How can I get Office 2003 updates and service packs as files, not over-the-web installations?

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Problem

When you choose Help, Check for Updates in Office 2003 or go to the Office Update site, software on the MS site checks your system and determines what updates you need, then offers to install them for you.

That's convenient some of the time and impossible at other times.

For example, if you're on a slow dialup connection and MS thinks you need a 70mb service pack, you might not live long enough to see the end of the download. Your friend next door has a cable connection and would happily download the files for you ... if only you knew which files they were and where to find them.

Or maybe you've got a fast connection, but you've also got 20 computers to update. 70mb even over a big pipe is still going to take some time. Why can't you download the file once, put it on a network drive or CD and then deploy it to each of your computers?

Solution

You can do it. It just takes a few more clicks to get to the right place. Here's what you need to do:

• Choose Help, Check for updates and note what updates MS thinks you need. Even at dialup speeds, this part will be bearable. Tedious but bearable.
• Get a printout or make a detailed list of the stuff they suggest.

If you have a dialup connection, you want to go to your friend's house at this point. We'll wait.

• OK. Now go to Microsoft Office Update.
• Look for the "Browse Downloads" heading and click "Downloads for Office 2003" underneath it.
• On the Downloads page that appears, click Updates under Office 2003.
• For each update you've decided you want, click its name on the list; that takes you to a page that includes plain old download link. Before you start the download, read the page; in some cases there are different downloads; you'll want to know which one to grab. For example, Office 2003 Service Pack 1 comes in two different downloads; one requires you to have your original Office CD, the other probably won't.
• It's a good idea to choose File, Save As and save the page as an MHT file so you've got the instrux along with the downloaded file.
• Burn the downloaded files (and MHTs if you saved those) to CD or save them to the network or put 'em on a thumb drive or ... well, whatever works best. They're files. You can do what works for you with 'em. That was the point, after all.

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