This commodity is besides available as a PDF download.

Applying a service
pack after every reinstallation of Windows XP is a schlep and a waste of time,
especially in a business environment. That's why it's a proficient idea to have a
re-create of XP with the latest service pack already integrated into it–a process
known as slipstreaming.

But that's non
near the cease of the story. What about calculation all the subsequent
hotfixes/updates Microsoft has released since Service Pack 2 for Windows XP was
released eons ago (August 2004, to be exact)? There take been more than 120
since then. Downloading and installing every one of them is no fun; doing it
every time for every new Windows installation is manifestly crazy.

Yet, you can't
really take a run a risk on ignoring the updates. Venturing onto the Cyberspace
without the protection of the latest updates and patches is downright
dangerous. Tests have shown that Windows vulnerabilities tin can be exploited
within minutes after exposing such a system on the Net.

So wouldn't it be
great if you could integrate all (or at least most) of those Microsoft updates
right into a re-create of XP, together with the latest service pack? Well, you can–and
it'due south a relatively elementary procedure. And in one case you've washed information technology the kickoff time,
subsequent procedures (to make new CDs with the latest updates) is a walk in
the park.

To elevation it all, you
tin even add together some useful utilities to your customized version of Windows and
make the disk bootable.

I'm going to walk
you through the whole procedure of first slipstreaming your copy of XP with SP2,
integrating most of the updates/hotfixes since the release of SP2 into your new
installation pack, and so called-for the paradigm to a bootable CD.

Slipstreaming with SP2

Permit's starting time
slipstream XP with SP2:

  1. If
    you don't already take information technology, get the total ("network installation")
    version of the service pack. You tin download information technology hither.
    For the purposes of this article, nosotros'll salvage it to the binder XP_SP2 on the C:
    bulldoze.
  2. Copy the contents of your Windows XP CD
    to your hard bulldoze. We'll name this folder (besides on the C: drive) WinXP.
  3. Open a command prompt and go to the
    folder containing SP2 (XP_SP2 in our instance).
  4. Type the control: servicepackfilename /integrate:drive:\XPfolder.
    In my case, the command is:
    WindowsXP-KB835935-SP2-ENU /integrate:C:\WinXP
    See Figure A and Figure B.

Figure A

The command to integrate the service pack

Figure B

The integration procedure

If the procedure has
been successful, a message to this effect will be displayed (Figure C).

Figure C

Success!

Note

When you try slipstreaming using OEM disks from some big
companies, you lot might run into the post-obit fault:

"This Service
Pack cannot be integrated into a destination that also has integrated Software
Updates."

Non to worry, in that location
are ways and means. A plan called nLite
will do the trick (although it needs the .NET framework).

Integrating post-SP2 updates

Now nosotros're fix to
integrate near of the postal service-SP2 updates, thanks to a guy called Ryan VanderMeulen. Equally Ryan says on his Web site, his update pack
and Integrator software are "designed to bring a Windows XP CD with SP2
integrated fully upwards to date with all of the latest hotfixes released by
Microsoft since SP2'southward release. Information technology accomplishes this task via direct
integration, where files on the CD are directly overwritten by the updated
files". He also says: "All necessary registry entries needed by Windows Update,
QFECheck, and Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer
are imported during Windows setup, meaning that the integration is transparent
to Windows. Security Catalogs necessary for Windows File Protection to
recognize the updated files as digitally signed are installed, one time again
ensuring maximum transparency to Windows. Since the updated files are being directly
overwritten on the CD, this pack has the minimum possible corporeality of overhead
associated with integrating hotfixes in comparison to other methods–both in
infinite used on the CD and in Windows installation fourth dimension."

Audio good? It sure
is!

A word of alarm
before you begin: Ryan strongly recommends that you commencement with a fresh XP
installation source with no previous update packs integrated into information technology.

With that out of
the manner, let'due south go down to business organisation.

  1. Download the latest version of RVM
    Integrator and Update Pack (also the optional add-on packs if yous want to–see
    note) hither.
    On this page, you'll run into the list of the included updates.

Note

Ryan has several
add-ons available. 1 includes some useful programs and utilities; another
integrates Windows 18-carat Advantage Validation (KB892130) into the XP install
CD.

  1. Start RVM Integrator. At the top of the
    screen you lot'll see the message Browse
    to the location which contains the i386 directory    . In our example,
    that's C:\WinXP (Figure D). Notation
    that this is the root folder that contains the i386 folder (do NOT select
    the i386 directory!).

Figure D

Providing the path to the i386 folder in RVM Integrator
  1. The detected version of Windows will exist
    displayed. You can also select a destination directory if yous want to
    create the new installation source in a different binder. Otherwise, get out
    the field blank.
  2. Select Cull An Update Pack CAB to scan
    to the location of the update pack. My update pack was called
    rvmupdatepack2.1.1.7z. In your instance, the version might be unlike.
  3. If yous downloaded whatsoever add-on packs, add together
    them next.
  4. The final stride is the integration.
    Click Integrate, and the process will start (Figure Eastward). Go get yourself another cup of java.

Figure Eastward

RVM Integrator doing its task

Creating a bootable CD

To make our
bootable CD, we'll utilize Bart'due south approach. Bart Lagerweij,
as you probably know, is the doyen of boot disks. I'll provide an overview of
the steps, but if you desire to read Bart'south full instructions on how to create a bootable
Windows XP CD, go here.

Other methods are
bachelor. If you already have a preferred style, by all means go ahead and utilise
that. You can, for case, use IsoBuster and Nero
Burning ROM 6 (y'all'll need at least version 5.v.ix.0) or you tin employ nLite (merely you'll need .NET framework installed).

I adopt Bart's
style. Autonomously for a couple of pocket-sized extras you need to download the first time,
you won't need things like the full version of Nero and .Internet like other
methods. Besides, I just love to scout Bart'southward command-line magic.

Here are the
essential steps:

  1. Download
    Bart's BCD software (523 KB).
  2. Unzip
    BCD to a binder. We'll unzip it to c:\bcd for this example.
  3. Download
    the file wnaspi32.dll from hither
    and copy it into BCD's \bin folder (in our example, to c:\bcd\bin).
  4. Download
    this Windows XP file (5 KB). Unzip information technology into BCD'southward root
    binder (c:\bdc in our case). Make sure the subfolders are likewise unpacked.
  5. Copy
    the i386 folder (in our example, from C:\WinXP) into one of the following
    folders, depending on whether information technology's Windows XP Dwelling house or Professional:

    c:\bcd\cds\wxphome\files\ (Windows XP
    Home Edition)
    c:\bcd\cds\wxppro\files\ (Windows XP
    Professional person)

  6. Copy
    the win51ic.SPx or win51ip.SPx file hither also (Run into Figure F). Optionally, y'all tin besides re-create the post-obit files (non
    needed for bootable CD installation):
autorun.inf                
readme.htm                
setup.exe

Effigy F

Re-create the files to the relevant locations in the bcd
folder

Notation

If you have a
Windows XP CD from MSDN, edit the file i386\txtsetup.sif:

department [SetupData]

and modify the setup source path to:

SetupSourcePath = "\"

Now you're ready to
roll. Open up a control prompt, go to the c:\bcd folder, and type in and run i
of the following commands (depending on whether it's XP Home or XP Pro):

bcd wxphome (For Windows XP Dwelling edition)

or:

bcd wxppro (For Windows XP Professional)

This will kickoff
creating the bootable ISO image and fire it to a CD for you. Armed with this
CD, reinstalling XP or installing it on new machines will be a breeze.