Helixal said:
I am installing xp pro on a new hard drive. What is the best way
to handle the service packs? Can I just download the service pack
3 disk image and use that. Or do I have to add each earlier
service pack separately?
Shenan said:
Best is an opinion.
I'd say get SP3 and integrate that into your installation media is
best.
You could even download many of the post-SP3 updates and integrate
those as well.
If you have a Windows XP CD that has SP1a or above - you can just
download SP3 and install it and then the many post-SP3 updates.
You could get the disk image (ISO) or the executable (IT
Professional version) - doesn't really make any difference.
I don't believe that I have the SP1a on my xp cd.
So you are saying to then first install the SP1a and then use the
SP3 image or the executable.
You mention integrating the SP3 into my installation media. -- I
don't have a clue as to how to do that. Or how to integrate the
post SP3 updates. Could you help?
Yes - you could (if your CD doesn't have SP1 (SP1a) or above (SP2 or SP3))
install from scratch and then upgrade the service packs. You should install
from CD and check the version (Start button --> RUN --> winver --> OK) and
see what service pack level you are at. If at SP1 or beyond - download SP3
and install it. If no service pack is listed - then you would need to
download either Service Pack 1a or Service Pack 2 and install it before
downloading and installing Service Pack 3 and all post-SP3 patches.
You should also go ahead and download the latest version of all your
hardware drivers. Motherboard chipset, video device, audio device, network
device(s), printers, scanners, etc. Also be sure you have the installation
media (CD, DVD, executables, etc and the product keys, serial numbers, etc)
for all other software. I have found running Belarc Advisor (free) and
printing the results to be a great help in these matters.
As for the integration/slipstream...
Now is a great time to point you to one of the easiest ways to find
information on problems you may be having and solutions others have found:
Search using Google!
http://www.google.com/
(How-to:
http://www.google.com/intl/en/help/basics.html )
(By no means is it limited to technical issues...)
For example - with nothing but the keywords I gave you...
http://www.google.com/search?q=integrate+service+pack+windows+xp
But giving you a few more...
keywords: slipstream, "Windows XP", "service pack", nlite, autostreamer,
bbie, integrate
http://www.google.com/search?q=slip...e+pack",+nlite,+autostreamer,+bbie,+integrate
A quick search would find you some great ways of doing it. I am the type
that likes the manual approach (copying the CD to a directory, downloading
the full SP3 patch, running it with the /integrate command line and pointing
it to the directory I put the Windows XP files in, running Barts Boot Image
Extractor on the original CD,, using my CD/DVD burning application to make a
new bootable CD/DVD with said extracted image and the newly SP3-integrated
set of files I copied and integrated to) - but there are things like nLite
and AutoStreamer that do almost all of that for you.
So I suggest looking into AutoStreamer first and then nLite... Then maybe
consider, if interested, manually doing it as well. Otherwise - get it done
with one of the tools and move on. ;-)
Some have trouble finding the downloads for SP1a, SP2 and SP3 they might
need to do any of this...
Windows XP SP1a for IT Professionals (it works for anyone really)
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=83E4E879-FA3A-48BF-ADE5-023443E29D78
Windows XP SP2 for IT Professionals (it works for anyone really)
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=049C9DBE-3B8E-4F30-8245-9E368D3CDB5A
Windows XP Service Pack 3 - ISO-9660 CD Image File
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=2fcde6ce-b5fb-4488-8c50-fe22559d164e
Windows XP Service Pack 3 Network Installation Package for
IT Professionals and Developers (it works for anyone really)
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=5B33B5A8-5E76-401F-BE08-1E1555D4F3D4