They started that practice way back in the WinXP days where if you wanted all the updates you had to install them via Microsoft Updates, they only released some of them for manual download but not all of them.
- MS is not too consistent in the way they offer those individual updates. Sometimes one has to pull up the appropriate MS Security Bulletin first, to find a link to a download location. But with a little more effort and some more imagination I was able to pull up nearly all (except for 2 or 3 ones) individual installation files for my Win 7 system. GOOGLE was in that regard VERY helpful.
- I also noticed that MS no longer offers some old(er) installation files. Those seem to have been replaced by newer versions/updates.
- I am curious how they handle those updates in Win 10.
interesting to note thatyesterdayan optionalupdate removes...since I'mglad thatI havenotdownloadedit"accidentally"andinstalled
ps: andifyou wonder...todayI havethewlancardactivated and it shows me with a driver from microsoft in optional updates,thats why shows yesterdayandtoday7optional updatesinstead of8optional updates
- One also can try to pull the files from the "C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download" folder (alas AFTER installation). But that 's more difficult because one doesn't know in what format (*.exe, *.cab, *.msu, etc.) they are.
- When it comes to drivers, it's difficult to pull them from the MS website. Better to go to the manufacturer's website.
- When one searches for a particular file then MS sometimes will only show the "x86" (32 bit) version. Then some extra added info - like e.g. "x64" (64 bit) or "Windows 7" - will do the trick to let GOOGLE pull up the right webpage.
- One also can try to pull the files from the "C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download" folder (alas AFTER installation). But that 's more difficult because one doesn't know in what format (*.exe, *.cab, *.msu, etc.) they are.
in this contexta question:i checked the folder andthereare3files2014without extension...can Idelete these filesorneeditwindows?
I don't know. If those files are (much) smaller than the updates recommended then I suppose you can delete them. But if Windows Updates needs those files then it will re-create them.
@Andavari: In XP I pulled (for a long time span) the Original update files from the folders with the temporary internetfiles. I wrote down the size & name and then it was easy to find the files.