AutoPatcher Forum

Ok so I'm new to autopatcher but so far im quite impressed. I do have some questions about how this software actually works. So here goes.

1. when I tell the program to download all updates for windows xp sp3...which updates does it grab? Does it grab every update that has come out since sp3 but is not included in a regular sp3 disc? Are there certain important or optional updates that are not included?

2. When running this program on a computer that may already have some of the updates in the pack i download but not all, does it know which i have and which i dont (similar to how windows updates checks my pc to see what i got and what i need).

3. windows updates requires several restarts to get all the updates (because if you dont have update a, then you cant get the next patch for update a etc etc).

Here is my situation to help shed some light.

I have a windows xp home and xp pro install on flash drives that I use often to do reinstalls of windows. I have my own custom software that it auto-installs...cmdlines, svcpack etc etc. What i want to do is basically unattend the windows updates that take the rest of my time. So if i run this software on a fresh install of windows xp using my flash drive (i dont use nlight and have NOT integrated ANY updates except for wmp11 and ie8), will this work for me?

Thanks muchly in advanced.

1 - the script downloads the updates that applies for xp sp3. basically, the script has the updates that come out after sp3. those updates doesn't come with an sp3 disk. all the updates are included, but some updates are in the extras package or even at the .net and direct x

2 - autopatcher can detect the updates that are already applied and shows it in the color of the modules. the ones that are in black aren't installed. the critical ones are auto-selected, except the ones that are already installed;

3 - autopatcher requires at least 2 reboots. if you select the proper updates from the extras, direct x, java and .net, some updates will be showed only after something be installed. so, if you do the proper choices, only 2 reboots are required

> What i want to do is basically unattend the windows updates that take the rest of my time. So if i run this software on a fresh install of windows xp using my flash drive (i dont use nlight and have NOT integrated ANY updates except for wmp11 and ie8), will this work for me?
yes, it will do the trick. this is what i do, except that i do several personal modules as well

[]s

Well thats perfect and this is exactly what i need. I was using something called all-in-one runtimes, which seemed great for netframework and some other small updates but this stuff is much better..and is always updated.

thanks alot.

I had one final question...so far this software is awesome.

I'm using one computer as a base machine to determine what updates and programs I will need...so i select to download all the sp3 updates, addon packs, tweaks and what not.

Then on the same machine i run the autopatcher.exe, select exactly which updates and tweaks i want and dont want and then save the settings file to use on other computers.

My question is, can i use that same save file...or another way, to actually trim down the downloads itself. Because I am telling autopathcer "dont use this,dont install this", i dont need those files downloaded anymore.

Is there an easy way to remove them?

Thanks

*edit*

I also wanted to add that if someone selects net framework 3.5 sp1 that this update includes all the netframeworks from 2.0 upto 3.5sp1 so all those files are not needed (and they are fairly large files). If someone wants all the netframeworks then they jhust need 1.1 sp1 and 3.5sp1 (and then any updates that are there after those are installed..hotfixes and what not).

I thought about just going into the modules folder and doing a manual delete but because theres so much stuff in there, i dont want to delete something that is needed and just cause more problems
Edited by Phariset, 09 February 2010 - 05:04 PM.

> i dont need those files downloaded anymore
those files won't be downloaded again, unless you delete the files. but there's an easy way to not see those updates ever again: right-click the module and choose "don't show this item anymore". the file still will be there, but will be hidden. an easy way to deploy all updates at once is just hide the ones that you don't wanna and let be showed only the ones that you us to deploy

about the .net package, some updates that are in there are shared between releases. .net 3.5 doesn't run under win2k and this one requires the updates for .net 2. so...

[]s

Thanks for the prompt reply.

Its not a matter of just hiding them. Thats no problem at all. What i want to do though is shrink my download so its not over 600mb since probably half of that I'm not installing.

When downloading, its all or nothing. I choose addon packs and it downloads all 300mb of addons (that number is just an example). But when installing, i might only want to install half the addons so lets say 150mb...well since i know i will always install the same addons i want to be able to easily remove that other wasted 150mb without breaking the program.

I didnt see an option to pick and choose exactly what files i want to download, only install (apup vs autopatcher).

So basically what i want to do is have autopatcher or apup take my answer file which says what files i want to install, and delete all the others.

thanks again,

> shrink my download
sadly, there's no way to that, because apup doesn't have an way to download only specific files and because sign individual updates isn't practical. as we need ensure that the files was downloaded ok, we can't do that

> When downloading, its all or nothing
not quite right. just in the first download. then the only thing that will be downloaded are the missing modules.

> and delete all the others.
well, if you do that, then when you run apup again you will download all the missing ones. but there's an option: copy only the updates that you require to an portable device and run from there and let an untouched copy at your hd. this will save a lot of bandwith

[]s

I see what you mean...and yeah, when i go to update with apup it would download everything again..and id have to do all the work again...not really worth it, ill just use bigger flash drives..they are cheap anyhow.

thanks