Re: [SLE] 8.1 patch / update into XP first?

I'm a newbie. 8.1 has trouble with USRobotics external. I've found similar lamentations and long series of ineffective help on various boards. Perhaps 8.1 and USRobotics are simply incompatible, perhaps the 8.1 patch & update has resolved some of these issues. Can I download the 8.1 patch/update into an XP partition or directly to CD while using XP (and the US Robotics)? Thnx, Teresa