Anyone know where to find the windows XP service packs online?

By onewarmslime
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onewarmslime

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So I just fresh installed XP on an old desktop and I just realized Microsoft has pulled all XP service packs from their website. All links are dead. I tried visiting the windows update website with IE6 but it doesn't work. It seems insane to me that the service packs are apparently completely gone form the internet. Anyone know where to find them? I used to have them on a hard disk but it died.

 

PS. Before anyone starts whining I don't want to use this computer for browsing the internet, all I want is to install my printer (which needs SP3 to install).

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Arachno 1D

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I take it you didnt us the XP SP3 version which has the last service pack instigrated if not I think its still available online?

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+JHBrown Subscriber¹

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5 minutes ago, Arachno 1D said:

I take it you didnt us the XP SP3 version which has the last service pack instigrated if not I think its still available online?

I believe Microsoft pulled the links.

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17 minutes ago, onewarmslime said:

So I just fresh installed XP on an old desktop and I just realized Microsoft has pulled all XP service packs from their website. All links are dead. I tried visiting the windows update website with IE6 but it doesn't work. It seems insane to me that the service packs are apparently completely gone form the internet. Anyone know where to find them? I used to have them on a hard disk but it died.

 

PS. Before anyone starts whining I don't want to use this computer for browsing the internet, all I want is to install my printer (which needs SP3 to install).

Major Geeks has it. Service Pack 3

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+JHBrown Subscriber¹

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Just now, onewarmslime said:

Thanks, you saved my life. I'm never losing these files again!

No problem. I have old files like those burned on a CD, a DVD, and saved on a thumb drive for instances like this.

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Draggendrop Veteran

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One option is to use a VM and install MS's copy of XP SP3 for use in a VM. I use VMware, enable system tools and load the XP from MS. Microsoft also has a virtual machine that runs on Windows 7, some say it works on 8 as well. It is basically 2 packages, the VM and the XPSP3 to load...no key needed. I'l try to find the link...but this is a start...

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-ca/windows7/install-and-use-windows-xp-mode-in-windows-7

 

hope that helps

 

Also check for scripts to create a new printer port. You can run old printers on newer OS's that way.

Hope that helps..

:) 

 

EDIT...it looks like MS's VM is no longer available, you can use others though. This link may help with the XPSP3 download...

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=8002

 

As far as the printer, search online for the printer type and operating system that you have, a script is probably available to save the hassle...it just creates a port where the older unrecognized and not supported printercan be used...you just use the latest driver that you have.

hope that helps and you get it up and running.

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Anibal P

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It would be cheaper and less time consuming to trash the printer than to keep XP around anymore

 

It can't be that good a printer if it doesn't have at least Vista drivers 

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Obi-Wan Kenobi

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11 minutes ago, Anibal P said:

It would be cheaper and less time consuming to trash the printer than to keep XP around anymore

 

It can't be that good a printer if it doesn't have at least Vista drivers 

Right? Printers are disposable nowadays. My parents, when they run out of ink, they just go buy a whole new printer, as opposed to expensive refills....sucks for the landfills, though, as it's almost just a cheap. OP, I'm glad someone could help you with that. I have them somewhere on an old desktop, but it won't boot without a floppy drive, because the CMOS battery died, and I can't reset the bios without it....so my data is untouchable. Too bad, because on that particular desktop, I have about 600GB of data that I can't use, and I don't have a HDD caddy either.... :'(

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onewarmslime

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It would be cheaper and less time consuming to trash the printer than to keep XP around anymore

 

It can't be that good a printer if it doesn't have at least Vista drivers 

 

 

Nope... it wouldn't be cheaper... the printer sucks (it's a crappy HP) and I'm definitely not buying a cheap HP printer again... and I'd al so have to buy a new computer so... definitely not cheaper (currently this setup costs me zero dollars).

 

It's just an offline computer for my mum to use for her school work (she's a teacher and she prints exams and stuff). We're not gonna spend hundreds of dollars on a new computer and printer for word and printing :p

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Draggendrop Veteran

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Printers are pretty cheap now days, the guys are right. I did find an example for the printer port config that I did many years ago, and used it on an XP machine with a really old laser printer. I had found it online and used a driver that was the closest to the printer. here is the example...and please don't laugh at it, it worked great.

 

Quote

Let me assume you are having the same problem I had:


1. An old printer connected to an "older" machine (XP, Win2000) with so called NT4.0 (kernel mode) driver


2. Want to provide it to a Vista machine as a network printer

 

Please try on your VISTA machine:

Control Panel -> Printers -> Add a printer -> Add a local printer ->

Create a new port: Local Port ->

Enter a port name: \\Your_XP_machine\Shared_Printer   <<REPLACE W/ YOUR INFO>>

Pick appropriate driver from list provided by Vista <<Lexmark 4800>>

 

Hope this works for you.

just an example...don't laugh to hard....:)

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onewarmslime

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Ha, okay, I suppose I can get good laserjets for peanuts these days compared to back in the day (my parents bought our first laserjet printer 15 years ago and it cost around 1000 euros, it was an HP and it was amazing).

Anyway, the problem isn't that I can't find printers for this computer. The thing is that I don't want to spend hudreds of dollars to get a new computer when the current setup works great (the PC isn't connected to the internet and even if it caught a virus or something I can just format it in an hour).

Btw, the printer is already network enabled, but I'll keep that in mind lol.

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xrobwx71

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21 hours ago, Obi-Wan Kenobi said:

Right? Printers are disposable nowadays. My parents, when they run out of ink, they just go buy a whole new printer, as opposed to expensive refills....sucks for the landfills, though, as it's almost just a cheap. OP, I'm glad someone could help you with that. I have them somewhere on an old desktop, but it won't boot without a floppy drive, because the CMOS battery died, and I can't reset the bios without it....so my data is untouchable. Too bad, because on that particular desktop, I have about 600GB of data that I can't use, and I don't have a HDD caddy either.... :'(

Those CMOS batteries can be had for a few bucks. 

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