How to Slipstream (Integrate) a Windows XP Service Pack
If you have an older Windows XP CD, either the original XP CD without any service pack or a CD with Windows XP Service Pack 1 (SP1) already integrated, you can use this procedure to create an installation CD with SP2 integrated into it. You will need to perform this procedure if:
You are trying to do an In-Place Upgrade (Reinstallation) AND
You have installed Service Pack 2 on your system
OR
You get the error message, "Setup cannot continue because the
version of Windows on your computer is newer than the version on the
CD."
You cannot use this procedure if you have an OEM-supplied recovery CD.
The procedure described here is related to several Microsoft Knowledgebase articles, however the Microsoft articles do not cover the steps necessary to create a bootable CD. Instead they only show you how to copy the contents of the Windows CD to your hard disk and integrate SP2 into the file structure that you copied. If you want to read the original articles, you will find them here:
How to integrate Windows XP Service Pack 2 files into the Windows XP installation folder
Note: You can use the instructions at the latter link to do an emergency slipstream on your hard disk if you do not have a CD burner.
Special thanks to "relic" for his suggestions on this procedure.
Before You
Start
You will need to make sure that you have sufficient disk space to carry out the procedure. SP2 uses about 500MB when expanded, plus the 270MB+ for the unexpanded service pack itself, plus about 700MB for the Windows XP installation files from your XP CD. You should allow 2GB of free space to be safe. Whilst these instructions assume the procedure will be performed on drive C:, any drive that has sufficient free space can be substituted.
A tool to manipulate ISO images is needed. These instructions assume IsoBuster, though you can use WinISO or any other ISO tool. IsoBuster has a free component, which is suitable for the task ahead:
Install IsoBuster. If you do not have a copy of the complete Windows XP Service Pack 2, download but do not install it. The file is named WindowsXP-KB835935-SP2-ENU.exe and is 270MB+ in size:
Windows XP Service Pack 2 Network Installation Package for IT Professionals and Developers
You will also need a software package to create and burn the CD. The instructions for burning the CD will depend on your burning software. You will have to rely on the basic notes provided at the end and add the detail for your burning software yourself. This is because the options vary from version of burning software to the next and from one manufacturer to another. It is beyond the scope of this article to detail how to use your burning software. If you can't work out how to burn a bootable CD from these instructions, don't bother creating a bootable CD and follow these instructions instead:
How to integrate Windows XP Service Pack 2 files into the Windows XP installation folder
Set Folder
Options
Start Windows Explorer and select Folder Options from the Tools menu, then click the View tab. Make sure that "Show hidden files and folders" is selected and that "Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)" is unchecked:
When you have completed this procedure and made your new XP SP2 CD, you can optionally put the above two settings back to how you want them.
Create
Directories
Substitute your chosen drive letter for C: in the steps that follow.
Where you create the directories or folders is up to you, but to keep them together it is suggested that you create C:\Temp (if you don't already have it). Inside C:\Temp, create two folders named XPCD and XPSP2:
Copy XP CD
Contents
Copy the contents of the entire original Windows XP CD into C:\Temp\XPCD:
Note that the files you see on the right may vary depending upon your version of XP.
Copy
and Expand Service Pack 2
Copy the file named WindowsXP-KB835935-SP2-ENU.exe, from the folder that you downloaded it to, into C:\Temp\XPSP2:
Enter the following command either in a Command Prompt or the Run... dialog on the Start menu:
C:\Temp\XPSP2\WindowsXP-KB835935-SP2-ENU.exe -x
The Service Pack Installer will ask where it should extract the files to. Verify that the extraction path is pointing to C:\Temp\XPSP2 then click Ok:
Click OK when the extraction is complete.
Integrate Service Pack 2
Enter the following command either in a Command Prompt or the Run... dialog on the Start menu:
C:\Temp\XPSP2\i386\Update\Update.exe -S:C:\Temp\XPCD
Click OK when the integration is complete.
Extract Boot
Image from XP CD
With the original Windows XP CD inserted in your CDROM, start IsoBuster.
In the left panel, click on Bootable CD:
Immediately above the Bootable CD object is the volume name for the CD. Write the volume name down and double-check what you have written. If you have an English version of Windows XP, the volume label will be one of the following:
Windows XP Professional Retail: WXPFPP_EN
Windows XP Home Retail: WXHFPP_EN
Windows XP Professional Upgrade: WXPCCP_EN
Windows XP Home Upgrade: WXHCCP_EN
Windows XP Professional OEM: WXPOEM_EN
Windows XP Home OEM: WXHOEM_EN
The volume name will be different for Windows Media Centre Editions and non-English editions.
In the right panel, right-click the file named Microsoft Corporation.img and select Extract Microsoft Corporation.img from the popup menu:
Extract the .img file into C:\Temp then exit IsoBuster:
Burning
with Nero 6.x
1) Create a new compilation of type CD-ROM (Boot):
Do not click New yet.
On the Boot tab, click Image file and browse to the bootable image: C:\Temp\Microsoft Corporation.img
You may have to select All files *.* when browsing for the .img file.
Enable expert settings.
Kind of emulation: No Emulation
Load segment of sectors (Hex): 07C0
Number of loaded sectors: 4
2) On the ISO tab:
Data mode: Mode 1
File system: ISO9660 + Joliet
File name length (ISO): Max of 31 chars (Level 2)
Under Relax restrictions, check all options on.
3) On the Label tab:
Click Manual.
For both ISO and Joliet, enter the label you wrote down when performing the steps at Extract Boot Image from XP CD, WXPFPP_EN for example.
Click More Labels.
In the ISO 9660 column, enter:
Publisher: MICROSOFT_CORPORATION
Data preparer: MICROSOFT_CORPORATION
In the Joliet column, enter:
Publisher: Microsoft Corporation
Data preparer: Microsoft Corporation
4) On the Dates tab:
Uncheck Set volume creation and modification
Uncheck Set volume effective and expiration
Check Use the date and time from the original file
5) On the Burn tab:
Finalize CD (no further writing possible) must be checked. This checkbox may be disabled but checked, or it may be enabled and checked, depending on the default setting for Write method, which should be set to Disk-at-Once.
6) Click New and copy all the files and directories in C:\Temp\XPCD to the ISO compilation panel.
Burning
with Roxio
1) Create a New Project of type Bootable Disc:
Bootable Disc Type: No Emulation
Load Segment: 0x7c0
Sector Count: 4
Browse to the bootable image: C:\Temp\Microsoft Corporation.img
2) Project Properties (General tab):
Volume Label: Enter the label you wrote down when performing the steps at Extract Boot Image from XP CD, WXPFPP_EN for example.
File System: ISO 9660
Disc Format: Mode 1 CDROM
3) Project Properties (Advanced tab):
Publisher Name: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
Prepared By: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
Copyright: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
File Date: Use original file date
File Names: Any MS-DOS 8.3 character file names
4) Project Properties (File Filter tab)
Add Files: click All files
Uncheck Do not add Hidden files
Uncheck Do not add System files
5) When you click OK to close Project Properties, you should be prompted to change the name of Microsoft Corporation.img. The software suggests MICROSOFT.IMG. Type BOOTIMG.BIN and replace the suggested name.
Your project should now contain BOOTCAT.BIN and BOOTIMG.BIN
6) Add all the files and directories in C:\Temp\XPCD to the project.
During the copy process, when the selected files are being add to the project, you may get an error message or warning telling you that a file or directory needs to be renamed. You should accept the suggested name by clicking the Change button. You may have to perform this operation multiple times.
7) When you are ready to record, use the Disc-at-Once option.
Burning
with Other Software
Bootable Image: C:\Temp\Microsoft Corporation.img
Emulation: No Emulation
Load segment: 07C0 or 0x7C0
Number Sectors: 4
Data mode: Mode 1
File system: ISO9660 + Joliet
File name length (ISO): Either Max of 31 chars (Level 2) or Max of 11 = 8 + 3
Relax all restrictions.
Publisher Label: MICROSOFT_CORPORATION
Data Preparer Label: MICROSOFT_CORPORATION
Use the date and time from original files. Do not allow file date changes.
Finalise CD and write using Disk-at-Once.
Revision Date: 21 Aug 2005