an easier way to download the hotfixes

[M4M]

OK. We all want our formats/re-installs to be easer, and we all know that MS releases hotfixes on a regular bases (well, almost regular). Here is the method I use to download the hotfixes that I know that my PC needs.

1: First, find out what hotfixes are installed on your PC. To do this open up your control panel and then open up the add/remove progams list. Normally, on a SP2 machine, it wont show you the hotfixes. To make it show you the hotfixes, put a check-mark in the box at the top of the screen that says "Show Updates". Now if you scroll down your list and you will see your installed hotfixes. The hotfixes will have a name like "Windows XP Hotfix - KB891781" or something along that line. What we are looking for is the "KB891781" number at the end of the line.

2: Now we know what hotfixes we need to download. Here is a command script I wrote to make going to the M$ website easer to download the hotfixes. Just copy and paste the following code into notepad.....

"C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe" http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=%1

When you have that code in notepad, save it as hotfix.cmd. be sure it saves with the extention of *.cmd or else it wont work.

3: Now that we have that cmd file made, browsing the M$ site is real easy. open up a command prompt and browse it to where you have hotfix.cmd file. to get the update, using the sample hotfix listed in step 2, type "hotfix.cmd 891781" (without the quotes). BE SURE NOT TO INCLUDE THE KB LETTERS OR ELSE IT WONT WORK!!! Now when you hit enter, it will take you to the website of that hotfix and you can read up on it and download it if you wish.

I hope that this helps those on the quest on downloading hotfixes!

[suryad]

Interesting...thanks.

[jpless]

Nice

Next step a GUI That would rock!

Hehe nice work.

[gfincher]

So... I guess that I am missing something... why is this easier than just clicking on the 'Click here for support information" link and then the resulting URL that shows up in the "Support Info" box? We are in Add/Remove Programs anyway to look up the hotfix #?

Always looking for an easier way to do what we all need to do, but...

XPAddict

[M4M]

lol, yea, you are right gfincher, I didnt notice this until after I posted this when I was playing around with it a bit. But, I guess for those that love using dos this does work, but for an eaiser way do as what gfincher said.