Slipstreaming Windows XP/Vista/Windows 7: How to create a Windows XP/ Vista/Win 7 installation CD/DVD containing the service packs and missing drivers

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Slipstreaming Windows XP/Vista/Windows 7: How to create a Windows XP/Windows Vista/Windows 7 installation CD/DVD containing the service packs and missing drivers

Slipstreaming is the name given to the process involved in creating a Windows instalation CD/DVD which combines the files of the original installation disc with the files of the latest Service Pack.

This page provides information on creating a slipstreamed disc that merges the Service Pack(s) of a version of Windows XP/Vista/Win7 to the files of previous installation CD/DVD, thereby creating a new disc that contains the Service Pack(s) that can then be used to install Windows with its available Service Pack(s) instead of having to reinstall from the Windows installation disc and then add the available Service Pack(s). There will always be security upadtes and hotfixes released after a service pack is made available, so those have to be installed after a slipstreamed disc is used to reinstall a version of Windows.

Service Packs are abbreviated to SP1, SP2, SP3, etc. So far (August 2011), only Windows XP has reached SP3, it's last Service Pack. Windows Vista has reached SP2 (probably its last Service Pack) and SP1 for Windows 7 has been released (February 2011). Win7 will almost certainly have a second and may have a third Service Pack. Note that Windows 8 is expected to be released some time in 2012.

Note that with Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7, you can uninstall or remove the latest Service Pack, which could make having to create a slipstreamed installation disc unnecessary if by doing so you backdate the system to match the installation disc that you have. For example, if you have a Windows Vista SP1 installation disc and you have installed SP2, you can uninstall SP2 so that you can use the SP1 disc to perform a repair installation, which is described here! on this website. You would use System Restore to restore a restore point that was created before a Service Pack was installed to remove it.

To uninstall Windows 7 SP1, follow this click path: Start => Control Panel (default view: View by Category) => Programs / Uninstall a Program. Click on View installed updates and scroll down the results until you get to the entry called Service Pack for Microsoft Windows (KB976932), as shown in the image below, and click Uninstall.

If you have installed Windows Vista SP2, you can remove it, but you won't be able to remove SP1 if that was also installed. If you only had SP1 installed, uninstalling it reverts the system to the files it has when the original release of Vista was installed and you can use the original Vista installation disc to perform an in-place, non-destructive repair installation. The same situation will apply when Windows 7 SP2 has become available and has been installed.

How to uninstall Windows Vista service packs as a troubleshooting step - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/948537

Read How to create a boot (startup) CD for Windows XP at the top of this page for information on how to create a startup CD (not a Windows XP installation CD) that allows you to access the system without using the existing installation of Windows XP.

Many websites provide illustrated information on how to copy the contents of a Windows XP installation CD, which could be the original version, or the updated Windows XP SP2 version, to a folder on a computer's hard disk drive, add the missing service packs, and edit the configuration files. The process is called slipstreaming. If you have a Windows XP SP2 installation CD, you can use the method to add Service Pack 3 (SP3) to its files, which includes all of the security updates up to the date on which SP3 was finalised. You ca also add the SATA drivers. The missing updates can then be added by visiting Windows Update after Windows XP SP3 has been installed from the CD that is created in the process.

A utility/tool called nLite from http://www.nliteos.com/ makes the process of slipsteaming fairly easy.

Note that you can also use it to create a copy of Windows XP minus unwanted components.

To use nLite, copy the entire contents of the Windows XP CD that you want updated with service packs into a folder of its own that you can create by making use of Windows Explorer, which can be opened by right-clicking Start => Explore. You can then select a drive letter or an existing folder in which to create a folder and then click File => New => Folder. An unnamed folder then appears where you want it and you have to give it a name, such as SlipsteamingXP.

If you intend to use the slipstreamed CD/DVD install Windows XP on a computer with an SATA hard disk drive that has no floppy disk drive, you must copy the driver files for the SATA controller to the folder. Make sure that you obtain the 'Text mode' drivers, because the Plug and Play (PnP) drivers you would use to add hardware to an existing installation of Windows XP can't be used. The following page provides information on how to obtain the correct SATA drivers.

Making and Customizing an Unattended Windows Install CD [DVD] -

http://www.neoseeker.com/Articles/Hardware/Guides/windowscustomization1/11.html

If you want to slipsteam SP3, use an SP3 CD/DVD, or the Network Installation Package, which is intended for corporate installations, because the standard version only includes a program that downloads the files in order to install them on an existing installation of Windows XP.

You can download the network package here:

Windows XP Service Pack 3 Network Installation Package for IT Professionals and Developers -

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?...

nLite has some unnecessary options, so some of the screens can be skipped. Run the program and select the language you want to use. Next, locate the folder that contains the copy of the installation Windows CD/DVD.

Going past the Presets screen brings you to the main Task Selection screen. The Integrate Service Pack, Integrate HotFixes, and Integrate Drivers are the ones that most people want to use. There are other options that are just as self-explanatory. Note, however, that if you add a driver for your SATA, RAID or some other unsupported hard-drive controller, you have to choose the text-mode drivers option.

Now you can choose to create an ISO image, which can be used to burn a bootable CD by using disc-burning software's option to burn an image, or burn directly to a CD/DVD, which is probably the best option.

If you need more information on selecting an SATA driver, the following page provides a step-by-step example.

Slipstreaming SATA driver into WinXp boot cd using nLite -

http://maxeasyguide.blogspot.com/2008/04/preparations-for-winxp-installation-cd.html

The following computer-forum thread discusses slipstreaming Windows XP to Windows XP SP3 -

http://windowssecrets.com/forums/showthread.php/...

The enquirer wants to create a backup not backing up what is not wanted so that it is a clean installation of Windows XP SP3 is created that can be restored to produce a clean system, but this is not possible, because Windows XP has to be installed by installing the required Service Packs (SP1, SP2, SP3) in the required order or from a slipstreamed Windows XP SP3 CD/DVD, fully updated with the subsequent security updates, the programs have to be reinstalled from scratch, including scanners, firewall, etc., and then a backup or system image has to be created and burned to a DVD disc that can be used to reinstall a clean system whenever the user needs to do so.

Slipsteaming the Windows Vista installation DVD with Service Pack 1 and 2 (SP1 and SP2)

The above information is also applicable to slipsteaming Windows Vista with the Service Pack 1 and 2 (SP1 and SP2). However, you have to use vLite from http://www.vlite.net/.

Here are pages with illustrated information on how to slipsteam both service packs:

Vista - Vista SP1 Slipstream Installation DVD - http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/151606-vista-sp1-slipstream-installation-dvd.html

Vista - Sliptream Vista SP2 - http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/230249-sliptream-vista-sp2.html

Slipstreaming Windows 7 - How to create a slipstreamed Windows 7 SP1 disc

Creating a slipstreamed disc containing Windows 7 SP1 is more complicated and not as necessary as it was with Windows XP. The Windows 7 installation DVD can be used to install all of the versions of Win7 - Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate. You buy the licence for the version you want and then use any installation disc to install it. If you start off with the Home Premium version, you can use Anytime Upgrade to purchase a licence for a higher version and use your Home Premium disc to install it. Windows XP's installation disc only contains the files for a particular version of XP (Home or Professional), making it easy to create a slipstreamed disc containing the service pack(s). Therefore, it is more difficult to extract the Win7 files from the original installation disc. This is also the reason why the Win7 installation disc can't be used as a boot disk to perform a repair installation. You have to create a separate Repair Disc that can be used as a boot disc, which can be done by entering the words repair disc in Win7's Search box.

The system-file protection system in Win7 works very well and Win7 provides several backup and recovery options, including the creation a system image or full backup that can be saved to an external hard disk drive, which, if made use of, would make it unnecessary to use a slipstreamed disc. It would be far easier to use System Restore, the other options provided by the Repair Disc or restore a backup or an image of the system than to create a slipstreamed disc that you won't know for sure will work until you try using it. Look under Control Panel => System and Security => Backup and Restore.

Click here! to go to the section of this website devoted to backups.

Click here! to go to the section of this website devoted to the other recovery options made available by Windows 7.

That said, you may still want to create a slipsteamed disc just in case all of the other recovery options don't work. In order to save time when reinstalling Windows 7 from its installation disc and then having to install SP1, which can take a fairly long time, you can create an installation disc that has SP1 incorporated into it so that you only have to reinstall Windows 7 from the slipsteamed disc and then install any security updates or hotfixes that were released after SP1 was made available. The following articles provides a clear, illustrated article on how to create slipsteamed SP1 disc.

How To Slipstream Windows 7 SP1 Into Installation DVD ISO -

http://www.intowindows.com/how-to-slipstream-windows-7-sp1-into-installation-dvd-iso/

The Complete Guide To Slipstreaming a Windows 7 SP1 Disc -

http://www.technipages.com/the-complete-guide-to-slipstreaming-a-windows-7-sp1-disc.html

If you need further information on how to slipstream the Windows 7 service pack(s), you can make use of a web search engine to search for: slipsteam windows 7. There are now many guides to choose from.

Microsoft makes Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1) available

Tuesday, February 22, 2011. - Today, Microsoft's spokesman, Brandon LeBlanc, stated this in a post on the Windows blog: "Starting today, Windows 7 Service Pack 1 [SP1] will be available to everyone via the Microsoft Download Center and [will] start rolling out via Windows Update."

This means that you will now be able to slipstream a Windows 7 SP1 disc using the original Windows 7 installation disc and the SP1 update. Alternatively, if you can uninstall SP1, you can then just reinstall Windows 7 using its original installation DVD.

How to uninstall Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1) - "Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1) contains many updates to improve Windows 7, but if you encounter a problem with hardware or a program after installing the service pack, you might want to temporarily uninstall it to troubleshoot the problem."

The Windows Component Store, in this folder if Windows is installed on the C: drive, C:Windowswinsxs, has a complete set of system files in it. It contains all of the files for a full Windows installation plus all of updates alraedy installed, which allows the user to uninstall a Service Pack or patch to a pre-update state. A technology called NTFS hard links keeps track of everything. Therefore, the Component Store must never be moved from the Windows system volume.

By running the following administrator-level command, you can make a Service Pack permanent: DISM /online /Cleanup-Image /SpSuperseded. Note well that once it has been run the Service Pack cannot be removed. To run an administrator-level Command Prompt, click Start => All Programs => Accessories, right-click with the mouse pointer on Command Prompt and choose Run as administrator. Then enter the command.

Note that SP1 cannot be uninstalled from a computer that comes with the SP1 edition of Windows 7 preinstalled on it. - http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/uninstall-sp1