Slipstreaming Windows Easy
Begin the slipstreaming process
The nLite program can be installed once .NET is installed. nLite will not run without .NET in place.
Click NEXT to get to the first step of the slipstreaming process. This menu selects what options the program will guide the user through for configuration and slipstreaming.
Click on any or all of the menu bars. This will only activate that part of the program for configuration later on in the process. If an option is selected and no settings are changed then it is as if the option were never selected in the first place. For this guide all but CREATE A BOOTABLE ISO are selected. NERO will be used to burn back the finished files to a bootable CD as this guide will add Windows Media Player 10 to the slipstreamed disk.
Click NEXT and nLite will ask where the source files are. Insert the original installation disk into an available optical drive and browse to that drive letter…not any of the individual installation folders or files.
A message will pop up asking for the location of where the installation files will be ripped to.
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Click OK and browse to any place on the hard drive(s) where the files will be transferred to. Make sure there is at least 1 GB of free space. Create a folder and name it. The name does not matter. For this test XP CD was used as the folder name.
Click OK and the process will automatically begin of transferring the Windows installation files from the source disk or folder to the newly created folder.
The process will finish and display the version, language, path, size and remaining free space on the drive/partition.
Click NEXT and then SELECT where the Service Pack 2 download is. Remember that Service Pack 2 for Windows XP contains all the files for Service Pack 1 and 1a. There is no need to download Service Pack 1 and 1a.
Click OPEN and nLite will begin to extract then slipstream Service Pack 2 into the install files.
After a few minutes the Service Pack 2 integration process will complete.
Click OK and nLite returns to the Service Pack selection screen. Windows 2000 users may want to install further Service Packs but Windows XP users need only integrate Service Pack 2 at this time.
Click NEXT and nLite brings up the REMOVE COMPONENTS screen. Each of the listed categories has an expandable area to remove certain components of Windows from the installation process.
Each of the entries has a help description beside it when it is highlighted. Putting a checkmark beside the entry means it WILL BE REMOVED from the installation process.
NLite also highlights important entries in red. These should be thought about twice before selecting.
It’s very important that time is taken to carefully consider what options are to be selected for removal. Remember that the original installation disk or folder where the original installation files are WILL NOT BE CHANGED. You can always go back and create another slipstreamed disk.
IMPORTANT: if SATA drivers are to be installed then the SCSI/RAID option must be removed via the REMOVE COMPONENTS stage. nLite will remove the stock Windows XP SCSI/RAID drivers and use user supplied SATA boot drivers to be integrated at a later step.
If no options are selected then nLite will bypass this area. Click NEXT and the UNATTENDED SETUP screen appears. UNATTENDED SETUP will allow for several options to be completed automatically that normally occur during the setup process. GENERAL 1/2 allows for selection of what type of computer. Most new computers today are ACPI Uniprocessor PC. The CD KEY can be entered. (Not shown because I’m not going to show you it. :p) There are several other selections and help windows appear on mouseover.
The GENERAL 2/2 screen allows for automatic entry of the domain data.
The PERSONAL screen is for entering personal information about the computer owner and the admin passwords.
The DISPLAY screen allows for setting a specific resolution and hertz frequency when windows finishes installation.
Click NEXT and nLite will give a last chance to keep or remove any files that are orphaned by the previous removal steps. If none of the removed components are cross linked to other files then these two boxes will be blank.
Click NEXT and the following step will bring up the INTEGRATE DRIVERS menu. Choose INSERT and browse to the location where SATA drivers have been extracted to. .EXE files will not work at this stage. NLite is looking for .INF files.
Holy crap. I've been looking for a program like that for FOREVER. YAYYYYYY.
I've used it and it can do things that handmade custom Install Cd's cannot. I'm responsible for making OS install CD's that integrate all patches, all security settings, and profile tweaks. I do it by hand and update every time Microsoft releases updates.
nLite is very nice. You can basically install an OS on a system with everything you need in just a couple of clicks... SO MUCH FASTER!!!!
I still recommend doing it by hand for simple understanding of what is being done, but that is for corporate world.
Wow thats awesome!!!
MM: Did you try the non-Free version? Or at least know if there are any better options?
I did my own disc, manually, but every step (And a thousand cross-referencing double-checks to make sure I got it right on the first burn) left me weeping like a sissy for a program that would effing do it for me.
For nLite there is no commercial version. WYSIWYG. As far as XP Lite? Me? Pay? Money? $39 vs. free. The choice was pretty easy. I make no comment on how XP Lite peforms as I have not compared it. I'm just after free stuff for you guys.
Beautiful! Perfect timing, too. I'm just starting a project which will involve a lot of format/reinstall action. I considered doing my own slipstreamed CD, but this looks to be so much simpler to use.
And I appreciate that MM .
Nice! Thanks, mm!
Word of caution to people with RAID and single HDs. I have 2x 160GB in RAID0 and a 300 GB IDE backup. When I use any unattended install, I have very bad results. This program is great, just be careful during unattended Windows install. What Windows does is erase my partition table on the IDE drive, even before I have any input. I've had this problem with any unattended install of Windows, not just this program. But this program does make it easier for people to create unattended installs and is particularly attractive being able to add RAID drivers onto the CD so I thought I'd mention it. This problem may only be in my case but it really isn't fun worrying rather or not you get your data back.
Awesome app! Wow.. nice find MM
Couple of errors on page 2:
For the dot net:
Microsoft .NET Framework Redistributable 1.0 dotnetredist.exe
For that, you actually want the 1.1 version, not 1.0 or the updates don't work. Get it here (23MB):
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=262D25E3-F589-4842-8157-034D1E7CF3A3&displaylang=en
Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1 Service Pack 1 NDP1.1sp1-KB867460-X86.exe
Correct URL: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=a8f5654f-088e-40b2-bbdb-a83353618b38&DisplayLang=en
You have to edit the produced winnt.sif file with the following parameters:
[Data]
AutoPartition=0
MsDosInitiated=0
UnattendedInstall=Yes
[Unattended]
UnattendMode=FullUnattended
OemSkipEula=Yes
OemPreinstall=YES
UnattendSwitch=Yes
FileSystem=LeaveAlone
That will avoid autopartitioning and autoformatting; it removes the complete unattended functionality, but doesn't blitzkrieg your HDD.
The only matter that displeased me with this program was the fact that you couldn't include installer executables, and set silent switches.. Like DX9C redistributable, for example, can be executed silently. I would like to have seen such an option made available.
The versions I have used also didnt allow the boot drivers for the sata drivers in unattended insatlls which I do manually on my unattended installs..
Each version keeps getting better though. And they patch stuff every few weeks with new versions so go back to their forums for the latest news and updates.
Its also EASY to strip out stuff you regret so use a RW cd/dvd at first until you get the perfect install down and then save a ISO of it.
And slipstreaming is just one command really and then burn the cd. The beauty of this program is that it allows you to strip down many of the XP install componets and make a much smaller install XP OS cd and also a smaller XP OS install after the fact. I have never seen another program that does that.
Tex
Your just not setting up the answer file correctly. Mine work fine.
[Data]
AutoPartition=0
MsDosInitiated=0
UnattendedInstall=Yes
[Unattended]
UnattendMode=FullUnattended
OemSkipEula=Yes
OemPreinstall=YES
UnattendSwitch=Yes
FileSystem=LeaveAlone
That will avoid autopartitioning and autoformatting; it removes the complete unattended functionality, but doesn't blitzkrieg your HDD.
Yeah I've done that before but it still messes up the drive, I swear to you. The only way to get Windows to install to the RAID is to disable the IDE or unplug it. Thanks for the suggestion though. You know me, I've tried messing with it. It's something to do with the fact it won't write to RAID if the IDE drive is present. Period. Even if it doesn't erase the IDE partitions, it will try to copy the temp files to IDE (when I choose to install to a RAID partition). I have a friend with NF7-S and exact same problem. I won't waste any more of this thread. Thanks anyway Thrax.
Above
No matter what kind of install (unattended or not) you have to unplug teh ide to get ALL the files to the raid setup. The five boot files goes to ide0 no matter how you install.
You claimed it deleted and formated your partitions. Not if the answer file is done RIGHT.
If you do it RIGHT (and I have almost 100 unattended installs under my belt) it will never ever EVER friggin EVER do anything to delete the existing partitions. You are doing it wrong.
I install to scsi and ide and sata raid partitions.
My unattended installs are all automated EXCEPT it stops and asks me where to install to and allows you to add/delete partitions manually. Because both I and my customers PC's have wildly varying disk setups. And we can not afford the type of errors your unattended setup causes. YOUR unattended is meant only for new PC's with no partition and no existing data to save etc...
Because YOU didnt figure out how to do it correctly does in no way mean it can't be done.
Trust me... Mine do not in any way jack with existing partitions. It does not ever in any way modify or delete or anything else unless you specify it to do it.
Tex
You claimed it deleted and formated your partitions. Not if the answer file is done RIGHT.
If you do it RIGHT (and I have almost 100 unattended installs under my belt) it will never ever EVER friggin EVER do anything to delete the existing partitions. You are doing it wrong.
I install to scsi and ide and sata raid partitions.
My unattended installs are all automated EXCEPT it stops and asks me where to install to and allows you to add/delete partitions manually. Because both I and my customers PC's have wildly varying disk setups. And we can not afford the type of errors your unattended setup causes. YOUR unattended is meant only for new PC's with no partition and no existing data to save etc...
Because YOU didnt figure out how to do it correctly does in no way mean it can't be done.
Trust me... Mine do not in any way jack with existing partitions. It does not ever in any way modify or delete or anything else unless you specify it to do it.
Tex
You're taking this wrong. My post was general heads-up to people. I've seen it happen on 2 computers. Is everyone going to take time to master unattended installs before using nLite? No. This is a great article by MM, and the tool is useful. I just said to be careful. Please don't insist I'm wrong when you only read the half story.
YOU said .. and I quote you here..
"I've had this problem with any unattended install of Windows, not just this program".
This has nothing to do with nlite. Nor were my comments about nlite. It was about your problems which... from YOUR OWN WORDS quoted above... are unrelated to nlite.
Tex
Gentlemen, could we just agree that it makes sense to be sure that one understands how the program works before plunging ahead with it?
This is supremly excellent for someone like myself who can only acquire fixes or service packs, by either using my wonderful 56k or grabbing them from a freind who has high speed. The integration of the RAID drivers is also excellent. (I always missed F6
)
Very excellent, thanks MM.
How do those "unattended installs" work anyway? You pop in the CD and it installs Windows? Surely I'm missing something? Do you pick all the time and network options and stuff before the install begins, and it goes from there?
Let's first clarify what "unattended installation" means.
It can mean several stages of the installation happen automatically. ALL or just some are unattended and the program has a full unattended setting but I did not try that.
What I did try was the settings as indicated in the images I supplied.
I slipstreamed the disk. I then "popped" it into the other computer in the CD drive and rebooted. Remember that BIOS has to be set to try to boot from the optical device first.
I kept the option for pressing the "any" key to go into the windows install. The program does have a setting to bypass this if you wish.
The system had two SATA drives on the SIL3114 headers. Windows automatically installed the slipstreamed SATA driver and found the drives. The system STOPPED at that point and waited for me to choose the partition and format the drive as I saw fit. Those drives were previously partitioned but clean.
I made those two choices and everything happened "unattended" from there right to the desktop.
That was because I chose that particular setting for that form of "unattended setup."
If you choose the full unattended setup then the system assumes you are installing on c:\ and should proceed fully unattended from the time you "pop" in the disk and reboot..to the desktop.
In other words...as I said previously...just depends on what depth of "unattended" setup you configure.
Check out page 3 of the article and you'll have some idea. Basically, you choose your options when you make the CD.
Pof...you were just a bit more brief than I was.
Good thing I don't get paid by the word.
You can set everything from the workgroup/domain name to the computer name to the IP or cd-key or time-zone or keyboard used or... Whatever....
ANYTHING a normal xp install requires...
Mine asks only for the disk/partition to install to and also installs Office, Photoshop, Nero and a sheet load of other apps and only prompts for the partition to install to,
Tex
WindowsXP-KB885932-v2-x86-ENU is only avaliable on English :@
Great guide MM!
I made a new XP Home CD using this earlier today and I'm very happy with it. The only times I ever was asked for anything was the partition/directory info and the user and computer names (just like I specified).
While I didn't feel like testing the install disk by taking down my RAID array just so I could see if the drivers worked, I noticed them loading at boot from the install disk (without the tens of other SCSI/RAID drivers which used to be on there that I'd never own in a bajillion years which normally take an extra 3-5 minutes to load) to I'll assume that given the hardware, they would have worked fine.
Having all my Windows Explorer settings, uxtheme.dll hack, and even the f'ing search assistant removed right from the get-go is incredible. I wasn't even aware you could change those settings before Windows was installed!
I wonder: Would it be possible to have the just the nForce2's Ethernet driver pre-loaded on the CD as well? I realize it's best to use the latest drivers from the get-go, but without these drivers you cannot download the latest version to begin with, and it’d be nice to have a working driver already installed rather than having to dig out another CD beforehand. Would it just take adding the “nvenetfd.inf” file from nVidia’s decompressed driver package to the “Add Drivers” window (the same place you add the SATA drivers) along with all of the other files found in the \Ethernet\PreNEM\WinXP\ directory of the same package?
I dont what Park did before. I used a disk with several versions of Windows on it, I choose which version and it went on without me asking where to install it. It prolly would have been fine if there was a partition where I wanted the OS to install. O well, live and learn right Park.
Are there any options for disabling features in SP2?
Use winrar to extract the nForce2 driver download and then point to the ethernet folder INF file during the process.
You could also probably install the nForce2 drivers this way (or nForce3 or 4)
Only that you see in the configuration settings.
Hi,
Great guide!
Only 1 problem, when I choose to insert hotfixes, I always get an error with teh dotnet file, (I already tried both files, the original link provided by the guide, and the file someone mentioned earlier in the comments). They both give me an error when integrating the hotfixes. Something about a bad syntax. It tells me to run "command /?" for help. I Any idea why?
Thanks!
One more thing,
About the integration of the WMP10. Every line in the .INF file in the HKCU section follows the same estructure with a "\" after "software".
Is it ok that the line to be added does not follow the same estructure?
HKCU,"SOFTWAREMicrosoftMediaPlayerPreferences","AcceptedPrivacyStatement",0x00010003,1
Thanks!
Great guide!
Only 1 problem, when I choose to insert hotfixes, I always get an error with teh dotnet file, (I already tried both files, the original link provided by the guide, and the file someone mentioned earlier in the comments). They both give me an error when integrating the hotfixes. Something about a bad syntax. It tells me to run "command /?" for help. I Any idea why?
Thanks!
There is a way to slipstream the .NET install file and .NET service packs into one main file but we were not able to find an easy method of slipstreaming .NET into an Windows installation CD.
Thanks, and I apologize for skipping page 8!
Note of caution:
You can strip too much out of the installation CD so be warned. nLite is very useful for creating slipstreamed discs and partially or fully unattended installation disc.
However,
There is a part of the program where you can remove parts of the OS. You can remove too much even though it appears ok. For example...I stripped out 1/3 of what I thought I didn't need and while the installation went well...and apparently everything was working fine...
Instability with some programs materialized after I spent a couple of hours setting up the entire computer. WMP crashed...the sound card would and wouldn't work. Optical drives lost their drivers. All of these components worked on many clean installs over the last couple of years.
So just be cautious of how much you plan to remove.
-->Park:
WinXP likes to use the first drive in BOOT ORDER for temps and such. BOOT ORDER AS IN BIOS. I'm Emphasizing quick and not shouting.....
Check boot order in BIOS, see if you have the IDE Drive booting first, and see if you can get the IDE DRIVE to boot SECOND or LATER, and the RAID First in boot order or second and before the IDE (IDE THIRD, then) if you, like me, keep my systems set to always boot from CD first....
WARNING: (aka "Danger, Will Robinson!") Don't do this if you have a good working XP now and expect XP to boot after change, the boot preloader at least is in the IDE drive and changing boot order changes the Lun and Disk values in the boot values in boot.ini (given RAID now and current boot.ini, you should have a LUN 0 and a Lun 1(RAID), LUN 0 should be IDE). Fix is simple, see if it can be done, try it, if it works your XP should NOT boot. Change it back, write down what you have BEFORE and AFTER you change it if it does this(n/shouting, no time to format this thing). Changing it back leaves XP booting fine, then see if you can fix the install problem by changing it per your notes next time just before you try an install.
(Another story as to why, won't hijack this, but it has to do with my OS studies on more OSs than MS things (which I use too, am posting from Windows in Firebird).