Depends on your use case, I guess. For purely retro gaming purposes on an offline machine, I never felt the need to apply any updates manually, aside from SP3 and the latest supported DirectX 9.0c version. For reference, SP3 came out in 2008, so it should be fine for playing games released up to that point, at the very least. And the latest DX9 update for WinXP came out in 2010.

Other than that, I only install what's specifically required by certain drivers (like Catalyst 7.11 needs .NET Framework 2.0) or something that a game needs (like some games need a certain Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable). But usually, these things are packed together with the driver or the game in question, so it's not like you need to install them manually.

Probably not answering your question... I have 20 hard drives with XP fully updated as of when Windows Update was still working up until they sabotaged it about 5 years ago. I added the posready updates, but I'm not looking at anything further.

130 updates sounds about right. But at least upgrade to SP3 first. And get Direct-X 9.0c as the previous poster said.

If you're looking at getting online, run Cert-Updater (to update your certificates to latest) and then use MyPal68 browser.

Start with an official SP3 CD, then download the RyanVM post SP3 update pack and integrate it.

https://ryanvm.net/msfn/updatepack-sp3.html

Why update if games and apps are working? We have some updated browsers if internet access is needed. Some like SP1, some SP2 and some installs SP3 service pack, i install newer SP if game or software needs it. Also i update some specific update, that i need, not just all the stuff. PosReady 2009 was latest WinXP release, i use clean Windows XP Professional SP2 or SP3, mostly i dot install service pack for Windows XP, it comes with the SP2 or SP3 already @ CD install. Windows 2000 i use SP4 @ clean CD install. Nlited XP can also be an option.

With Win9x + service pack usually brokes my OS and i install zero unofficial service packs there. I have made many Windows 98 Second Edition Unofficial Service Pack installations and after that i needed to make clean install to get all back to normal. Not gona make same mistakes again for Windows 98 SE, clean is better for me. Most of the times i use RetroPCs without any internet, but if i do, then its bit newer RetroPC and has at least Windows XP. Internet has many unneeded stuff, cookies and gdpr, background google services and terms, i love simple sites, simple ftp, nowdays we have banners, pop-ups, flashing and moving menus and icons or some commercials, countdown deals an so on and on.

For me, less is more and if it works well, let it be. Sometimes i am afer more fps, then more is more. The less bloat you have, the snappier and faster your experience is. More older RetroPC likes less services and you can squeeze more out of it, with right driver and software. Newer, very fast PC and SSD you feel less the OS or other bloatware stuff, but its still there. Windows 10/11 is nightmare compared to Windows 2000 Professional out of the box. I usually use Windows10Privacy and disable almost all, thats possible and then its goes to the mighty internet. It gets a lot faster if you disable unnecessary stuff.

https://www.w10privacy.de/english-home/

KT7AGuy wrote on 2024-10-31, 18:40:

Let's hear what your strategies (or lack thereof) are for updating WinXP nowadays.

Use Legacy Update, and hope for the best?

(I've had some issues with Legacy Update, at least if you have Office... whatever version it is... 2010? installed. Either it will spin endlessly or it will offer some of the last updates for Office 2010 that don't run on XP.)

(Also, am I the first person to mention Legacy Update?)

KT7AGuy wrote on 2024-10-31, 18:40:

I just started building a WinXP Pro VM in VirtualBox. This is the first WinXP build I've started since ~2016.

Windows Update, Microsoft Update, and Automatic Updates don't work anymore.

IIRC (its been a year or two now), Windows Update (and activation) for Windows XP is still up and running and works just fine, the problem is that the root certificates that come with Windows XP are all expired so Windows XP has no way of knowing if the TLS certificate Windows Update is presenting is valid or not. This now affects some newer versions of Windows too - pretty sure Vista at least runs into similar problems. I don't remember what the exact solution was, but IIRC it wasn't particularly difficult.

marxveix wrote on 2024-10-31, 21:52:

Why update if games and apps are working? We have some updated browsers if internet access is needed. Some like SP1, some SP2 an […]
Show full quote

Why update if games and apps are working? We have some updated browsers if internet access is needed. Some like SP1, some SP2 and some installs SP3 service pack, i install newer SP if game or software needs it. Also i update some specific update, that i need, not just all the stuff. PosReady 2009 was latest WinXP release, i use clean Windows XP Professional SP2 or SP3, mostly i dot install service pack for Windows XP, it comes with the SP2 or SP3 already @ CD install. Windows 2000 i use SP4 @ clean CD install. Nlited XP can also be an option.

With Win9x + service pack usually brokes my OS and i install zero unofficial service packs there. I have made many Windows 98 Second Edition Unofficial Service Pack installations and after that i needed to make clean install to get all back to normal. Not gona make same mistakes again for Windows 98 SE, clean is better for me. Most of the times i use RetroPCs without any internet, but if i do, then its bit newer RetroPC and has at least Windows XP. Internet has many unneeded stuff, cookies and gdpr, background google services and terms, i love simple sites, simple ftp, nowdays we have banners, pop-ups, flashing and moving menus and icons or some commercials, countdown deals an so on and on.

For me, less is more and if it works well, let it be. Sometimes i am afer more fps, then more is more. The less bloat you have, the snappier and faster your experience is. More older RetroPC likes less services and you can squeeze more out of it, with right driver and software. Newer, very fast PC and SSD you feel less the OS or other bloatware stuff, but its still there. Windows 10/11 is nightmare compared to Windows 2000 Professional out of the box. I usually use Windows10Privacy and disable almost all, thats possible and then its goes to the mighty internet. It gets a lot faster if you disable unnecessary stuff.

https://www.w10privacy.de/english-home/

So you don't trust Microsoft. But you trust this random, foreign-made, closed-source program that routinely gets flagged by multiple antivirus companies? Ok, got it.

As recently as a few weeks ago this still worked for me: https://www.reddit.com/r/windowsxp/comments/l … p_with_windows/

Here is the thread that details the method for non SSE2 CPUs and XP: Using Windows Update on 2000, XP, Vista in 2022

Security updates for XP is like locking the front door but leaving the window wide open.
Sure it's slightly more safe but not by much.
Personally I apply SP3 just because it feels more "complete" and call it a day.

I did get grab wsusoffline package from https://download.wsusoffline.net just in case, but have never used it.
(Final package for XP was 2014-04-08 9.2.1 / 9.2.x ESR)

for windows xp, i tend to use the legacy update for the look and feel of the original annoying of automatic update.
https://legacyupdate.net/
since i'm not using machine for anything serious, that page seems ok to use.

Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2024-10-31, 18:51:

Depends on your use case, I guess. For purely retro gaming purposes on an offline machine, I never felt the need to apply any updates manually, aside from SP3 ...

Agreed, my "standard" XP install DVD/ISO is WinXP-SP3, and I've not had problems enough to need anything else (other than hardware drivers
if needed).

But I *NEVER* let XP have access to "the world" - I have several XP machines on their own separate network router which IS NOT connected to
the internet.

Dave ::: https://dunfield.themindfactory.com

As far as I know it does still work, its just a challenge to make it work.

Though it begs a question.
Why would you want to bog it down with all those updates?

Agree with just XP-SP3, DX9c, Frameworks (might need v2 and v3) plus Visual C++ addons. Other than that you do not need a bunch of security and other bloat even if you allow access to Internet. Just get a good firewall app (Kerio, etc) and only unlock it when you need to access (but browsing inet in XP today is just plain dumb imho, with thumb drives so cheap you can grab crap off a Win 7/10/11 box more safely and transfer 😀 )

Horun wrote on 2024-11-01, 03:29:

Agree with just XP-SP3, DX9c, Frameworks (might need v2 and v3) plus Visual C++ addons. Other than that you do not need a bunch of security and other bloat even if you allow access to Internet. Just get a good firewall app (Kerio, etc) and only unlock it when you need to access (but browsing inet in XP today is just plain dumb imho, with thumb drives so cheap you can grab crap off a Win 7/10/11 box more safely and transfer 😀 )

Some later versions of NVIDIA software requires .NET 4.x on XP. But be aware .NET 4.x has a bug that was never fixed that causes some systems to hang for like 30 seconds after boot.

Firewalls do not stop compromise in old operating systems. Most exploits are in things that execute just by loading a malicious site. i.e. scripting engines, image rendering engines, etc.

ElectroSoldier wrote on 2024-11-01, 02:21:

As far as I know it does still work, its just a challenge to make it work.

Though it begs a question.
Why would you want to bog it down with all those updates?

It doesn't bog it down. Security updates are mostly just updated DLLs. You're not adding new software.

Windowsupdaterestored.com

That's all you need.

kingcake wrote on 2024-10-31, 23:23:

marxveix wrote on 2024-10-31, 21:52:

Why update if games and apps are working? We have some updated browsers if internet access is needed. Some like SP1, some SP2 an […]
Show full quote

Why update if games and apps are working? We have some updated browsers if internet access is needed. Some like SP1, some SP2 and some installs SP3 service pack, i install newer SP if game or software needs it. Also i update some specific update, that i need, not just all the stuff. PosReady 2009 was latest WinXP release, i use clean Windows XP Professional SP2 or SP3, mostly i dot install service pack for Windows XP, it comes with the SP2 or SP3 already @ CD install. Windows 2000 i use SP4 @ clean CD install. Nlited XP can also be an option.

With Win9x + service pack usually brokes my OS and i install zero unofficial service packs there. I have made many Windows 98 Second Edition Unofficial Service Pack installations and after that i needed to make clean install to get all back to normal. Not gona make same mistakes again for Windows 98 SE, clean is better for me. Most of the times i use RetroPCs without any internet, but if i do, then its bit newer RetroPC and has at least Windows XP. Internet has many unneeded stuff, cookies and gdpr, background google services and terms, i love simple sites, simple ftp, nowdays we have banners, pop-ups, flashing and moving menus and icons or some commercials, countdown deals an so on and on.

For me, less is more and if it works well, let it be. Sometimes i am afer more fps, then more is more. The less bloat you have, the snappier and faster your experience is. More older RetroPC likes less services and you can squeeze more out of it, with right driver and software. Newer, very fast PC and SSD you feel less the OS or other bloatware stuff, but its still there. Windows 10/11 is nightmare compared to Windows 2000 Professional out of the box. I usually use Windows10Privacy and disable almost all, thats possible and then its goes to the mighty internet. It gets a lot faster if you disable unnecessary stuff.

https://www.w10privacy.de/english-home/

So you don't trust Microsoft. But you trust this random, foreign-made, closed-source program that routinely gets flagged by multiple antivirus companies? Ok, got it.

Its gets your Windows 10/11 a lot faster and i am using it form the start, when it came out. All ok. I like more Microsoft earlier OS-ses, also MS-DOS.

kingcake wrote on 2024-11-01, 04:18:

ElectroSoldier wrote on 2024-11-01, 02:21:

As far as I know it does still work, its just a challenge to make it work.

Though it begs a question.
Why would you want to bog it down with all those updates?

It doesn't bog it down. Security updates are mostly just updated DLLs. You're not adding new software.

I wonder if anybody has actually tested that theory though.

Last time I setup an XP system the windows update site worked but that was about a year ago now.
I did post a comment about it when I loaded in onto a gen 4 i5 system. Still not go to the 5775 c build. (Might go with a gen 5 Xeon though because of prices of Broad well i7 chips)

Anyway I'll load xp onto something and see if it works, if it does I'll do a write up on how it's accessed now. It's not just turn on auto updates anymore I remember that.

Thank you all for your tips and ideas.

Fortune abounds as I have found a WSUS Offline copy for both WinXP and Office 2003 that I literally made on April 8th, 2014. Apparently I was thinking ahead at the time. What good luck! Even better luck would have been to make it sometime in 2019, but alas, I'll take what I can get.

I know there were a few updates (including POS Ready) released after April 8th, 2014, so I'll have to see if I can identify and locate those. One nice thing about VirtualBox is the snapshots feature, so I can do lots of experimentation with things like Legacy Update and Windows Update Restored without messing things up permanently.

At worst, my WinXP VM will be updated as of April 8th, 2014, and that's good enough for me and what I'll be doing with it.