Source for old Windows KB Updates no longer available from M

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Source for old Windows KB Updates no longer available from M

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Source for old Microsoft Windows KB Updates no longer available from Microsoft Update Catalog
Hello,
For a couple of days I have been trying to sort out a problem with the internet on an older XP machine of mine. As a result of both experimenting and googling the problem , I keep getting suggested that a particular update (KB871122) might help the problem. ( The problem appeared after I did a system restore to a much earlier point).
That update is no longer available, at least at the Microsoft Update Catalog , and I have had no luck so far finding it anywhere else.

Does anyone have any ideas of where I might find it. I was thinking that maybe there is an archive or some source where all old updates are kept??
I did find some sites claiming to supply the update, but in those cases, either the link did not work , or it just went to the Microsoft Update Catalog where it is no longer available.

Thanks
Alan
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Re: Source for old Windows KB Updates no longer available fr

Post by HansV »

Isn't it time to move on from Windows XP?
Best wishes,
Hans

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Re: Source for old Windows KB Updates no longer available fr

Post by Doc.AElstein »

Hi Hans,
I have most of the newer operating systems as well. Only Windows 10 I don’t have just yet, but I am looking at buying a Windows 10 computer shortly.

My wife has a lot of LG X120 Notebooks that she likes. I like them too. Mostly they are reliable and work well. They mostly have XP

My background is not in computing , but it is in state of the art Research and Development. My instinct is always to keep up to date. But for personal use, I find a good stable older operating system and Office version a good solution.
My experience is that in the last few years Microsoft make at least as many new problems and new bugs as new improvements with their newer software and operating systems. So the net effect is zero

I think for personal use you have two choices.
Either:
Spend all your money on renewing a computer or the software on it every few years. It will be full of bugs and problems but you will get support from Microsoft to help work around them. Then the support drops off, so you buy a new computer or software and get the support for the new set of bugs and problems.
Or
You get confident on maintaining yourself a few stable older systems and software.

I find with the second option I am more likely to be able to do something. My computer requirements in general are better satisfied with the second option. I have more computers and more chances to get something working.

The cost of either option is about the same. - The cost of older systems and software can be very cheap. I have about 20 working computers. I spend in a year on average a bit less than my Father in law, who updates his one computer and software regularly to the newest stand.
The second option makes me a little more self sufficient, but I note I am sometimes lucky to get good support form place like Eileen's Lounge.
I do note that Windows 10 is getting quite cheap. Probably because Microsoft have mastered taking control of you with it... so you may end up paying for it in other ways..

Most of my computers are old and reliable. But I do try to keep at least one computer up to date..

If I was working on / with computing , or was a computer professional, I guess I would think differently. For one thing , someone else might be paying to keep me up to date… External / Internal political pressures might force me to keep more up to date as well

Alan
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Re: Source for old Windows KB Updates no longer available fr

Post by HansV »

Windows XP was an excellent operating system in its time, but I wouldn't recommend going online with it. There are too many security problems with it that aren't being patched any more.

(20 working computers? :drop: I only have one desktop, one laptop and one smartphone...)
Best wishes,
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Re: Source for old Windows KB Updates no longer available fr

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Smartphone!!! … ...... :flee:

My wife has one and swears by it. I had one. I threw it away after a year, I hate the damn things. They don’t like my fingers and thumb.

Regarding my latest XP problem…
I think I will leave it for a day or so and see if I can get hold of the KB …

Then if not… I will be brave. I bought a XP instillation disk a few years back. I have not tried it yet. Maybe its time to take the plunge.

Regarding security problems..
After a lot of effort, I finally mastered consistantly being able to re installing Vista a few months ago on a couple of my machines, complete with all drivers, software etc.. etc..
I personally think that is the best, or at least a very good, option for security..

I try to avoid downloading from the internet as much as possible on the older machines. That is one reason why I try to keep at least one computer fairly up to date. I download any .exe files on that, which has anti virus on it, run something like Microsoft Security Essentials on it after the download, then copy the .exe file to an older computer via USB .
That is one reason why I currently am looking at getting a Win 10 machine, since I think support for Windows 7 is stopping in a few days.

(We don’t use all the 20 machines all the time. It is convenient to have them distributed around, some of them are used for specific things.
My wife likes a having lot of Notebooks. They are coloured and decorated with different stickers. They have different screen savers... When she is travelling she likes to pick the one that matches that days choice of clothing.... or shoes....
I personally also like very much the extended desktop option as well. Some of our computers are mostly permanently connected to a large old television as the second Monitor.
That is an example of something that works better in older systems. In Vista and XP it mostly always works well.
There are often problems and bugs with the extended Desktop option in Windows 7. Those problems are often reported but they have not been solved consistently, and probably never will be…. )
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Re: Source for old Windows KB Updates no longer available fr

Post by stuck »

Doc.AElstein wrote:Source for old Microsoft Windows KB Updates... ... Does anyone have any ideas of where I might find it...
Try asking your question here:
https://msfn.org/board/forum/34-windows-xp/
If the the geeks (and they really are geeks) on that forum can't help you then I don't think anyone will know the answer. MSFN still has an active board for Win 98!
Doc.AElstein wrote:...Vista... ...I personally think that is the best, or at least a very good, option for security...
:nope: Vista is no more secure that XP as it too is obsolete. In a couple of weeks time Win 7 will similarly be come unsupported and thus a security risk. By the end of January MS will only be providing security updates for Win 8/8.1 and Win 10 1809, 1903 and 1909.

Ken

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Re: Source for old Windows KB Updates no longer available fr

Post by Doc.AElstein »

Thanks Ken, I will check that place out

Alan

( I was not meaning that Vista is a good option for security. I probably didn’t make it too clear what I meant – I meant that a good security option is being able to re install Operating system and drivers and software. ( I recently got competent in doing that quite easily on a couple of my Vista machines ) )
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Re: Source for old Windows KB Updates no longer available fr

Post by Argus »

I consider this a hobby, such as keeping old cars, bikes etc. It's fine as long as one doesn't connect to the Internet. If one wants to save money, and it's not necessarily that expensive to keep a computer updated, there is always Linux and similar. (There is also laptop skins if one need a different look every other day ...)

Anyhow.

I haven't looked at this in detail, but the update you mention is related to problems with the Wireless Network Setup Wizard after installing service packs, or perhaps other changes to the computer, and might explain "problem with the internet".

(When using System Restore to go back in time to an old RP, it will usually create a new RP, so that one can undo the restore; unless if one was using the Recovery Console.)

Have you done any other research than hunting for an update (which you by now should know can be very difficult for your collection of computers with old operating systems, unless one has a saved copy of updates or streamlined media)?

One copy of the KB article is quoted below.
Article ID: 871122 - Last Review: October 18, 2010 - Revision: 5.0
Error message when you try to run the Wireless Network Setup Wizard after you update to Windows XP Service Pack 2, Service Pack 3 or Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005

INTRODUCTION
The Wireless Network Setup Wizard and the View Available Wireless Networks feature both rely on the Wireless Zero Configuration service to provide their functionality to Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) or Service Pack 3 (SP3) and Microsoft Windows XP Table PC Edition 2005. If the Wireless Zero Configuration service is not available, you receive an error message that directs you to this article.

MORE INFORMATION
This behavior occurs for several reasons. Some computer and hardware manufacturers provide their own configuration software that replaces the Wireless Zero Configuration service that is provided in Windows. In that case, you must use the software that is provided by the manufacturer to configure your wireless network. If you want to use the Wireless Network Setup Wizard or the View Available Wireless Networks feature to configure your wireless device, see the documentation that came with your computer or with your wireless network card. Use this documentation to determine whether you can use the Wireless Zero Configuration service to configure your wireless network. Sometimes, you cannot use the Windows functionality.

To attempt to reconfigure Wireless Zero Configuration for all wireless profiles, go to the "Fix it for me" section. If you’d rather attempt to reconfigure Wireless Zero Configuration yourself, go to the "Let me fix it myself" section.

Fix it for me

[...]

Let me fix it myself
If your computer or your wireless network adapter did not come with its own wireless network software, follow these steps:

Click Start, click Run, type ncpa.cpl, and then click OK.
Click Network Connections.
In Network Connections, click to select your wireless connection, and then click Change settings of this connection.
On the Wireless Networks tab, click to select the Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings check box.

To start the Wireless Zero Configuration service, follow these steps:

Click Start, click Run, type %SystemRoot%\system32\services.msc /s, and then click OK.
Double-click Wireless Zero Configuration.
In the Startup type list, click Automatic, and then click Apply.
In the Service status area, click Start, and then click OK.

If you receive an error message when you try to start the service, see the "References" section for more troubleshooting information.
Back to the top

REFERENCES
For more information, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
815485 Overview of the Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) security update in Windows XP
313242 How to troubleshoot wireless network connections in Windows XP
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Re: Source for old Windows KB Updates no longer available fr

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Hi Angus …… :wink:

It is a bit like the car solution for me. We have a normal car that gets renewed after a few years and in the meantime often gets sorted out at a garage. Then there is my very old blue VW bus which mostly is kept on the road from may own efforts. The bus is partly for fun like my wife’s multicoloured laptops , and she collects them like her shoes. But sometimes the bus is more practical for normal use , when it snows a lot, since it is a 4 wheel drive version with a higher than normal ground clearance. …. ( http://www.eileenslounge.com/viewtopic. ... 81#p251181" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; )


The system restore was done using the LG x120’s own extra “Smart on “ button. I have only used thet a couple of times. I am not too familiar with if it. I am not sure if it is reversible. I think not. I used it this time like the time before to start the computer when it wouldn’t start in any other way with the normal button.
The extra “Smart on “ button offered me an attempt at a normal start which did not work or the restart to a much earlier start point, probably close to factory settings. That worked the last time, and also it worked this time. But the only problem this time is that the internet won’t work . It was working before , connected to my German Telekom router either via the WLAN function to the router, or connected directly via a fixed RJ45 LAN cable.
Both the adaptors for those two possibilities are present in Network connections, as they were before the system restore. They look the same, or very similar.

Usually they spring into life on their own, or sometimes need a bit of coercing , like disabling and re enabling the connectors a few times, checking that their properties are set as they should be, restarting the Router, restarting the computer etc.

( Throughout all my experimenting in the last couple of days, internet has been working fine on other conmputers including a similar XP machine).

In my research I also saw a few posts about that "services.msc / set to automatic" stuff. I tried various suggested things to do with that a few times without any luck.

I do not really understand how to set up a Network connection from scratch. I have seen the Wireless Network Setup Wizard occasionally pop up as I have been fiddling around. Often it craps out saying something about not being able to configure. Occasionally it suggest looking at KB871122. I have also seen KB871122 mentioned at different places when I have been googling anything to do with internet connection problems in XP.

I am a bit outside my confidence level in these things. I don’t really understand all about network connections.
As I mentioned , usually the adaptors appear in network connections and work after a bit of fiddling / restarting of computer , or the de active / activate trick.
Also you often get offered at different places options to Diagnose and / or Repair things to do with internet and network connections. Occasionally one of those sometimes kicks the internet into life, usually in combination with something else, like a router and / or computer restart. It has not helped on this occasion

Sometimes running one of those Universal Driver discs has helped get a network adaptor to work, for example, after an operating system re install. It had not helped on this occasion.

But amongst other things I have just this minute, re tried a Universal Driver disc, shortly after I went a bit mad from frustration and randomly and recklessly deleted all the adaptors and any other software that seemed to be related to the internet or network things.
Suddenly the internet is now working via the RJ45 LAN cable….. The WLAN still isn’t yet …
Maybe I will quit for today, while I am ahead…
.... :wink:
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What is this crazy 802.11 when its making an Adaptor work...

Post by Doc.AElstein »

Hello,

I seem to have solved the problem on my current problem XP machine … :smile:
But I am not too sure how…….. :sad: :scratch:

As often, I solve these problems when I give up any sensible logic and go into a mad frenzy of doing lots of things at the same time, ( most of which I usually get warnings about telling me not to do…)...
I tried a couple of Driver discs, a couple of USB WLAN “dongles” along with their small ( half sized ) CD software, and did a lot of other things , often repeating things already tried, ... and often I just randomly pulled the mains plug on the Notebook and started a random combination of things again. Basically I did all the things that really upset computer professionals when I tell them about it :wink: :evilgrin: :wink:

At one point in the Chaos, a small pop up came up telling me that WLAN connections were available. This is usually a good thing to see, but I had not seen it before on this problem XP computer for the last few days, at least since I have had the problem. I quickly clicked on it, picked my router from the list that came up , chose to connect, and added the password when asked. etc... etc...

But Still no success, ... but I had a feeling in my bones that I was getting close.
I tried one of the many offered “Diagnose/ Repair” options, which I had tried many times in the last few days, but until now had had no success.

This time it told me to do something , which once again, I had also been told to do a few times before over the last few days, but which had also until now never helped.
This time it worked:smile:

This is what I did:
_From the System Tray at the bottom of the screen, I right clicked on the small icon for the WLAN connection, and chose to look at all available WLAN connections
_ Then I selected something like “Change Advanced settings ” : Change Advanced Settings.jpg : https://imgur.com/QdziyP6" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
_ A window then pops up from which I select something like “Wireless connections Click On Wireless Connecions.jpg : https://imgur.com/TR4wvuK" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
_ The window changes to another, and in that I check something like “Use windows to configure Click On Use Windows to configure.jpg : https://imgur.com/rjXE9cs" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Click On Use Windows to configure.jpg
_ Then I hit OK in that last window

Success.... here I am connected successfully to the Internet.
Success.jpg : https://imgur.com/TUm2twt" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; , https://imgur.com/Z7svp1V" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Success.jpg
The first Network Adaptor shown above is the now working WLAN adaptor to my Router.
(The second adaptor is for the fixed RJ45 LAN cable connection to my Router. That started working last night, and works as soon as the cable is plugged in )
The only new thing I notice is the reference to something like “802.11b/g ……..”…. on the now working WLAN network adaptor. https://imgur.com/Z7svp1V" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; . That is strange. I do not have that strange number on any of my other XP computer’s WLAN Network adaptors. *****
I note that this strange number, 802.11 , seemed to keep popping up when I was randomly installing software for the USB WLAN dongles.

You can see that number if you do anything with a USB WLAN dongle. For example, in those last two screenshots , I do not have any USB dongle connected. But I have working WLAN to my router and I have been surfing the internet with Google Chrome or internet explorer successfully.
If however, I now stick in one of the USB WLAN dongles, then you can see that there is a similar reference to that 802.11 , https://imgur.com/GsnTfp1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; , in the extra Network Adaptor that appears as a result of connecting that USB WLAN dongle:
USB WLAN Dongle Network Connector.jpg : https://imgur.com/k0hmt70" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; , https://imgur.com/GsnTfp1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


***** Here for comparison is a more typical working XP WLAN Network Connector. ( Before I had all the problems on the problem machine, I had this sort of adaptor also showing up and working normally on the problem machine)
Typical XP WLAN.jpg : https://imgur.com/sEbM5hK" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Typical XP WLAN.jpg
_._______________________

It is good that I have the problem now solved. But as often , I am very frustrated that I cannot be sure exactly what the solution was, or what exactly the problem was.
Maybe my unconventional way of tackling the problem has caused some software from the USB WLAN dongle to slip into the normal WLAN Network adaptor and make it work ??
( One other thing I did, was go against my usual principal and tried downloading a software that checks for and automatically adds any missing drivers or software from the Internet. I tried that twice, but that crashed both times at different points... But maybe that all added to the anerchy that finally got things working ) )

_._______________________

I suppose the thing I should try to consider now is somehow storing all the settings and what not that I have currently….. but the world of Recovery Discs and how to use them is another jungle of imprecise concepts and imprecise definitions that gives me a headache… :sad: :brickwall:

_.______________________

Anyway, Thanks everyone for the contributions.
( I can start “Painting” the cover on this XP machine now appropriately for my wife to take on her Bike holiday with her next week… :) )


Alan
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Updates - They will kill ya

Post by Doc.AElstein »

Just a few extra remarks on the Theme of Updates and old “no longer supported” software.

I mentioned above that I had done a system restore to a much earlier point on an old XP machine, which had mostly worked apart from causing the Internet issue which was the main Theme of my original Post question……

Stupidly, I seem to have forgot after the restore to check my Automatic Updatessetting in the Control Panel…

I learnt the hard way this morning that it had been set back to enabled…

I have been “Hit” by 133 Updates. Almost all of them are Security Updates for Windows XP.

So, I guess this is telling me that “no longer supported” means that no new work is done and no new updates are made for , for example, XP.
But clearly it does not stop some missing old updates for the ““no longer supported” software being sent .

I didn’t get the KB871122 which I have been interested in. This makes sense I suppose, since it is no longer available.

So far I have seen that the updates have killed my Windows Media Player and killed macros and a lot of other stuff in my Office 2007.
If I had a month spare it would be interesting to try and track down which updates are killing what, since in principle I am in favour of keeping as many security updates as I can.
I expect this time I may have to forgo that pleasure and take a simpler option of just deleting all the updates, and/ or restoring again and making sure I disable updates after. That should only take me a few hours, hopefully…
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