Member Avatar for 3dward5

Is it possible to make Service pack cds for win2k and winxp to make installation of either of these operating systems quicker.If anyone knows a link to a "How to..." it would be really appreciated..thnx

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by kc0arf

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As pointed out, slipstreaming service packs into your Windows install media is the right approach for faster, cleaner installs; 's note about doing the same for Office is also worth considering for a full build image. Below is a compact, practical workflow and a few gotchas that are easy to miss.

  1. Copy the entire original Windows CD to a working folder on your hard drive (example: C:\WinSource).
  2. Obtain the full standalone service-pack executable (not the web/stub installer) and run it against the copied source. Typical syntax is: servicepack.exe /integrate:C:\WinSource — this updates the install files so the SP is installed during setup.
  3. Add drivers, unattended answer files, or Office MSTs if required (tools like nLite simplify slipstreaming, driver injection, and building a bootable ISO).
  4. Create a bootable ISO that uses the original CD boot image, test the ISO in a VM (VirtualBox/VMware) to confirm the install finishes and activation behaves as expected, then burn to CD.

Troubleshooting/cautions: always use the full SP package; run the integrate step with admin rights; if integration fails, check the SP log and file permissions. Embedding product keys or making an unattended setup affects activation—use proper licensing. Keep copies of unmodified original media and test thoroughly before widescale deployment.

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Member Avatar for crunchie

You can download SP4 for W2K here
You can also create an installation CD with SP4 integrated into it so that the next time you install Windows, you already have SP 4 on there :). If you want the instructions, PM me with an email address.

Member Avatar for kc0arf

Hello,

While you are at it, you might want to consider doing that with Microsoft Office service packs too. And you can get the Office toolkit thingy and make your own MST files.

Christian

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