How To Save an Hour (Or More) On XP Installs

Information Week ^ | September 20, 2004 | Fred Langa

[coconutt2000]

Buy a Mac... then never worry about Windows wasting your time again. ;-)

[the_Watchman]

Before you go through this process ask yourself how many times you reinstall windows? That is the only benefit touted as the reason to make up this monster CD. For most of you, it won't be worth the trouble.

I updated my sister's XP system two weeks ago and it took almost 3 hours even though I was connected to high speed cable. This is due to the sloooooow download from Microsoft. I updated my father-in-law's laptop yesterday using a CD. It took between 35 and 45 minutes. Definitely download SP2 and cut a CD! (1) The install is faster and (2) you have the software on your own media in case you can't get it from Microsoft later.

I checked both systems for firewall safety before and after the install of SP2. Both were found to be totally "stealthy" by Gibson Research [www.grc.com]. They were actually better protected than either my DLINK or Netgear router firewalls without further hand tuning!

[FesterUSMC]

i did this like 3-4 weeks ago or whenever Sp2 was first released

[Gerasimov]

One more reason Linux is king...

[Stoat]

"i did this like 3-4 weeks ago or whenever Sp2 was first released"

Thank you for serving our country :-)

Did you use a similar method as what is described in this article?

Was it fairly easy to produce the CD?

Do you feel that the time spent in making the CD was time well-spent?

[tallhappy]

Thanks for the public service.

[Stoat]

"Thanks for the public service" You're quite welcome! I hope that it will be of some help :-)

[FesterUSMC]

slipstreaming a cd is worth the effort.. I really didn't look threw your steps but you can goto this web page and follow these

Windows Help

[Stoat]

Thanks very much for your link! I'll post it here so that people can compare the different methods more easily on the same page and decide what's best for their own situation:

Slipstreaming Windows XP Service Pack 2 and Create Bootable CD

Slipstreaming a Service Pack, is the process to integrate the Service Pack into the installation so that with every new installation the Operating System and Service Pack are installed at the same time.

Slipstreaming is usually done on network shares on corporate systems. But with the advent of CD burners, it does actually make some sense for the home user or small business user to do the same.

Microsoft added the ability to Slipstream a Service Pack to Windows 2000 and Windows XP. It not only has the advantage that when you (re)install your OS, you don't have to apply the Service Pack later, also if you update any Windows component later, you'll be sure that you get the correct installation files if Windows needs any.

 

Slipstream Windows XP Service Pack 2

 

Download the (full) "Network Install" of the Service Pack (English version [266 MB]), and save it to a directory (folder) on your hard drive (in my case D:\XP-SP2). Other languages can be downloaded from the Microsoft Download Web site.

Next copy your Windows XP CD to your hard drive. Just create a folder (I used \XP-CD), and copy all the contents of your Windows XP CD in that folder.

Next, open a Command Prompt (Start > Run > cmd), and go to the folder where you downloaded SP2 (cd \foldername). Type the command: servicepack filename /integrate:drive/path. In my example the command is WindowsXP-KB835935-SP2-ENU /integrate:D:\XP-CD.

 

 

If you get the error:

 

This is caused by the fact that your Windows XP CD contains updates that will be automatically installed when you run setup. This type of CD's will usually be from larger OEM suppliers (like Dell, HP, or others).

You cannot use this type of CD to create a slipstreamed SP2 install.

First, the files will be extracted, and next they will be integrated in your Windows XP files:

 

When ready, you should get a confirmation. Windows XP Service Pack 2 has now been Slipstreamed into your original Windows XP files.

 

 

 

Creating a Bootable CD

For this part I used IsoBuster and Nero Burning ROM 6 (make sure you have the latest version, but at least 5.5.9.0).

After you install IsoBuster, you can choose to use only the product's free functionality for what we want to do, IsoBuster will look like the image below (you need to have your original Windows XP CD in the CD-ROM drive).

Start to extract the boot loader from the original Windows XP CD. Using IsoBuster, select the "folder" Bootable CD, and right-click Microsoft Corporation.img. From the menu choose Extract Microsoft Corporation.img, and extract it to the folder on your hard drive where you have your Windows XP files (D:\XP-CD in my case).

 

Next, start Nero Burning ROM, and choose CD-ROM (Boot) in the New Compilation window. On the Boot tab, select Image file under Source of boot image data, and browse to the location of the Microsoft Corporation.img file. Also enable Expert Settings, choosing No Emulation, and changing the Number of loaded sectors to 4 (otherwise it won't boot!)

 

The ISO tab should be configured correctly as shown below:

 

 

If you have an older version of Nero you won't have the option Do Not Add ";1" ISO file version extention under Relax ISO Restrictions. You won't be able to boot your new CD, so update Nero!

You can configure the Label tab to your liking, I would however recommend that you keep the Volume Label the same as on your original Windows XP CD. Here are some (English) Labels:

• Windows XP Professional: WXPCCP_EN
• Windows XP Home: WXHCCP_EN
• Windows XP Professional OEM: WXPOEM_EN
• Windows XP Home OEM: WXHOEM_EN

 

Next press New, and from the File Browser window, select the files and folders from your slipstreamed location (in my case D:\XP-CD). Now drag & drop the selected files in the ISO1 window.

 

Next, burn your new CD.

 

You now have a Bootable, Slipstreamed Windows XP Service Pack 2 CD!
 

Give your comments on this article.
 

[SeeRushToldU_So]

bttt

[dennisw]

You smarter than the average bear.

[FesterUSMC]

HUH? I no professional computer training.. If that is what your talking about.

[dennisw]

I updated my father-in-law's laptop yesterday using a CD. It took between 35 and 45 minutes. Definitely download SP2 and cut a CD! (1) The install is faster and (2) you have the software on your own media in case you can't get it from Microsoft later.
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http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=049C9DBE-3B8E-4F30-8245-9E368D3CDB5A&displaylang=en

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=323166

[dennisw]

HUH? I no professional computer training.......

Me neither, but I did read some Windows 95 books to learn cut and paste and other basics. Credit goes to Microsoft for creating visually intuitive operating systems. Operating systems for dummies.

I don't even have XP service pack one (SP1) on this computer. But I do use Zone Alarm, anti virus and anti adware programs.

[FesterUSMC]

oh, I slipstreamed Sp1 like a LONG time ago when did that come out? like over a year ago? Then i just did SP2 ... It would be in your best interest to get the updates...

[dennisw]

SP1 slowed down my computer. I'll try it again sometime and with SP2...... slipstreamed which I haven't done. For me, the best thing about XP is the cleartype option which makes text on LCD monitors very sharp. If not for that, any OS from Windows 98 on up is OK with me.

[krogers58]

ping

[FesterUSMC]

if you download SP2 you DO NOT need SP1

[BlessedBeGod]

if you download SP2 you DO NOT need SP1

Really? You don't need to install SP1 before SP2? (I ask because I haven't installed SP1 yet.)