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What options, if any, exist for offline update of Microsoft Windows?

If a solution exists please list your experience using it.

Background:

If for any reason a computer does not have a connection to the Internet or the connection is too slow to download several hundreds of megabytes every so often some kind of offline Windows Update is required.

In a multi-computer environment a lot of bandwidth (and thus in some cases money) and/or time could also be saved if it is possible to update in an offline manner.

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    Windows 10 distributes updates between local computers. So only one would need to be updated.
    – TJJ
    Apr 4, 2016 at 22:05

8 Answers 8

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Use WSUS Offline Update.

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    Can the downloaded files be used for installation on another computer (assuming the same operating system and platform)? Or it is needed to perform again the full download on that second computer?
    – Sopalajo de Arrierez
    May 31, 2015 at 12:11
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    @SopalajodeArrierez it can be copied to another computer, see the bottom two boxes of the screenshot, it lets you burn the updates to CD/DVD or copy them to a USB stick.
    – Scott Chamberlain
    Oct 19, 2015 at 14:06
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I have been using WSUS for the last two years at home and in many enterprise environments. This is the simplest and easiest way to do this.

For most of the base operating systems and products the installers for Service Packs are provided as separate downloads or as slipstreamed installation discs.

Another alternative is using IPCop with the Advanced Proxy and Update Accelerator add-ons -- no longer available.

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  • FYI: I use both these solutions at home and I have cut my download bill down by at least a 1/2 of what it was. I also run a mixed environment of Windows Vista/7/2008 - MacOSX and Linux.
    – BinaryMisfit
    Jul 17, 2009 at 16:52
  • So, do I understand this correctly: The download traffic of Windows Update is also cached by the Update Accelerator? Thus Windows Update causes the same kind of traffic like downloading in a browser?
    – Tamara Wijsman
    Aug 25, 2010 at 18:35
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    @TomWij Correct.
    – BinaryMisfit
    Aug 25, 2010 at 18:38
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Autopatcher can download updates once and apply them to multiple computers offline

In short, AutoPatcher combines the advantage of both Windows Update (presentation and description of updates and automated installation), and the special administrative updates (portability and installation without the need of an Internet connection).

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Microsoft offers their Service Packs in standalone "administrator installer" formats (along with, as Lance mentioned, some of their hotfixes and patches). Download once, deploy via your preferred medium.

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If you want something that will automatically grab updates from an Internet connected PC, try Windows Updates Downloader. It will grab all of the updates your system needs, so you can just take them to the PC and launch the installers.

With the simple interface that Windows Updates Downloader provides, you can quickly and efficiently download all of the Windows Updates for your version of Windows in your language.

You can then either install the updates, slipstream them to an existing Windows source, use them for network installations or on computer who are not connected to the internet. You can even collect them to store them for achival purposes.

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  • This is an excellent solution.
    – bgmCoder
    Sep 11, 2015 at 3:18
  • But then I have a couple of hundred installers to run.
    – Jamie Hanrahan
    Sep 20, 2016 at 14:05
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Sometimes if you're lucky, you can find a specific update through MSDN or Technet, and just download a file. It was nice in the old days when they had a specific download page.

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If you contact Microsoft and explain the situation they may be willing to send you a disk with the latest service pack on it. They did this for me with Windows XP SP2 when I was in a place where I could not get an Internet connection. Of course, this probably won't work well on a regular basis but if you're in a standalone environment patches protecting you from Internet-based threats probably aren't high priority.

Alternatively, you can follow Kyle Bedell's advice. This is how we run updates where I work and I can attest that this works very well.

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I use this script with WSUS server for updating stand-alone servers and workstations:

Copy-Wsus Update To Folder

It is working fine, and there isn't any need to use third-party software.

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