How can I get and save Windows updates to an archive?

HOW TO GET AND SAVE WINDOWS UPDATES

Some time ago, when I would go to the Windows Updates site, I would be given a choice of having the update installed now or saving the update to a file on the hard disk. I would always choose save it.

Then Microsoft changed their ways of doing things and I found I had no choice given. This irritated me, but I lived with it. I also did not like the fact that everytime I went to the update site and had it scan to see what I needed, it would tell me about all these 40 or more language updates which I did not needed but had to deselect.

* Then one day, I was at the Windows Update site and was nosing around to see what some of the other "features" might be. I saw one choice labeled Personalize Windows Update. Hey this looks like I should check this out.

Clicking Personalize Windows Update led me to a screen with a box to check to: Display the link to Windows Update Catalog under See Also. I checked it.

Also then clicked on Scan Updates which presented me with some choices so I could Choose Classes. There were certain classes I wasn't interested in, so I could check or uncheck as desired. Especially I could uncheck the box for Mulit-Language Features.

I then ran the normal scan for updates and I no longer had the large number of unwanted updates dealing with languages.

Now I tried looking at the See Also section way down at the bottom left of the screen, and selected Select Windows Update Catalog.

This presented me with the opportunity to select which operating system I was interested in. I chose Windows 98 and Windows 98 Second Edition, but I could have chosen any one of many others.

Seeing a link labeled Advanced Search Options, I just had to click it and dig further. It asked me to specify the Date the update was posted to the web. I chose Select All Posted Dates.

Now I could select the Update Types. Of course I checked them all! Went to the download basket where it allowed me to Type of Browse to Location of Choice. It allowed me to specify where to put the files. Now all I had to do was click Download and files started to be retrieved from Microsoft and into my very own archive, safe and sound and protected against Microsoft's choice to discontinue support of a system they would rather I were no longer using.