TygerZoyd

Hi all. I'm a newbie at slipstreaming a windows installation cd with service packs, windows update hotfixes, drivers, installation programs, and customized settings/tweaks, but I've been reading up on the topic and understand the overall process, just not some of the finer details on the steps involved. Hopefully I don't use wrong terms or describe anything inaccurately here, and hopefully I've provided enough information on my situation for someone to recognize my difficulties and be able to help! My current system (before wipe and reinstall): Intel Pentium-IV 300GHz; 1GB RAM; 80GB HD; Windows XP Pro EN w/SP2 (v5.1.2600.2180); Broadband internet (cable modem) connection Summary of steps taken thusfar to create the slipstreamed Windows installation CD/DVD: 1. Copied Windows XP Pro CD contents to C:\XPCD 2. Successfully slipstreamed XP SP2 3. Successfully integrated Windows Update post-SP2 hotfixes (although I'm not sure I got all of them or all the ones I need -- I saw many different methods to get them, but does anyone have 1 easy method to collect (download) them all at one time for easy integration? I tried "Bâshrat the Sneaky's Driver Packs" as one method, but it's not clear if I need ALL the driver packs and all their content or not, and I don't think I can integrate more than a maximum # of drivers anyway, so I'd rather just integrate the ones I know I need for my system components anyway -- I'm just not sure of how to determine or do that!) Now I'm at the point where I need (want) to integrate (copy/setup/slipstream) the 1) drivers and 2) programs for my system components, but I'm confused as to how I go about doing this and why it seems so easy and makes sense to most of you but not me. From what I understand, I can 1) point a program like nLite (which I've been using) to integrate single .inf files or a folder (with its subfolders) which contains the .inf file(s), which seems like the easiest method, 2) somehow add Mass Storage drivers to my 'project' (the slipstreamed Windows XP Pro install CD/DVD I'm attempting to create here), and/or 3) use executable (.exe) drivers (to install via executable, application installation fashion). The question/problem is this: when I go to the manufacturer's website for each of my system components that have drivers I'm trying to slipstream so they're installed automatically along with Windows from the CD, they usually have a Support > Downloads > Drivers & Programs section I can find the driver at, but it's usually an .exe file that I'd have to double-click and follow the installer prompts to completion before the driver (and any other program components, whether desired or not) installs successfully. For me, it seems, it's not as easy as having a folder containing an .inf file (or more than 1) that I can point a program at to find and integrate. Should it be that easy?? I don't (yet) see it. Most of you probably are familiar enough with your own system or drivers so as to have them handy or are able to access exactly what you need in order to populate a drivers folder with the .infs or whatever else is needed to successfully install the drivers as part of the unattended Windows setup process that runs from the slipstreamed CD/DVD. So could someone please tell me, in an easy-to-understand-for-newbs format, how I would go about 1) finding all the drivers I need for each of my system components (chipset, network, video, audio, printer, scanner, etc.), 2) if I need to 'extract' anything from the downloaded drivers -- which mostly seem to be in .exe format, and 3) if I don't need to extract files, how the heck do I get nLite or something to recognize what it needs to properly integrate the drivers and nothing else without running the .exe as an installation? I found on http://unattended.msfn.org/unattended.xp/ the "Unattended Windows" guide which I am reading through, up to the point where now I am stuck at successfully finding and integrating the drivers I need. In the "Intermediate Users", "Device Drivers" section it mentions that ... "You can use an application that monitors your software installation, and then creates a silent-install package of the files and registry changes that occurred during the installation. These types of applications are listed below: WinInstall LE 2003 (Freeware) Use the 'Discover' Wizard. InstallRite (Freeware) AutoIT (Freeware) and Collection of scripts from forum members Symantec AI Snapshot (Included in Symantec Ghost Corporate)" So do I have to do that with the driver .exe files I've downloaded? Do I do that with the other programs I want to slipstream on the install CD/DVD as well? Are there "silent install" switches I should be using -- and how do I use them? I thank you in advance for any assistance and clarification you can offer so I can better understand what I'm doing and doing wrong, and have a better grasp of the concept and it's steps so I can create my Windows XP Pro install CD slipstreamed with SP2, all Microsoft Update hotfixes released since then, all drivers for all my system components, and all programs I want to install by themselves without me having to do that manually after the OS is installed and I'm logged in to the desktop. I'm trying to minimize effort and eliminate any manual steps other than some personalization or tweaking after I've logged in to my fresh install. Thanks all for taking the time to read all this and for your replies. Perhaps the answers are closer than I can see right now. Regards, TygerZoyd