RekaTech
Reka on Windows XP@www.RekaTech.co.uk©

Difficulty Level: Average

Updating your XP disc is a step i always recommend, even if you are not planning on reinstalling XP. Surely its better to update your disc while you can, rather than waiting until your computer needs a reinstall and you are unable to do slipstream. (Note: this is for XP discs and not restore discs) Microsoft brought out XP years ago now, and is constantly updating and patching it, so the disc you have is well out of date, even if it has Service Pack 2 (SP2). You can however make a copy of your XP disc and add all the updates and service packs to it and YES it is legal.

This process is called "Slipstreaming" and is rapidly becoming more popular. Normally, when you install XP, you have to go to Microsoft/Windows Update and download all the critical updates which can take hours. Apart from the obvious time benefits of slipstreaming XP there are other major advantages. Namely, slipstreaming leads to a cleaner install as you wont be installing out of date items only to have to update them. Its like installing Windows 98 then upgrading to XP, you system will never be as clean as just installing XP. All you need to slipstream XP is:

XP disc (not restore disc)
CD Burner
CD Burning software*
Blank CD
n-Lite (free download)
,Net Framework 2.0 (free download)
*(note: I recommend burning your Disc with Nero 7, its available on a free trial)

Get Prepared .

 

Firstly, i recommend that you create 3 new folders, (to create new folders go to start>My Computer>double click on the C:/ drive, right click on the mouse and select "New" then folder. Name the 3 folders as follows:

XP
SP3 (SP2)
Updates

I used to slipstream manually but now there is a great program (free) that will do it all for you called n-Lite. Your first port of call is to download and install .NetFamework 2.0 from Microsoft if you don't already have it installed. To check if you have it go to Start>Control Panel> add remove programs, if its on the list you already have it. If you don't have it i recommend you download it from Windows Update to ensure you get the correct and latest version. (you will need to go to "Custom" rather than "Express" to download)

Once you have ensured Microsoft's .Net Framework 2.0 is installed you need to download and save XP Service Pack 2. Save to the SP2 folder you created earlier.

Download Service Pack 2 Here .

Even if you have Service Pack 2 on disc, don't use it as you need the "full" IT version, to download it click here: Service Pack 2. (note:Save to the folder you called SP2, it will make it easier to find)

The next step is to download and install n-Lite from
http://www.nliteos.com/download.html. or

n-lite is the program that will integrate Service Pack 2 and Windows updates with XP, so you can burn a new disc. Right, lest get started and slipstream your XP disc.

Slipstream with n-lite .

Double click on the n-lite icon on your desktop to launch n-lite At the welcome to n-lite screen, check english is the language selected and click next.

Put your Windows XP disc into your CD/DVD drive. You need to browse to the cd/dvd drive when n-lite says locating the windows installation then click next. Yow will then be asked where you would like the files to be saved, choose the XP folder you created earlier. n-lite will now copy the files from your Windows XP disc to your hard drive for editing.

Continue to page 2, Integrate Service Pack