Guide for Installing and Deploying Updates for Microsoft Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP 64-Bit Edition Version 2003

(HFDeploy.htm)
(Formerly Known As Hotfix Deployment and Installation Guide)

On This Page

About This Guide
What's New
What Is an Update?
The Standalone Installation
The Integrated (Slipstreamed) Installation
Removing an Update for the Windows Server 2003 Family and Windows XP 64-Bit Edition Version 2003
Copyright

About This Guide

This guide provides instructions for administrators who are installing updates, critical updates, hotfixes, and security patches (previously known collectively as hotfixes) for the following operating systems:

  • Microsoft Windows Server™ 2003, Standard Edition

  • Windows Server 2003, Web Edition

  • Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition

  • Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition

  • Windows XP 64-Bit Edition Version 2003

From here on, updates, critical updates, hotfixes, and security patches are collectively referred to as updates.

This guide includes technical information, procedures, and recommendations for installing these updates on multiple computers in either a small business or corporate environment. You can install the updates either alone as a standalone installation, or integrated with a Windows Server 2003 family operating system or Windows XP 64-Bit Edition Version 2003.

This guide assumes a working knowledge of update installations and the Windows Server 2003 family or Windows XP 64-Bit Edition Version 2003. Although some basic operating system information is included in the guide, it is not intended to replace formal training or the documentation for your operating system. Rather, this guide should be used as a complement to those other sources of information.

Organization of This Guide

This guide includes the following main sections:

  • What's New

    This section discusses some ways in which these updates differ from updates provided for previous operating systems.

  • What Is An Update?

    This section provides information about updates. It also provides information about additional resources that can help you plan your deployment of updates.

  • The Standalone Installation

    This section explains how to perform a standalone installation of Windows updates for computers that are already running a Windows Server 2003 family operating system or Windows XP 64-Bit Edition Version 2003.

  • The Integrated (“Slipstreamed”) Installation

    This section explains how to perform an unattended installation of updates that are integrated with a Windows Server 2003 family operating system or Windows XP 64-Bit Edition Version 2003.

  • Removing an Update for the Windows Server 2003 Family and Windows XP 64-Bit Edition Version 2003

    This section explains how to remove an update and discusses the limitations of this process.

What's New

This section provides information about how the process of installing these updates differs from previous methods of installing updates.

  • The files that are released with each update have changed. In addition, there are new instructions for selecting the right files to include in your integrated installation. For more information, see "Preparing for the Integrated Installation," later in this guide.

  • Some updates are released with additional installation options. These are explained in "Command-Line Options for the Update Package," later in this guide.

What Is an Update?

An update is a file or a collection of files that you can apply to the Windows Server 2003 family or Windows XP 64-Bit Edition Version 2003 to correct a specific problem. Updates are packaged in an executable (.exe) file, which is a self-installing format. When you install an update, files are backed up automatically so that you have the option of removing the update later if you want to.

The installation process also copies files to specific folders and updates registry settings.

The update packages for the Windows Server 2003 family and Windows XP 64-Bit Edition Version 2003 are named according to specific conventions. These conventions are as follows.

  • For updates you install on 32-bit versions of the Windows Server 2003 family, the convention is:

    WindowsServer2003-KB######-x86-LLL.exe

  • For updates you install on 64-bit versions of the Windows Server 2003 family or Windows XP 64-Bit Edition Version 2003, the convention is:

    WindowsServer2003-KB######-ia64-LLL.exe

In both cases, ##### represents the Microsoft Knowledge Base article number (for example, 123456), and LLL represents the language. In addition, from here on, Platform is used to represent x86 and ia64 platforms. This actually appears as either x86 or ia64, depending on which platform applies to you.

Important: Updates are applied only to software that is already installed when you apply the update. For instance, if you uninstall a component and later reinstall it, you must also reinstall any updates that apply to that component. Fixes included in a service pack work differently. After you install a service pack, fixes are applied to all components you add or reinstall without you having to reinstall the service pack. Note: Some older update packages suitable for installing on the Windows Server 2003 family and Windows XP 64-Bit Edition Version 2003 (and their corresponding registry keys) are prefixed with Q######.

Qchain.exe Functionality is Included with Updates

The Windows Server 2003 family and Windows XP 64-Bit Edition Version 2003 support update chaining during standalone installations. All updates released for the Windows Server 2003 family and Windows XP 64-Bit Edition Version 2003 have Qchain.exe functionality built in as part of the Update.exe installation program.

This means that you can install multiple updates without restarting the computer after each update is installed. If multiple updates replace the same file, Qchain.exe ensures that the correct version is retained. If you install multiple updates, be sure to use the /Z option described in "Command-Line Options for the Update Package,” later in this guide.

If the update you are installing does not use Update.exe as its installation engine, you might need to install that update separately.

For more information about using Qchain, see article 296861, “How to Install Multiple Windows Updates or Hotfixes with Only One Reboot,” on the Microsoft Knowledge Base. This article includes information about deploying updates for the Windows Server 2003 family.

The Standalone Installation

During a standalone installation, updates are applied to a computer that is already running a Windows Server 2003 family operating system or Windows XP 64-Bit Edition Version 2003. When you run the update package, it automatically installs the updated system files and makes the necessary registry changes. After the computer is restarted (required only for some system files that are used during the installation), the installation is complete, and the operating system runs with an updated file set.

You can install updates by running the update package, which extracts the update files and runs the Update.exe installation program. Update.exe then determines whether you have installed a service pack. If there is no service pack, or if the service pack version was released before the updates, and the language is the same, the Update.exe program installs the updates automatically. If your service pack version was released after the updates, the installation is not completed and an error message appears, stating that the version is incorrect.

If the language of the updates does not match the language you have set up for your operating system, Setup does not continue. If there are no version conflicts, Setup continues the installation. The Update.exe program registers the updates under the following registry keys:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Hotfix\KB#####

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \Software\Microsoft\Updates\Windows Server 2003\SP1\KB######

During the installation, information for removing the updates is stored in a hidden folder named systemroot\$NtUninstallKB######$. For information about removing updates, see "Removing Updates for the Windows Server 2003 Family and Windows XP 64-Bit Edition Version 2003," later in this guide.

The following sections describe how to perform standalone installations of Windows updates from a shared network distribution folder.

Standalone Installation Methods

There are several ways you can perform a standalone installation. These include using Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) to run the WindowsServer2003-KB######-Platform-LLL.exe program manually with a combination of installation options.

You can distribute updates either by using a shared network distribution folder or by downloading the updates from the Web. Because this guide is intended primarily for corporate users, the standalone installation procedures in this guide focus on the shared network distribution method, which is the most common means of update distribution for this audience.

The instructions in this section explain how to install updates on computers that are already running a Windows Server 2003 family operating system or Windows XP 64-Bit Edition Version 2003.

Command-Line Options for the Update Package

The following table identifies the command-line options that the update package supports.

Command-line option

Description

/F

Forces other applications to close after installation and before restart.

/N

Does not back up files for removing updates.

/Z

Does not restart the computer after the installation is completed.

/Q

Uses quiet mode; shows no user interface.

/O

Overwrites OEM files without prompting.

/U

Uses unattended Setup mode. Requires no user interaction and shows only critical errors.

/L

Lists installed updates.

Some updates might be released with the new options described in the following table:

Command-line option

Description

/help

Same as using /?.

/quiet

Same as using /Q: uses quiet mode; shows no user interface.

/passive

Same as using /U: uses unattended Setup mode. Requires no user interaction and shows only critical errors.

/uninstall

Uninstalls an update. For example, you can enter: WindowsServer2003-KB######-x86- LLL .exe / uninstall instead of using Add or Remove Programs.

/norestart

Same as using /Z: does not restart the computer after the installation is completed.

/forcerestart

Forces the computer to restart after the installation is completed.

Installing Updates on Computers Running a Windows Server 2003 Family Operating System or Windows XP 64-Bit Edition Version 2003

To install a single update on a single computer

To install an update on a single computer running a Windows Server 2003 family operating system or Windows XP 64-Bit Edition Version 2003, run the update package on the computer that you want to update.

  • For 32-bit update packages, the update package is formatted as follows:

    WindowsServer2003-KB######-x86-LLL.exe

  • For 64-bit update packages, the update package is formatted as follows:

    WindowsServer2003-KB######-ia64-LLL.exe

You can create a shared distribution folder on the network for the update if you want to install it on more than one computer. The following procedure describes how to install one or more updates using this method.

Note: In the following procedure, Drive represents the drive of the network or computer where your distribution folder is located.

To install an update by running an update package from a shared distribution folder

  1. Connect to the network or computer on which you want to create the distribution folder.

  2. On the network or the computer, create a distribution folder for the update files.

    For example, to create a distribution folder named Update, type the following:

    mkdir Drive :\Update

  3. Navigate to the folder you want, right-click the folder, and then click Properties.

    1. Click the Sharing tab, and then click Share This Folder.

    2. In Share Name, enter a name for the folder.

    3. Click Permissions, and then add permissions that allow users to install their updates from this folder.

    4. If you are using an NTFS file system partition, click the Security tab, confirm that the permissions listed there do not conflict with those on the Sharing tab, and then click OK.

  4. Copy the update package to the distribution folder that you created in Step 2.

  5. To install the update from the shared network distribution folder, run the following:

    WindowsServer2003-KB######- Platform - LLL .exe

    For example, to install the update from the distribution folder named Update, you would type the following:

    \\[servername]\[sharename]\Update\WindowsServer2003-KB######- Platform - LLL .exe

    Use the command-line options described in the tables provided in the preceding section.

  6. To ensure that your updates take effect, restart your computer after you finish installing all of the updates.

Installing Several Updates Together

You can group multiple updates together in a batch file and install them as a unit. This prevents you from having to restart your computer after each update is installed.

The following code sample is a batch file that installs updates and ensures that the correct files are replaced after the computer is restarted. Drive represents the drive where your update folder is set up.

@echo off
setlocal
set PATHTOFIXES=Drive:\Update
%PATHTOFIXES%\WindowsServer2003-KB######-Platform-LLL.exe /Z /U
%PATHTOFIXES%\WindowsServer2003-KB######-Platform-LLL.exe /Z /U
%PATHTOFIXES%\WindowsServer2003-KB######-Platform-LLL.exe /Z /U

Important: To ensure that the updates you installed take effect, restart the computer if the batch file does not automatically restart it for you.

The Integrated (Slipstreamed) Installation

The integrated installation (also known as a “slipstreamed” installation) simultaneously installs updates and either a Windows Server 2003 family operating system or Windows XP 64-Bit Edition Version 2003.

This section provides instructions you can use to perform an integrated installation that includes the updates and either a Windows Server 2003 family operating system or Windows XP 64-Bit Edition Version 2003 in unattended Setup mode.

You can perform an integrated installation by including the components that you want to install with the updates as entries in the Svcpack.inf file.

Important: You can integrate updates with either a Windows Server 2003 family operating system or Windows XP 64-Bit Edition Version 2003 as described in the following section. However, if a service pack becomes available, you cannot add the service pack to this integrated installation. You must create a new combination installation if a service pack becomes available.

Performing an Installation of Updates Integrated with a Windows Server 2003 Family Operating System or Windows XP 64-Bit Edition Version 2003

This section explains how to perform an installation of updates that are integrated with the operating system. This includes an explanation of how to copy to a shared distribution folder on your network each of the elements to be installed. If you use the integrated installation, it is not necessary to install the operating system and the updates separately.

Important:

  • To install updates with either a Windows Server 2003 family operating system or Windows XP 64-Bit Edition Version 2003, you must use the method described in this section.

  • You cannot perform this type of installation with Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition. For more information, contact your OEM.

  • This process installs the updates during Setup for the Windows Server 2003 family or Windows XP 64-Bit Edition Version 2003.

  • You cannot remove updates that were installed by using this installation method unless you reinstall the operating system.

Preparing for the Integrated Installation

Before you run Setup for the Windows Server 2003 family or Windows XP 64-Bit edition Version 2003 to deploy the installation of the operating system and updates across a network, you must copy the installation files for the operating system and the updates to a shared distribution folder. You must then complete the additional steps described in the procedure, "To create and set up the required folders and files,” later in this section.

If you are an OEM, and you plan to install additional OEM files (for example, device driver, application, or component files) on the destination computers, create a \$1 subfolder within the \$OEM$ subfolder. The \$1 subfolder maps to systemdrive, which is the destination drive for the Windows Server 2003 family and Windows XP 64-Bit edition Version 2003 integrated installation.

Note: In the following procedure, Drive represents the drive name of the network or computer where your distribution folder is located.

To create and set up the required folders and files

  1. Connect to the network or computer where you want to create the distribution folder.

  2. In the shared folder on the network, create a distribution folder for the installation files for Windows Server 2003 family operating system or Windows XP 64-Bit Edition Version 2003.

    For example, to create a distribution folder named WS2003, type the following:

    mkdir Drive :\WS2003\

    Ensure that only the system administrator has full access to this folder. Other users should have only Read and Execute permissions.

    To verify that you have assigned the appropriate permissions, follow steps 3 through 7 in the preceding procedure, "To install an update by running an update package from a shared distribution folder."

  3. Insert your operating system product CD into the CD-ROM drive, and then copy the contents of the CD to the distribution folder that you created in Step 2. To do so, use the following syntax that applies, depending on whether the operating system you are installing is a 32-bit version or a 64-bit version.

    If you are installing either a 32-bit version or a 64-bit version of an operating system, type the following:

    xcopy /E /I /V D:\i386 Drive :\WS2003\i386

    If you are installing a 64-bit version of an operating system, also type the following:

    xcopy /E /I /V D:\ia64 Drive :\WS2003\ia64

    Remove the product CD from the CD-ROM drive.

    Note: In the steps that follow, for Foldername use i386 for 32-bit versions of the Windows Server 2003 family; use ia64 for 64-bit versions of the Windows Server 2003 family and Windows XP 64-Bit edition Version 2003.

  4. Edit Drive :\WS2003\ Foldername \dosnet.inf by adding svcpack to the [OptionalSrcDirs] section. If this section does not exist, create it by typing the following:

[OptionalSrcDirs] svcpack

  1. Create a Drive :\WS2003\Foldername \svcpack subfolder.

  2. Copy the update package (WindowsServer2003-KB######-Platform-LLL.exe ) to the Drive :\Foldername \svcpack folder by using the 8.3 naming format (KB######.exe), where #####represents the actual update number, LLL is the language, and Platform is either x86 or ia64.

    If you are deploying multiple updates, copy and rename all of the update executable files.

  3. Expand the update to a unique temporary location. For example, for a 32-bit version of the Windows Server 2003 family, to expand the files to a folder called samplefolder, you would type the following:

    Drive :\i386\svcpack\KB#####/X: Drive :\samplefolder

  4. When you expand the files, two folders are created in samplefolder. These are rtmqfe and rtmgdr. You do not need to copy any files from the rtmgdr folder; simply ignore these files.

    Important: If for some reason you have integrated any files from an rtmgdr folder, be careful not to mix these files with files from your rtmqfe folder unless you are advised to do so for your specific installation. Mixing these files can cause problems with your integrated installation.

    From samplefolder\rtmqfe, for each update, copy the catalog file (KB######.cat) and update binary files (such as .exe, .dll, or .sys) by doing the following:

    1. Copy KB######.cat to the Drive :\WS2003\ Foldername \svcpack folder. If you are deploying multiple updates together, copy the catalog file from each of the updates to be deployed. Each update has a unique catalog file that you must copy in the format KB######.cat.

    2. The network distribution folder should contain only the most recent version of any given binary file, whether it is from the original CD or from an update that you have integrated. To ensure that this is the case, check the version number of the file you are going to copy, and check the version number of the file (if it exists) in the Drive :\WS003\ Foldername folder of the distribution folder. Copy the update file to the distribution folder ONLY if the file has a higher version number.

      To check the file version, right-click the file, click Properties, click the Version tab, and look at the version in File version.

      Note: For example, rtmqfe\asms\* files in the update package must be copied to the \WS2003\ Foldername \asms folder of the shared installation folder. You do not need to copy Update.exe, Update.inf, SPmsg.dll, SPcustom.dll, SPuninst.exe, Update.ver, or symbols files.

    3. A compressed version of the same file might exist in the network distribution folder. That file will have the same name, but will end with an underscore (_). For example, “notepad.ex_” would appear instead of “notepad.exe.” If there is compressed version of the file in the folder, delete it.

  5. For each file copied in Step 8 (except for KB######.cat), check Dosnet.inf to determine whether each update binary file name is listed in the [Files] section. All files listed in [Files] are preceded by d1,. This appears as follows:

    d1,Filename

    If an update binary file name is not listed for each update under the [Files] section, add an entry using the following syntax:

    d1,Filename

    For example, if an update contains Win32k.sys, because Win32k.sys is not listed in Dosnet.inf, you must add “d1,win32k.sys” to the [Files] section of Dosnet.inf. This ensures that the update version of Win32k.sys will be copied during Setup.

  6. Delete the file Drive :\WS2003\ Foldername \Svcpack.in_.

  7. Create a new Svcpack.inf file in Drive :\WS2003\ Foldername by using either the procedure for deploying a single update or the procedure for deploying multiple updates. The number signs (######) represent the numbers for your update .cat file.

    To deploy a single update, set up your file as follows:

[Version] Signature="$Windows NT$" MajorVersion=5 MinorVersion=2 BuildNumber=3790 [SetupData] CatalogSubDir="\WS2003\Foldername\svcpack" [ProductCatalogsToInstall] KB######.cat [SetupHotfixesToRun] KB######.exe /options

  - For 32-bit versions of the Windows Server 2003 family *Foldername* represents i386.

  - For Windows XP 64-Bit Edition Version 2003 and 64-bit versions of Windows Server 2003 family, *Foldername* represents ia64.

The recommended options for updates are **/Q**, **/N**, and **/Z**. These options prevent messages from being displayed on computers to which you are deploying the updates. This makes the update installation invisible to users.

**To deploy multiple updates, set up your file as follows:**

If you are deploying multiple updates simultaneously, add an entry for each update under both \[ProductCatalogsToInstall\] and \[SetupHotfixesToRun\] (as shown in the example that follows).

The following lines illustrate how these sections would appear for an installation in which multiple updates are installed.

<pre IsFakePre="true" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

[ProductCatalogsToInstall] KB123456.cat KB123478.cat KB123490.cat [SetupHotfixesToRun] KB123456.exe /options KB123478.exe /options KB123490.exe /options

The recommended options for updates are **/Q**, **/N**, and **/Z**.

Using Svcpack.inf to Deploy the Integrated Installation

You can deploy updates and either a Windows Server 2003 family operating system or Windows XP 64-Bit Edition Version 2003 to multiple computers from a shared distribution folder on a network. During the standard installation process, Setup (Winnt.exe or Winnt32.exe in unattended Setup mode) installs the operating system and applies the updates.

To deploy the installation

  1. Customize Setup for your Windows Server 2003 family operating system or Windows XP 64-Bit Edition Version 2003 as necessary. For more information about how to do this, you can view Help by entering the following command from the deployment folder:

    \WS2003\ Foldername \winnt32.exe /?

    For more detailed information, see the Winnt32.exe command syntax topic in the Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit or the Microsoft Windows XP Professional Resource Kit.

  2. Run Setup (Winnt.exe or Winnt32.exe in unattended Setup mode) to deploy the installation of the operating system and the updates to multiple computers from the shared distribution folder.

Removing an Update for the Windows Server 2003 Family and Windows XP 64-Bit Edition Version 2003

You can use Add or Remove Programs in Control Panel to remove an update for a Windows Server 2003 family operating system or Windows XP 64-Bit Edition Version 2003. You cannot remove updates that were installed as part of an integrated installation, however, unless you reinstall the operating system. Reinstalling the operating system overwrites the updates.

If you install an update as part of an integrated installation, it might not appear in Add or Remove Programs. If it does appear in Add or Remove Programs, the Remove button will be unavailable.

If you install multiple updates that each replace the same files, and you want to return your computer to its original state, you must remove the most recently installed update first, the next most recently installed update second, and so on.

For example, assume that you installed UpdateA first, UpdateB second, and UpdateC third, and they each replace the same file. To return your computer to the state it was in before you installed UpdateA, you must remove UpdateC first, followed by UpdateB, and then UpdateA. If you try to remove the updates in the wrong order, a warning appears. If you proceed, these updates and programs might not work correctly.

To remove an update for the Windows Server 2003 family or Windows XP 64-Bit Edition Version 2003

  1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.

  2. Double-click Add or Remove Programs, click KB######, and then click Change/Remove.

  3. Follow the instructions that appear on your screen.

Important: If you try to remove the updates in the wrong order, a warning appears listing all updates and programs installed since you installed the update that you are trying to remove. The warning names the update you are trying to remove and warns you that if you continue, the programs listed might not run correctly. Click No if you do not want to remove the update and prefer to remove the programs and updates listed before you continue. Otherwise, click Yes.

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