Need advice: Slipstreaming XP Home for comp tech

[Guest Windrider6]

I'm a computer tech, and just discovered nLite & this forum a few days ago. I've been reading and reading (bouncing from forum to forum also), as well as downloading all the critical and recommended MS updates. I'm now overwhelmed by all the details, so thought I would ask for some advice.

As a computer tech, I'm often reinstalling Windows for clients. I've been trying to streamline the procedure so it will take less time, using a slipstreamed Win XP with SP2, then using AutoPatcher, then using MS Update over my high speed Internet. Now with the demise of AutoPatcher, I thought I would try using nLite, and lessen all the steps.

The problem comes in trying to figure out just what I should include using nLite, so I have a generalized slipstreamed 32 bit Win XP install CD that I can use on any computer. Then having separate additional installs & updates that could be streamlined, if they were needed.

What do you recommend to be included to create a generalized CD? What should be separate for specific situations?

I see that such things like MS Office, msxml, .NET Framework, etc., have to be installed first, before hotfixes and updates be applied, so they can't be effectively included using nLite. Are there people out there (maybe even MS?), who have created full install & update programs for these components? And keep them up-to-date? I've seen the .NET Framework one, but it is not up-to-date. I'm finding .NET Framework particularly difficult to understand, because sometimes some of the older versions also need to be installed as well as the newer versions.

I figured that before I started putting too much time in figuring all this out, I would check to make sure I wasn't duplicating what someone has already done!

Thank you in advance.

[Kelsenellenelvian]

I hate to do this for you but nLite is not for buisness or commercial use. Read the EULA.

[Guest Windrider6]

I hate to do this for you but nLite is not for buisness or commercial use. Read the EULA.

Well, I'm not much of a business (part-time, less than $100 per month ), but I understand.

So as a "business", how should I make Windows re-installations go faster/streamlined?

[PC_LOAD_LETTER]

i would recommend slipstreaming your updates manually. use WUD to download the updates and slipstream them with a .bat file. nlite can cause problems you dont want to have to support for your clients if used incorrectly.

[Glenn9999]

As a computer tech, I'm often reinstalling Windows for clients. I've been trying to streamline the procedure so it will take less time, using a slipstreamed Win XP with SP2, then using AutoPatcher, then using MS Update over my high speed Internet. Now with the demise of AutoPatcher, I thought I would try using nLite, and lessen all the steps.

All can be done via installed patches. If you're up-to-date you don't need to use MS Update for anything other than maybe validating needed patches so you can add them to your install process.

I figured that before I started putting too much time in figuring all this out, I would check to make sure I wasn't duplicating what someone has already done!

http://www.msfn.org/board/Batch_Patcher_t9...amp;mode=linear would probably be more closer to what you're looking to do?

Quoted for Reference regarding Kelsen's post:

5. nLite is free for personal use only, you cannot use it for any company or business purposes at this time.

[Guest Windrider6]

Thank you all for your help. For now, I'll stick with using the last version of AutoPatcher, until I can organize streamlining MS Updates similarly to nLite and batpatcher.

Edited December 2, 2007 by Windrider6

[cluberti]

If you're good at following directions and don't need a fancy GUI, I find WUD and HFSLIP to be all you need to make fantastically quick and easy installation CDs.

http://www.msfn.org/board/HFSLIP-f129.html