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Many moons ago I got REALLY tired of installing XP, and then downloading updates/applying service packs. Turns out you can slipstream the service packs onto a new Windows XP installation disk. Essentially this allows you to create a Windows XP installation with the Service Pack already part of the install.

So, what IS slipstreaming? Back when Microsoft was developing Windows 2000, the company decided to create up a more elegant way of integrating service packs and other fixes back into the core OS, so that enterprise customers could always maintain an install set of the latest version of Windows, ready to be installed at any time on new machines. It’s also useful for end users who reinstall often. Paul Thurott’s SuperSite detailed this for the release of SP2.

Thurott’s method requires that you hit the command line for the slipstream creation. It’s not difficult process, however there’s an easier method using a free tool called nLite.

nLite is a tool for pre-installation Windows configuration and component removal at your choice. Optional bootable image ready for burning on media or testing in virtual machines. With nLite you will be able to have Windows installation which on install does not include, or even contain on media, the unwanted components.

Features

• Service Pack Integration
• Component Removal
• Unattended Setup
• Driver Integratio
• Hotfixes Integratio
• Tweaks
• Services Configuration
• Patches ***
• Bootable ISO creation

How to Slipstream Service Pack 3 into Windows XP:

1. Insert your Windows XP installation disk
2. Download the Official Service Pack 3 from Microsoft
3. Download and install nLite
4. Navigate to Start -> Programs -> nLite and click nLite to launch the program.
5. Click Next. Once you arrive at the Locating the Windows installation page, click Browse and select the drive where your Windows XP installation disk is located:



6. Next, nLite will ask you where to save the CD installation files for modification, click OK



7. Now you need to create a folder to save to and work from. Click the Make New Folder button, type in a folder name, and click OK



8. Next, nLite will attempt to copy all files from the Windows installation disk to the folder you have created. Once it has finished, click Next



9. Click Next until you arrive at the Task Selection page, select the Service Pack and Bootable ISO options and then click Next



10. Next click Select and browse to and select the Service Pack 3 executable that was downloaded in step 2



11. Next, nLite will proceed to integrate Service Pack 3 into your Windows installation. Once it has finished, click OK, then click Next



12. Next, we need to create the new image that will be burned to a CD. Under Mode, select the option to Create Image and then click Make ISO



13. Now all that’s left to do is use your favorite CD burning utility to burn the ISO to a disk.

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