In a quest to automate and standardize our Windows installs, I have begun working to make a custom Windows Install DVD that will hopefully install Windows and all our standard software. This is the first of likely many posts describing the journey. This post describes how to slipstream a service pack and hotfixes into install media.
Slipstreaming is the process of integrating a service pack and hotfixes into a Windows install cd. The end result of this will be a install cd that will have very few updates to download from Microsoft Update after a fresh install. Note that the slipstream process only works with un-customized Windows install media. Thus, you will likely have issues if you attempt this with the media provided by most major hardware vendors. This is really intended for those with a Volume Licensing Agreement or with retail media.
First we need to incorporate Service Pack 2 into the install media. Note, that much of the media shipped in the past two years already has SP2 incorporated. If however, you have media that does not have it, go follow the instructions at the Supersite for Windows;
Slipstreaming Windows XP with Service Pack 2.
With install media containing SP2, you now likely want to install the 60+ updates that have been released since Service Pack 2 was released.
Copy your SP2 loaded install cd to a working directory on your hard drive.
Extract the boot file from the install media. See the instructions in the slipstreaming guide linked above for assistance.
Download all relevant hotfixes. This is much easier said than done. I did it by finding a fully patched Windows XP machine, and running QFECheck to obtain a list of Knowledge Base articles (the six digit numbers e.g. KB909520). With that list, put them into urls of the form http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=xxxxxx and download each hotfix referenced.
You now need to integrate each hotfix into the working directory. Use a command of the form ⟨hotfix.exe⟩ /integrate:C:\⟨workingdir⟩ for each hotfix. You could simplify this process with the command FOR %%f IN (*.exe) DO "%%f" /Integrate:C:\⟨workingdir⟩D, which must be executed in the same directory as the hotfixes.
Use your favorite cd burning application to create a bootable cd. Once again, see the slipstreaming guide above for specifics.
If you are one of those without virgin install media, or you want a simpler method with a gui, check out nLite which puts a GUI frontend on this (and much more).
