• Home
• Topics
• Application and Platform Security
• Enterprise Vulnerability Management
• Security patch management and Windows Patch Tuesday news
• How to deploy Microsoft patches without Active Directory or SMS

How to deploy Microsoft patches without Active Directory or SMS

Requires Free Membership to View

Login



SearchSecurity.com members gain immediate and unlimited access to breaking industry news, virus alerts, new hacker threats, highly focused security newsletters, and more -- all at no cost. Join me on SearchSecurity.com today!

Michael S. Mimoso, Editorial Director

• E-mail Address: 

By submitting your registration information to SearchSecurity.com you agree to receive email communications from TechTarget and TechTarget partners. We encourage you to read our Privacy Policy which contains important disclosures about how we collect and use your registration and other information. If you reside outside of the United States, by submitting this registration information you consent to having your personal data transferred to and processed in the United States. Your use of SearchSecurity.com is governed by our Terms of Use. You may contact us at webmaster@TechTarget.com.

There are several patch management tools for Windows, including products from Configuresoft, PatchLink, St. Bernard Software, Ecora, BigFix and Shavlik Technologies. Shavlick developed the HFNetChk scanning engine that is used by Microsoft's Baseline Security Analyzer. They also have a basic edition of their HFNetChkPro, which targets smaller organizations that don't need advanced patch management functions, such as scheduled scans and e-mail support.

If you are looking for a free Windows Hotfix utility, look into the Windows Hotfix Checker (WHC) by Michael Dunn. WHC is a front-end for HFNetChk. WHC runs HFNetChk, captures its output, and creates a report on the hotfixes that need to be installed. WHC can scan a local computer, remote computer or an entire NT Domain. On Windows 2000 and later, it can also scan an IP address, or a range of IP addresses. Once you've scanned for necessary hotfixes, WHC can also download them from Microsoft. WHC's detailed hotfix report includes hyperlinks to the Microsoft security bulletin and Knowledge Base article for each hotfix, so finding the correct page for hotfixes that are not directly downloadable is easy. Finally, once you have downloaded the necessary hotfix installers, WHC can run them for you.

Hotfixes are often chainable, meaning you can install several at once without having to reboot after each. WHC supports this by using Microsoft's QChain utility. It's important, however, to verify that the hotfixes you add to the install list are chainable, because it doesn't work with product updates that do not use update.exe as the installation program, such as Internet Explorer updates for Windows 2000 and Windows XP. Once you have installed your updates, you can verify that your computers have all the fixes you wanted to install by using the Qfecheck.exe tool.

Dig Deeper

This was first published in November 2005

More from Related TechTarget Sites

• Security Channel
• Cloud Security
• SMB Security
• Financial Security
• Security UK
• Security AU
• Security IN

• Security Channel

  • Survey results: VARs report customers’ IT spending 2012 expectations

    VARs expect customers to increase spending on security more than any other IT area in 2012. See which security segments will grow the most.

  • Create a computer security blog to attract and retain customers

    Blogging can produce new leads for security solution providers. Focus on content in your computer security blog that connects with customers.

  • Penetration testing tutorial: Guidance for effective pen tests

    This penetration testing tutorial contains essential tips to help solution providers uncover vulnerabilities in clients’ networks.

• Cloud Security

  • Are cloud providers HIPAA business associates?

    Deciding whether your cloud provider is a business associate comes down to a judgment call based on the type of cloud usage.

  • SaaS security: Weighing SaaS encryption options

    A look at SaaS encryption techniques and challenges.

  • Panel debates cloud computing governance issues

    Problems with data governance in the cloud aren’t much different than traditional outsourcing.

• searchMidmarketSecurity

  • Windows Phone 7 security: Assessing WP7 security features

    Windows Phone 7 security features are proving to be a mixed bag. Sam Cattle assesses the enterprise security pros and cons of the latest Windows mobile platform.

  • Choosing the best security certifications for your career

    Whether starting your career or planning your next step as an IT security professional, this tip will guide you toward the best certifications for your interests and experience.

  • Midmarket security tutorials

    SearchMidmarketSecurity.com’s tutorials offer IT professionals in-depth lessons and technical advice on the hottest topics in the midmarket IT security industry. Through our tutorials we seek to provide site members with the foundational knowledge needed to deal with the increasingly challenging job of keeping their organizations secure.

• searchFinancialSecurity

  • Web application threats: What you really need to know

    In this special presentation, Mike Rothman details today's top Web application threats and pragmatic methods to integrate security into the Web application development process.

  • Ramnit worm variant now dangerous banking malware

    The Ramnit worm now supports man-in-the-middle attacks, giving cybercriminals the ability to drain a victim’s bank account.

  • SIEM vendors make the case for extending SIEM product capabilities

    Advanced features can reduce the threat of wire fraud. New rule sets can be shared among banks and credit unions.

• Security UK

  • Survey: Types of DDoS attacks on the rise due to hacktivist groups

    New DDoS statistics suggest hactivist groups are to blame for an increase in the number and types of DDoS attacks across the Internet.

  • Web application vulnerability statistics show security losing ground

    New Web application vulnerability statistics show the number of vulnerabilities is rising, despite the use of Web application development frameworks.

  • Microsoft spurs Browsium to rewrite tool for running IE6 on Windows 7

    Microsoft has spurred Browsium to rewrite its tool for running IE6 on Windows 7, limiting the security threat posed by continued use of IE6.

• searchSecurityAU

  • AISA launches new website

    With a reinvigorated look and feel, improved back-end infrastructure, and regularly updated information about the association the Australian Information Security Association website has been re-launched for the benefit of its members and the Australian IT Security industry.

  • Cisco hardening guides for IOS, IOS-XR and NX-OS devices

    Patching routing and switching infrastructure in any organisation is often delayed, sometimes due to the potential impact on production systems and sometimes because the IT resources are simply too busy fighting fires.

  • Cloud providers and data sovereignty issues

    Australian cloud provider Ninefold warn that understanding who has legal access to company and personal private data is not as simple as checking a box and selecting the 'in-country' option.

• Information Security

  • IDFC’s information security awareness week tastes success with ‘Mr Gobo’

    Financial major IDFC set out to craft its information security awareness initiative with a portal that led users via a ‘Mafia don’s den’. Step in for more.

  • Longstanding security problems plague enterprises, Trustwave finds

    While organizations focus on mobile security and other emerging threats, an analysis of more than 2,000 penetration tests conducted by Trustwave found older threats often overlooked.

  • Backtrack 5 PDF tutorial compendium: A pen-tester’s ready reckoner

    Our BackTrack 5 PDF tutorials collection will help you hone your edge, whether you are a security professional or an enthusiast. Best yet, they are free!

• About us
• Contact us
• Site index
• Privacy policy
• Advertisers
• Business partners
• Events
• Media kit
• TechTarget corporate site
• Reprints
• Site map