"Slipstream Windows XP and Service Pack 2"

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Author:  W.P. Flinn, Updated 12/10/05

Description:

“Slipstreaming” a Service Pack is the name of the process of integrating a Service Pack into the original Windows XP installation files.  Microsoft added the ability to Slipstream a Service Pack into Windows 2000 and Windows XP by specifying the /integrate switch into the executable’s command line.

This is done so that with every new installation of the Windows XP Operating System (OS) the base OS and Service Pack are installed at the same time.  This saves time and ensures that the installed OS is updated as far as possible with patches and other critical updates that were included in the service pack.  For instance, Windows XP SP2 included a new firewall and security center, as well as having the patches that protected against the Welchia and Blaster worms that hit many networks in the summer of 2003. 

Slipstreaming is usually done on network shares on corporate systems. But with the advent of CD burners, it actually makes more sense to create a bootable CD.  This is so that the CD can be used for new computer builds, and/or shipped to remote users in the field.  The purpose of this document is to outline the process of slipstreaming SP2 into Windows XP, as well as showing the student the processes for making a bootable installation CD.

  

What You Will Need:

1. Windows XP Professional installation CD
2. Windows XP Service Pack 2, full (Multiple computer) installation (266 MB) – Obtain this from Microsoft.
3. IsoBuster 1.8 – Obtain from http://www.tucows.com/get/319432_121465, free version features will work for this procedure.
4. CD Burning software – Nero Burning ROM 6 was used in this procedure.
5. Production computer with CD-RW drive.

 

Creating the Windows XP Service Pack 2 Slipstream:

1. On the production computer, ensure you have a working partition, not on the operating system partition (D: is used as the example in this procedure) and create the following folders on the computer being used to create the slipstreamed image:

   D:\XP-SP2
   D:\XP-CD
    

2. Copy the full install version of the Windows XP Service Pack 2 file into the D:\XP-SP2 folder.

3. Copy the entire Windows XP installation CD into the D:\XP-CD folder.

4. Open a command prompt (start -> run -> cmd) navigate to the D:\XP-SP2 folder, and type in the following command:

windowsxp-kb835935-sp2-enu /integrate:d:\xp-cd

Where windowsxp-kb835935-sp2-enu is the name of the SP2 file you downloaded.

5. Observe that the files extract and that they are next integrated into the Windows XP files:

 

6.      Observe that the slipstream process has completed:

 

Creating the Bootable CD:

1. Obtain and install IsoBuster 1.6 or higher on the production computer being used to create the slipstreamed image.

2. Ensure that the original Windows XP installation CD is still in the CD drive on the production comput

3. Start IsoBuster and select the option to use the free functionality.

4. Click on the  “Bootable CD” folder in the left pane as seen in the figure below:

 

5. Right click the Microsoft Corporation.img file in the right pane, and select “Extract Microsoft Corporation.img” from the menu that appears.

6. Browse and extract the file to D:\XP-CD folder.

7. Start Nero Burning ROM and choose “CD-ROM (Boot)” in the new compilation window.

8. On the Boot tab, select “Image file” under “Source of boot image data” and browse to the location of the Microsoft Corporation.img file (D:\XP-CD) as shown in the following figure:

  

 

9. Place a checkmark in “Enable expert settings…” and choose “No Emulation” as shown above.

10.  Change the Number of loaded sectors to 4.

11.  Select the “ISO” tab and configure as shown in the figure below.

 

12. Select the “Label” tab and enter an ISO 9660 Volume label as shown in the next figure.  Note:  It is highly recommended that you name the label the same as the volume label of the original Windows XP CD.

 

 

13. Click on the “New” button and on the file browser window; select the slipstreamed files and folders from the D:\XP-CD folder.

14. Drag and drop the files into the left pane as shown below.

15. Click on the “Burn” tab and click the “Burn” button to Burn the CD

Install Windows XP with Service Pack 2:

1. Install Windows XP with Service Pack 2 using the CD created in the previous steps on a new computer.

2. Boot the newly installed computer and verify that Windows XP with Service Pack 2 has been installed.

 

 

 

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