How to Download Windows XP Service Pack 2 Without Validation

By Stephen Lilley, eHow Contributor , last updated April 16, 2012

Typically a user would have to employ Windows Update to download and install Windows XP Service Pack 2 onto their computer. However, before Windows Update operates it connects to your Internet connection and validates your copy of Windows XP with the servers at Microsoft. If this validation process has been giving you problems for some reason, there is a way to download Windows XP Service Pack 2 onto your computer without using Windows Update--you can manually download Windows XP Service Pack 3, which includes Service Pack 2 as well.

• Print this article

Instructions

1. • 1
     Open your Web browser.
     
   • 2
     Go to Microsoft's "Windows XP Service Pack 3" download website.
     
   • 
     
   • 3
     Scroll to the bottom portion of the Web page to find the listing of files you can download.
     
   • 4
     Click the gray "Download" button next to the file listing with the .XPS file extension. This will download the Windows XP SP3 installation file to your computer without validating your copy of Windows. Windows XP Service Pack 3 includes all updates previously released for the Windows XP operating system, including Windows XP Service Pack 2.