UPDATE: Icrontic has posted a revised article on slipstreaming! The original 2005 article follows here.
Installing Windows can be a pain. First there is the hour long session with the operating system. Don’t forget to press F6 if you are using SATA drives. Then there is the boredom of connecting to the Internet in order to download and install all the service packs and system updates. Slipstreaming a Windows XP installation disk is the answer and there is a simple and easy way to create your own Windows installation disk complete with the latest service pack(s), updates and disk drivers.
Slipstreaming, or integrating service packs and updates into an existing operating system installation disk, was a complicated procedure of extracting files and editing various system files. An inexperienced user would often be baffled by the task. It was only a matter of time before slipstream software begun to appear. XP Lite (from $39 USD) and nLite (Free) are two such software applications used in the process of slipstreaming an installation disk.
Free is a good thing.
NLite was created by
Dino Nuhagic and allows for removal of some windows components during the installation stage. MSN Explorer, Outlook Express, Internet Explorer and other such Windows features can be deleted from the installation process with nLite. Customize the installation process to add or remove Windows features from the start menu. The installation process can even be automated to automatically enter the Windows activation code (corporate editions).
Other features include:
- Service Pack Integration
- Component Removal
- Unattended Setup
- Driver Integration *
- Hotfixes Integration **
- Tweaks Patches ***
- Bootable ISO creation
* – Textmode (CD Boot) and normal PnP
** – only new type 1 hotfixes (for example XP post SP2)
***- supports generic SFC, Uxtheme, TcpIp and Usb Polling patching.
NLite supports Windows 2000, XP and 2003 and requires .Net Framework 1.1 in order to run. NLite is still in the beta phase.
Before you begin
The first step to slipstreaming an installation disk is to download the necessary service packs and updates. If the computer uses SATA drives then download the latest installation drivers too. This guide uses Windows XP Professional as the test operating system.
Windows XP service packs and updates as of April 03, 2005. Download each of these to a folder or folders. Example: The Windows XP Service pack is downloaded to a folder named SP2 and the Security Updates to a folder named Security Updates and so on. NOTICE: The downloads are over a total of 300 MB of files.
Windows XP Service Pack 2 Network Installation Package for IT Professionals and Developers
Security Updates
- Security Update for Windows XP (KB888113) WindowsXP-KB888113-x86-ENU.exe
- Security Update for Windows XP (KB885250) WindowsXP-KB885250-x86-ENU.exe
- Security Update for Windows XP (KB873333) WindowsXP-KB873333-x86-ENU.exe
- Security Update for Windows XP (KB891781) WindowsXP-KB891781-x86-ENU.exe
- Security Update for Windows XP (KB890047) WindowsXP-KB890047-X86-ENU.exe
- Security Update for Windows XP (KB888302) WindowsXP-KB888302-x86-ENU.exe
- Security Update for Windows XP (KB871250) WindowsXP-KB871250-x86-ENU.exe
- Security Update for Windows XP (KB891711) WindowsXP-KB891711-x86-ENU.exe
- Security Update for Windows XP (KB890175) WindowsXP-KB890175-x86-ENU.exe
- Security Update for Windows XP (KB885836) WindowsXP-KB885836-x86-ENU.exe
- Security Update for Windows XP (KB885835) WindowsXP-KB885835-x86-ENU.exe
- Security Update for Windows XP (KB873339) WindowsXP-KB873339-x86-ENU.exe
- Security Update for Windows Messenger (KB887472) WindowsXP-KB887472-x86-enu.exe
Updates for Windows XP
- Update for Windows XP Service Pack 2 (KB884020) WindowsXP-KB884020-x86-enu.exe
- Update for Windows XP (KB885222) WindowsXP-KB884883-v2-x86-ENU.exe
- Update for Windows XP (KB887742) WindowsXP-KB887742-x86-ENU.exe
- Update for Windows XP (KB890831) WindowsXP-KB890831-x86-ENU.exe
- Update for Windows XP (KB886677) WindowsXP-KB886677-x86-enu.exe
- Update for Windows XP Service Pack 2 (KB885894) WindowsXP-KB885894-x86-enu.exe
Critical Updates
- Critical Update for Windows XP (KB886185) WindowsXP-KB886185-x86-enu.exe
- Critical Update for Windows XP (KB887822) WindowsXP-KB887822-x86-enu.exe
- Critical Update for Windows XP (KB885523) WindowsXP-KB885523-x86-enu.exe
Cumulative Updates
- Cumulative Update for Outlook Express 6 Service Pack 1 (KB887797) IE6.0sp1-KB887797-Windows-2000-XP-x86-ENU.exe
- Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer for XP Service Pack 2 (KB867282) WindowsXP-KB867282-x86-ENU.exe
Optional Downloads
- Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool (KB890830) Windows-KB890830-V1.2-ENU.exe
- Update for Internet Explorer 6 for XP Service Pack 2 (KB885932) WindowsXP-KB885932-v2-x86-ENU.exe
- Update for Windows XP : HighMAT Support in CD Writing Wizard (KB831240) HMTCDWizard_enu.exe
The .NET Framework 1.1 is required In order to run nLite.
- Microsoft .NET Framework Redistributable 1.1 dotnetredist.exe
- Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1 Service Pack 1 NDP1.1sp1-KB867460-X86.exe
- ASP.NET Security Update for Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1 Service Pack 1 NDP1.1sp1-KB867460-X86.exe
NLITE download
Don’t forget to download the nLite program.