Windows XP was released by Microsoft in the fall of 2001 and has since been regularly updated with a host of small patches. Major improvements to the code were collected in large blocks (service packs), which were published three times over the next seven years. Although general support for this operating system ended in early 2011, it is still possible to install updates - the required files can still be downloaded from Microsoft's servers.
Instructions
Step 1
To install the latest update (SP3) of Windows XP, one of the previous ones, SP1a or SP2, must already be installed in the OS. Determine which of these packages is used on your computer. To do this, first select the Run command in the main menu or press the Win + R key combination - this will bring up the program launch dialog on the screen. It can be used in two ways.
Step 2
First way: type winver and press Enter. A dialog box will appear on the screen with information about the system, including the version number of the service pack used.
Step 3
Second way: enter sysdm.cpl and press Enter. On the "General" tab of the component that opens, find the line under the "System" inscription - in addition to specifying the OS version, it should contain information about the service pack version.
Step 4
On the same tab, pay attention to the following: if the text of the OS name contains the designation x64, the computer has a 64-bit version of Windows XP. Microsoft did not create a third service pack for this version, so only two of them are available to you.
Step 5
Having found out which service pack you need to install, go to the corresponding page of the Microsoft server and download the installation file - direct links are given below. Files have different weights (SP1a - 2 MB, SP2 - 260 MB, SP3 - 303 MB), so this process will take a different amount of time. Keep this in mind when choosing in the download dialog to either save the file for later use, or immediately start the installation process after the download is complete.
Step 6
Activating the update file launches a wizard for this process - follow the instructions that appear on the screen. After the installation is complete, a computer restart will be required to start the operating system in the updated version.
Step 7
Repeat the last two steps sequentially for each service pack you install.
