What is the easiest way to tell what critical updates and patches have
bee installed on windows 2000 / xp machines?

Hi skip9801,

To determine the status of patch installation on Windows 2000 and/or
XP, you can use a tool provided by Microsoft. The tool and the
instructions on its use can be found here:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;303215&sd=tech

"The Hfnetchk tool is a command-line tool that administrators can use
to centrally assess a computer or group of computers for the absence
of security patches. As of the V1.1 release of the Microsoft Baseline
Security Analyzer (MBSA), Hfnetchk is exposed through the MBSA
command-line interface, mbsacli.exe /hf. The latest version of the
Hfnetchk engine is available in MBSA v1.1.1."

I hope this information answers your question. Should you require more
information, please ask for clarification prior to rating and closing
this question.

Legolas-ga

Search terms:
Windows update patch audit
hfnetchk

An easy way is to open Internet Explorer => Tools => Windows Update.

As the page is opening, your system will be checked for available
updates. When the check is completed, you will have a menu available
on the left hand side. Under "Other Options" you will have the option
to "View installation history". Clicking on that will give you what
critical updates and patches have
been installed on your machine.

Hope this helps.

rainbow~
Google Answers Researcher

From Windows Update "View installation history"
"Installation History
Keep track of what you've installed from Windows Update. To sort by
status, date, description, or source, click the column headers.

Note The items listed on this page reflect only the actions you've
performed on Windows Update. If you have subsequently restored your
computer, or reinstalled or uninstalled programs, some items listed
here might no longer be installed on your computer."

Apparently, the installation history page would NOT give the correct
answer as to what is currently installed on the computer. My solution
looks for the registry keys to determine if the updates are currently
applied

Legolas-ga