Installing LLTD on XP SP3

If you have WIndows XP SP3 and you try to install the Microsoft hotfix to install the Link Layer Topology Discovery service, you’ll get an immediate error message saying:

“Setup has detected that the Service Pack version of this system is newer than the update you are applying.  There is no need to install this update.”

Unfortunately, this may or may not actually be accurate, as the LLTD update is not always installed on computers with XP SP3.  As far as I can tell, this is a known bug in SP3, and MS has been slow to release a LLTD update specifically for SP3.  In the meantime, here’s how to force the LLTD update to run on SP3:

First, make sure you can see hidden folders:
1. From any Explorer window (not IE) click on “Tools” -> “Folder Options” -> “View” tab.

2. Enable the radio button labeled “Show hidden files and folders” and uncheck the “Hide extensions for known file types”.

Actual Install:
1. Download the installer file from here or here.

2. Rename it to something like LLTD.exe (unless you really want to type out “WindowsXP-KB922120-v5-x86-ENU.exe”) and put it in the root of your c: drive.

3. Go to Start -> Run, and type in “cmd” (without the quotes) and hit Enter.

4. When the black command prompt comes up, type in “cd c:\” (minus quotes) and hit Enter.

5. Now type in “LLTD.exe -x:c:\LLTD” (again, minus quotes).  This will extract all the files in to a new folder called c:\LLTD.

6. Open that folder with an Explorer window, and there will be another folder inside it called “SP2QFE”.  Open that, find the file named “rspndr.sys”, and copy it inside your c:\Windows\system32\drivers directory.

7. Also in the “SP2QFE” folder, find the “rspndr.exe” and copy it inside your c:\Windows\System32 directory.

8. Finally in the IP Folder, find the “rspndr.inf” file , and copy it inside your c:\Windows\inf directory.

9. Now back in the command prompt enter “cd C:\Windows\system32” and then enter “rspndr.exe -i”.  This will actually install the LLTD.

When it completes, you should get a notice stating that it’s installed. Go to your Network Interface Card and verify that you see Link Layer Topology Discovery.

Good luck!

Regards,

Jon Heese