When we visit Microsoft for Windows Update it check our system and let's know what kind of files are there which could be downloaded and updated. After selection it start downloading the required data for update file. On completion, it would be automatically unpacked and started merging on system.
Is it possible that we can find out where these files are stored in the system. Is it possible that we could relocate this file and save it for our future requirement.
Tipps and trick for this purpose would be appreciated.

those files are stored under

C:\WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\Download

but the format is not really usefull

the best solution here is to just take the KBxxxxxx number and search for it at http://www.microsoft.com

you will find the related security bulletin with downloads there

all the MS patches can be installed silently with the "/passive /norestart" switches

e.g. create a batch file with:

I found it when I give the command in run
C:\WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\Download
a list of all the updates files but it is not showing size ... somehow hidding it.
How can i save it and do you think that one can use it for the future when reinstalled refresh Windows XP to update the data manually.
I would particularly like to know related to the big patches like for MS Office 2007 SP1 can be stored and save for the future requirement and needs.
I would like to thank you dear Mertsch for your best guidance and tipps. Definately it will help many people who would like to know issue like this.
My regards

like I said
the file inside this folder are not really useful
for example I cleared the folder before visiting Windows Update (WU)

In WU I selected one upgrade for .net and hit download and install...
now my download folder looks like this
   
as you can see ... the update is there (413kb) but I can only tell this for sure, because I know what to expect ... I could rename the marked file to "netfx30-kb932471-x86.exe" and would have my update

but for many updates this is just impossible

so all you need to do is ... hit the "review updates" button
   
and extract all the KBxxxxxx numbers and search for them at Microsoft
   

found the article (often there is more to select like the WindowsXP with or without SP2 ... language and so on
and hit download
   

just collect all updates this way (I know its boring work .. but once its done you are good to go ...

once you got all the updates you want in one directory create a new text file in the style you can see above with

with as many lines as you have updates
and name it ... update.bat


once this is done ... just run the update.bat on a not-updated-pc .... wait a few minutes .... restart ... done

this is how it should look like ...
   

microsoft says that installing multiple updates is without no restart is not advisable without proper knoledge
one should use qchain command
means is one update updates dll file to ver 4 from 5 it will give command to system to do this when system restart
now update no 2 which should be installed after update one has a function that it will update dll file from ver 5 to version 7 which is the latest one
now what will happen ?
it will not found file with version 5 because we have not restarted computer and file version update prosses for update no 1 is pending
so ultimate reasult will be that no proper update of dll file will be and it will remain to ver 5 after one restart

thats why all update should be chained properly and qchain command should used

so beware search microsoft read more and more otherwise your updated system may be ....................ha .....ha

on the other hand ... if you get a clean SP2 system with no updates integrated and do a windows update session ... you will get all updates installed at once, too

except those for IE7 which won't be found with IE6 installed

a workaround for this would be to do an update on a clean machine via windows update and keep all those updates in UDPATE1.bat and any
later in update2.bat and so on


but really the best way is to integrate those updates into the windows installation via nlite anyway

you wont find any faster solution then that

MERRY CHRISTMAS
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