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xp cd like OEM versions?


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i dunno how to put it , but do u know guys when u buy a new laptop u have installation windows cd that install every thing on ur hard disk , ( windows , last updates , all the applications , etc) is there is a way to create a windows xp cd from my already installed windows ?

i mean i just finished my xp installitaion including all updates and sp3 , all my fav applications can i create an xp setup from it ?

thanks

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Do you mean recreate an XP install CD from an existing system? If so then no, it's not possible. Far too much information is missing or customised for your specific hardware to do that.

If what you want is a way to restore your system with all your apps etc. without having to re-install each one indvidually then System Imaging is the way to go. This will allow you to backup and restore your entire operating system along with all your applications as one entity.

You need to be aware that this will restore your system to the exact same state it was in when you did the backup. Any changes since the backup will be lost unless you back them up separately and restore them after the system image restore.

Either Acronis True Image Home or Norton Ghost will provide you with tools which will perform both of these functions, system imaging and data backup. True Image Home is both cheaper and more user friendly for a beginner but it's mostly a personal choice. I would suggest downloading the trial versions of both see which one you like best. Do watch out for Norton Ghost's less user friendly features like it's license :)

EDIT: Speeling Earorrs :)

Edited by Phoneywar
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thank you for your help , and yes i mean recreate an XP install CD from an existing system :)

i know about ghost will try Acronis True Image Home , i was wishing to install same windows on multiple pcs

thanks again :)

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Ah! The good old mass rollout ploy :)

This is a bit more complex than you might think. There are a number of things which can go wrong from HAL and driver incompatibilities to hardware based license keys becoming invalid, ie. Flexlm etc. You might even find some applications complaining or even just failing simply because they are now running on different hardware from which they were originally installed. Moving from an AMD to an Intel CPU, (and vice-versa) is a classic example of this as Dell found out with XP-SP3 :)

There are tools which can assist you with this, True Image Workstation with Universal Restore comes to mind but there are others. Most of these will automatically install the proper HAL, drivers and change the SID but even so they are limited to just the OS and I don't know of any which can address the AMD <-> Intel CPU issue.

OEM system install or recovery images are usually created on the exact same hardware which it is going to be shipped with. These are then 're-sealed' using Sysprep and a master image created. It is this master image which is then 'restored' during the final assembly stage before the new system is shipped.

There is also another issue with XP. Product keys and activation. Moving XP to another system will cause it demand re-activation which will, in all probability fail.

Sorry dear boy, I really wish I could be more help.

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Why can he not just slipstream windows with sp3, use the driver packs from driverpacks.net, and use RunOnceEx found in the guide here http://unattended.msfn.org/unattended.xp/view/web/31/ To distribute his software, Would this not setup windows how he likes on different machines with different hardware? Also Nlite for that matter mixed with RunOnceEx and or wpi and or wihu... Would also acheive this.

The only difference i see is that its not EXACTLY from your installed copy right now (at least not like an exact bit for bit copy)... But you would have Windows with the programs you like all the updates / servicepacks, all your favorite tweaks (shutting of system restore and setting performance tab options etc), and the slipstreamed drivers should pick up most 90% of hardware...

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Hi Guys,

Maybe Driverpacks, Sysprep and ImageX would be the way to go with this one.

BTS Driverpacks have the option to leave the drivers on the hard disk, so the drivers can be used with future/other hardware.

Sysprep has a /switch which tells it to leave the Drivers alone. Hopefully that would include the BTS Driverpacks.

Then use ImageX to capture the completed installation, and re-install it on the other machines, via WinPE.

Like it does with Vista.

I've used all three of these tools in the past, but never together.

So I don't know if it will work, but it gotta be worth a try. ;)

But, as Phoneywar has said, your still going to hit problems with activation even if this does work.

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