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Does anyone know if Microsoft releases a final service-pack or rollup when it finally pulls the plug on a version of Windows (or for that matter, Visual Studio or Office)?

For example, currently, if you install XP with SP3, there are still plenty (100+) of critical updates listed in Windows Update. When Microsoft discontinues releasing updates for XP altogether, will they release SP4 or some other rollup that includes all of these updates so that a user can download it, then install the OS and apply the last update (without needing to go online), and be fully updated such that Windows Update indicates no updates available?

I recall that the last service-pack for NT was 6.0a, but does that mean that installing 6.0a and going to Windows Update shows that there’s nothing left to update? If so, will they do the same thing for XP; if not, how is a user supposed to be completely up-to-date without going to Windows Update?

Synetech
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5 Answers5

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It's unlikely. For Windows 2000, Microsoft released Update Rollup 1 Version 2 for SP4 on September 13, 2005. They ceased security updates on July 13, 2010, almost five years later.

There is little point to rolling up newer updates anyway because as soon as a hacker finds another vulnerability, Microsoft would not patch it, and the system would remain vulnerable, e.g. have the shortcut (.lnk file) buffer overflow exploited by Stuxnet to spread to systems having AutoRun disabled.

PleaseStand
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Just in case that someone is still interested on this subject.

For windows XP there is an Unofficial Service pack 4, it includes every single update released until the POSReady 2009 end-of-life in May 2019.

As I said before this pack is not delivered by Microsoft, so you have to trust on the publisher and the opinion of other users that are using it.

https://msfn.org/board/topic/171171-introducing-unofficial-windows-xp-sp4/

Daniel Perez
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No, they haven't done it to this point. They just stop releasing updates for the OS. Existing updates, however, are usually still available in Windows Update. I recently did a reinstall of Win98 into a VM so I could use an old app that wouldn't run in XP or Win7. I was still able to install all of the previously existing service packs via Windows Update (once I had downloaded a newer version of IE manually that is). If new exploits are found, they are not patched. So if you are interested in continuing to use an older OS, you do so at your own risk and I would recommend running it in a VM that doesn't have an internet connection.

BBlake
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There's an unofficial Windows 2000 Service Pack 5.1 packed up here, which the author also calls Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 Update Rollup 2: http://www.windows2000.tk/

Lizz
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Some people, including myself, have made versions of Windows NT 3.51 and 4/- which include slipstreamed service packs. A windows 2000 sp5 has be made too.

wendy.krieger
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