I am working for a computer business. Well I am a tech, and i'm always looking for improved solutions.. In laboratory, I have to install many different versions of Windows XP, depending on the customer's license type. Sometimes, it's a xp sp1, xp sp2, they can be retail or oem, etc.. So you'll agree with me that it's always a different CD I have to use. We always use, in most cases, the customer's CD, because even sometimes, when it's a brand name computer like HP or IBM, they have already made their own package including their license in the install. By knowing this, you'll agree that I just can't create my own Windows XP Unattended Installation including all Updates. So each time, I have to use the Microsoft Website and download all the updates. It takes really really long. Now my project is to create some Update CD that will apply to any XP versions I'll be installing. So far, I have been on Windows Catalog and I downloaded ALL, I say ALL the possible Win XP Updates. From before the SP1 to the latest possible update. I am having now 700mb of updates on my HDD. I have read through many and many many websites to do this. I always ended on "create an unattended installation" or a simple batch file where I have to write down all updates with the parameters to make them silent and not reboot. Crazy? There is more than 600 updates it's gonna take me a life to do this! (You'll note exageration here). I am also a programmer so I'm not having problem to code anything. Batch Files, VB, C#. I don't know if it's just me but: Update A: Modifies kernell.dll Update B: Modifies kernell.dll What if update B is installed before update A? Does update B include all previous fix of that same file? In theory, yes! So I guess that updates absolutely HAVE to be installed in order! This is where my C# project, after you select your update directory, fetches all the EXE files and orders them by CREATION DATE Next step is to execute all those files, in order and pass them parameters to not reboot, and be silent. My problem is the following: Some of the updates are using an old parameters style, like /q /z, and some others are using /passive /noreboot, and some others do not even support parameters... I'm stuck here, how to know what type of parameters an hotfix should use? Or any other tips? I want this thread to be a future reference for anyone who wants to do what I am working on!
