggestions

Improvements

- Add Various language or automatic detection

- Possibility to change the default directory

- Possibility to integrate updates into OEM Directory for unattend installation

- Add helptips onto each updates to know what an update do

etc

++

Edited by KRYOGENIUS
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- Add Various language or automatic detection

- Possibility to change the default directory

- Possibility to integrate updates into OEM Directory for unattend installation

- Add helptips onto each updates to know what an update do

etc

Not sure that integrating into OEM dir is required - there are many tools avaliable for that. I think this proggie is better (imho) to stay exactly what it is - download tool for the hotfixes. Regarding helptips, it already has mouseover tooltips that briefly describe the hotfix, but perhaps making each a clickable link to the relevant KB page would be useful?

Other suggestions:

- Detect what has already been downloaded (check versions for those that keep the same KB number over updatse), and dont offer to download them the next time.

- put updates in an ini file so when new ones come out we only have to download that to get the latest ones.

- yes, add a cancel button! ;)

- needs a bit of work on the 'idle' processing, as it seems to be locked at times when it is processing (gui does not update)

Thanks for this tool jcarle :)

SP

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Hello,

Well for starters, whatever everyone else said. :thumbup

Perhaps have the names of the updates clickable in that it opens the user's default browser to the update's corresponding Microsoft article id.

I would only display updates / download hot fixes that are not installed. You can check which are install by checking the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates registry key.

So on my PC it should not display any of them. Perhaps just display a message saying something along the lines of congrats your computer is up to date as of Jan. 16th 2006.

Also, you should make the window resize as its a pain having to scroll horizontally to read the entire text of some updates. And perhaps make it a little bigger by default too.

Any why no minimize button?

And perhaps if no updates are checked you should make the download button unclickable.

Also, perhaps the msfn link should link to this post instead.

Oh and that would be nice if it was like:

Critical Updates (34)

Others (3)

The numbers of course being the amount of that update type available.

Now one last thing...

Well, this depends I guess on what you want our of your app. If its just a downloader then thats cool.

But it would be nice if there was a checkbox that says something like "Install Updates After Download". And like it sounds once all the updates are download install them automatically silently. And when done installing notify the user that the user should reboot hers/his computer now. Do NOT do it automatically.

Just a few ideas. :hello:

Take Care,

Will

Edited by war59312
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It would only display updates / download hot fixes that are not installed.

...

But it would be nice if there was a checkbox that says something like "Install Updates After Download". And like it sounds once all the updates are download install them automatically silently. And when done installing notify the user that the user should reboot hers/his computer now. Do NOT do it automatically.

The purpose of this program is probably to be just what it is, a simple tool just for downloading updates!

Integration/slipstreaming and/or installation can be done with other apps like nLite/HFSLIP/XPCreate (integration/slipstreaming) and Autopatcher/WindowsUpdate/WUtool (installation).

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Hello,

I would only display updates / download hot fixes that are not installed. You can check which are install by checking the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates registry key.

Will

Make that an option. Sometimes I want to download them all, to install on an other computer with slow internet access.

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I've noted everything everyone has said (See first post).

Something that's struck me as an interesting possibility while reading all the feedback is this...

What about providing command-line switches that could be used to allow this utility to work as a plug-in for nLite, HFSLIP and/or XPCreate. If the authors could provide feedback on that?

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Something that's struck me as an interesting possibility while reading all the feedback is this...

What about providing command-line switches that could be used to allow this utility to work as a plug-in for nLite, HFSLIP and/or XPCreate. If the authors could provide feedback on that?

It's an option, however personally I saw this prog as something you set running then come back to a directory full of hotfixes which can then be used as PC's require them.

To be honest, the slipstreaming of hotfixes is pretty well covered by RyanVM's packs, and I dont see the need to add another tool into the mix. Integrating with nLite would be superfluous for the same reasons, and just add more to the 'nLite doesn't work cos I cant be bothered to read the instructions' posts that litter that forum. Similar I would thumbs down on your tool integrating the hotfixes into the XP source also.

The best tool does one thing really well, not everything badly ;P

Just my thoughts.

SP

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