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I reinstall Windows about once a year. Is there a way to save Windows XP updates and patches so I don't have to download them again?

William Davis, Gainesville, Florida

You can download XP updates as program files, save them on your hard drive, reload them when you need to, and even share them between computers.

First, download Windows XP Service Pack 2. Keeping a reinstallable version of SP2 handy will save you more download time than all the other XP updates put together. Download SP2, or order the update on CD (note that the first of these two links begins the download automatically).

You'll find other Windows XP updates at Microsoft Windows Update. The site requires Internet Explorer 5 or later; so forget about using Firefox, Opera, or any other alternative browser. If the page generates an error message telling you that you must have an administrator account--even if you are logged on as an administrator--look at the top of the browser window for a message asking permission to install an ActiveX control. You need to grant permission to download the control before you can proceed.

When you get to the catalog page, click Find updates for Microsoft Windows operating systems. Choose Windows XP SP2, and then click Search, Critical Updates and Service Packs.

This will display a list of updates. Click the Add button under the relevant ones to place them in your download basket (see Figure 1). When you're done, click Go to Download Basket, enter or select a download location, and click Download Now.

To begin patching, double-click the SP2 file, named WindowsXP-KB835935-SP2-ENU.exe, and step through the installation wizard.