dav1129

I slipstreamed SP3, IE7.0 and WMP11 into a retail source CD and changed setupp.ini so I could use the OEM key which came with my ThinkPad and then tested it successfully in VirtualBox before burning and trying a new CD. But after the Press any key the screen goes black until such time as Setup identifies the partitions to start installation. Up to that point I have remember which keys to press and at what time to load SATA drivers to get there. What gives, anyone have any ideas

Thanks Lilla & emgee1465, Especially for the Wiki link which provided a little more detail. The many other references all seem to plagiarise the other as they are all almost word for word the same. Including to a degree a reference on Daniel Petri's site which however did suggest that changing the PID value could led to problems with Activating XP, passing the Windows Download Centre's Genuine Advantage test and so on. However I did as you both suggested and although I have so far only tested an image in a VirtualBox have not has any of the aforementioned problems. Thanks again for your help

Thanks again for your reply and suggestion Lilla, Also makes sense but by that logic I can't figure out in the example given what version the CD would have been and the PID examples given would had been: Pid=55034335 PID=55034OEM Do you see my point of have I missed something altogether? Thanks

Thanks for your reply Lilla, Sounds straight forward enough but I have yet to test it. At first glance though I don't seem to be able to reconcile the example given or my own setupp.ini file with the variables (actual values) given. My setupp.ini file reads: [Pid] ExtraData=786F687170637175716954806365EF Pid=76487000 As I used a retail source XP CD to slipstream SP3 but need to accept OEM keys would my PID value accordingly simply be 51882OEM? Thanks SETUPP.INI

Thank you nuhi and emgee1465 for your replies, I suppose I should have specified that used nLite to slipstream SP3 into and am trying to install Windows XP. Thanks emgee1465 for the clarification; I didn't make sense to me that a key should be SP level specific but was confused because that is what a number of less confident MS support technicians told me on the phone and was then repeated by Lenovo support when I rang them. It makes more sense it that an OEM key will not work with a retail edition and vice versa. Now that I have that straight, I have three legitimate (are they any other kinds ) available to me: Two OEM licenses which come with my two ThinkPads (an older but much loved T23 which I want to retire to a lesser role in another location and replace with a new T60 as a desktop replacement); A retail license which came with a replacement XP wSP2 CD I once ordered and received for some reason I can;t remember (I think it was because I bought the T23 second hand or just no longer had access to the hidden partition); and Guess I would like to stick with these legitimate keys if possible. I guess this is where this post converges with my debut post in which, very new to nLite, I ask about using nLite. As I mentioned in this post I have since become a little more familiar with nLite, and discovered Sun's VirtualBox to test a number of images but discovered that I don't at moment have the time to create the image I would like to but will instead settle for an SP3 image (with IE7, WMP11 and maybe a few hotfixes integrated) common to and which I can use for both ThinkPads until some time in the future as I have time to fully customise and integrate source files for each. So the question now is do I go: The setupp.ini solution; or if I think I have them (I think I managed to extract the OEM i386 source folder when I created a recovery disk from the T60's hidden partition); Creating a new image with nLite (nuhi, I'll download the new version thank you) The other problem I have encountered is not having the controller drivers needed at F6 to install XP (this is the first time installing XP to a SATA HDD). Can these be generic drivers and where should I look for them? Any ideas? It seems just as I get onto top of and become confident with one thing, new problems to overcome start all over again when I move onto new things

Since my last and only previous post I have experimented with and tested a few images using nLite and Sun's VirtualBox to become familiar with both. As I come to the serious end of those experiments and want to finalise my efforts, I need to first resolve a major problem which I encountered namely; you cannot apparently use an OEM Product Key to complete a clean install of XP SP3 where the OEM key was meant for use with an earlier version of XP. I am not sure if the problem is: Using an OEM key with source files taken from a retail CD; The fact that the OEM key was meant for use with a lesser service pack; Or both. Does anybody know the answer and if so, a work around to enable me to use one of my two (pre SP3) OEM keys with my new slipstreamed SP3 CD? Further to my post above I have just worked out how to delete but first back up the Lenovo hidden partition to a recovery CD and wonder if using this 'OEM' CD as the source files would be make a difference to being able to use a (pre SP3) OEM Product Key to install XP (SP3) from a new source CD? Thanks PS I have just Is there a better or more appropriate forum where I should or should have posted this?

rdoremus, Thanks for your reply and the time you no doubt took to write it. The structure is I suppose what I was looking for and the links will at some point (more later) I think provide useful reading. I had already taken a good look at nLite and knew broadly the potential of nLite before posting but simply hadn't yet used it. Without wanting to lessen my appreciation of your reply I have since my post I think, more or less got to about the same point as you. That is I have discovered Sun's Virtual Box, made and successfully tested a few (two) images made using nLite with SP3, Internet Explorer 7.0, Windows Media Player 11.0 and just a few customisations which came to mind. But I can see that it will just take TOO long to make and test an image with ALL the customisations, integrated hotfixes and applications I would like in a perfect world. Instead I have two ThinkPads which I need want to reassign in hurry; An eight year old but still very much loved ThinkPad which I want to assign a new role in a new location (from my home office to my workshop) to mainly run my financial software, print invoices etc. and access the Internet; and A (was) brand new ThinkPad which I have had waiting in the wings for some time, which I want to set up as I have come to love my old one in my home office as a desktop replacement. Both (obviously) have a different hardware and drivers which I think represent the difficult and time consuming aspects of creating and testing the perfect image and so figure I might just create a simple image common to both i.e. with no drivers, applications or probably service customisations and few if any, OS tweaks which I would have to install or configure manually, and sometime later when I have more time and less urgency to get on with things, further modify the common image on each to include drivers and applications specific to that ThinkPad. Anyway, thanks again for your reply. BTW if you haven't yet discovered or tried it, I can recommend Sun's Virtual Box for testing your images. Quite amazing the first time (isn't everything?) but it is worth while downloading and reading the manual first.

Hi readers, I know very little about nLite, similar program or their pitfalls. I have in the past used guides such as that from Petri IT Knowledgebase to slipstream earlier service packs and burn an integrated source CD but then always manually installed my programs, tweaks and personal configurations and then tweaked my services according to Black Viper's Service Configuration Guide which as you all know, can days. But then when searching for a guide to slipstream XP SP3 I came across a reference to nLite. Intrigued I have had a superficial look at it and seen it's great potential but I think only used it to slipstream SP3. However faced with migrating from an eight year old but still very much loved T23 ThinkPad, which will still see service as a second notebook in another location, to a new Thinkpad and desktop replacement I wonder about the other, time saving features of nLite or programs like it and ask the following: Given I have already integrated SP3 and were to follow a methodical method, how difficult is or would it (realistically) be for me to use nLite to also integrate: The latest version of Windows Media Player 11.0 The latest version of Internet Exlorer 7.0 Any of my other favourite applications such FireFox 2.0 (I am not sold on 3.0 yet) The latest version of the required ThinkPad drivers; and then in addition to the other possible component removal and tweak configurations Configure the services as I have in the past manually according to Black Viper's Service Configuration Guides. And can this be all done within one program such as nLite without (too much) self-education and trouble shooting. I say realistically because as much as I wish I did, I don't at this moment have the time (I may in several months) to spend days or weeks getting this right. It would have to take about the same time as I would to do it all manually or not much longer. And if this is not an unreasonable expectation, would anyone perhaps venture to outline: The steps I would follow; The order in which, if not all at once, I would integrate components; Which post SP3 hotfixes I should download and integrate (there couldn't be that many yet, could there?); Which addons if any, I might require to do do this?; and finally Tell me how the integrated source files can be tested (I know how to use a virtual drive but can the installation be done to a separate partition or virtual drive also?) Now I ask this meaning NO disrespect to the readers of this forums many of whom might possibly spend hours educating, researching and compiling all this themselves and in that spirit understand if some might find my post a bit LAME and therefore offer my apologies. Thanks