Verify Hotfix Installation Using Qfecheck 

It’s difficult to keep up with all the service packs, hotfixes, rollups and whatever other names the updates for XP are going by these days. Even users that religiously visit Windows Update to keep their systems current may have a hard time determining if everything has been updated properly. Just because the update was installed it doesn't necessarily mean the installation was completed successfully. A utility offered as a free download from Microsoft called Qfecheck can help in verifying the proper installation of Windows XP hotfixes.

• First and most important, it's essential to understand that Qfecheck does not tell you if an update you might need is missing. It simply tells you if an update you have chosen to install on the system is properly installed. It's still up to you to determine if an update is needed for your particular situation.

• Don't just check the registry entry mentioned in the Knowledge Base article rather than downloading and installing the Qfecheck utility. The registry key holds the basic information that points the utility to where additional information will be verified. In order to get an accurate report it's necessary to download, install, and run the utility.
• If you start qfecheck.exe using Run on the Start Menu the results will disappear before you have time to read them. Run qfecheck.exe from a Command Prompt window that has been opened separately, not from the Run command on the Start Menu. To open a separate Command Prompt window, navigate through Start > All Programs > Accessories > and click Command Prompt. Figure 01 shows one way of launching qfecheck.exe and the results you might expect to see after it completes.