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I am bench imaging a bunch of PCs. Our environment uses Alteris to download the image then execute a script to download the updates and install software. Our internet connection is not so good so redundantly downloading the windows updates is painstakingly slow.

Is there a way I can download an update bundle with a majority of the updates to put on a USB so that each computer I image doesn't have to fetch them from MS?

I would use WSUS but I have no control over our servers or domain.

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    I would use WSUS but I have no control over our servers or domain. Wut? Of course there are ways, but are you asking for help circumventing your domain's policy? Because that's what it sounds like... and we don't do that here. Mar 10, 2014 at 14:33
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    Are you kidding? You have no idea how my organization works. AD itself is managed by another group. The images are built by another group. Of course they aren't going to slipstream updates in their images since that takes work. I'm here to deploy images.... Now I can sit here for hours while updates download every time or do what I want to do in this question. If I really wanted to do something malicious I can put malware on all the machines since I have local admin (and physical access). I'm not circumventing anything. I just want to install the updates faster.
    – asdffffff
    Mar 10, 2014 at 14:41
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    Fair enough. Though, honestly, the better approach is to change the process (or just take the money for staring at progress bars). Working around dysfunction like this only enables and encourages it to grow. Mar 10, 2014 at 14:46
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    @HopelessN00b - This is government work ;)
    – asdffffff
    Mar 10, 2014 at 14:47
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    Oh, my condolences. Mar 10, 2014 at 14:51

2 Answers 2

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There isn't a Microsoft-provided "update bundle", WSUS (or SCCM) is the official update tool.

In the absence of WSUS, you may consider using a tool like WSUS Offline to download and stage all the desired product updates on your network. Then, as part of your image building process, slipstream/install the updates before capture.

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  • I do not have access to the images either (they are pre-built by another department). Can I use this tool to download all the desired product updates, put them on a USB, and install them?
    – asdffffff
    Mar 10, 2014 at 14:38
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    @WMIWtf333 Sure, the utility just downloads the update files to the path of your choice. If you can't touch the source image, you'll probably want to script the update installs as there will be many, many of them.
    – jscott
    Mar 10, 2014 at 14:41
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    I agree. WSUS Offline for me is the greatest thing since sliced bread :-) ... dedicate a system to routinely update the WSUS Offline .iso images once a month (2 or 3 days after Patch Tuesday), and you're good to go.
    – pepoluan
    Mar 10, 2014 at 14:45
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Another option is to create one 'gold image' with all necessary updates installed, then run sysprep on it, shut it down, then clone.

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    I wish! but unfortunately as explained above I do not have control over these. I'm here to deploy images
    – asdffffff
    Mar 10, 2014 at 14:49

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