Can I slipstream SP3 directly on to WinXP gold/clean copy, or do I do SP1, SP2, and then SP3?

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322389

To install Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3), either Windows XP Service Pack 1a (SP1a) or Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) must already be installed.

If you have to install Windows XP Service Pack 1a or Windows XP Service Pack 2, go to the "Windows XP Service Pack 1a" section or the "Windows XP Service Pack 2" section in this article.

devolic, iamtheky response only applies to a running system. When using nLite, only apply the SP you want, SP3 in this case. See Kels comments here. Enjoy, John.

you got me, and to think I followed that train to a successful conclusion, i mustve been out and got lucky.

I saw that a while back. I was having issues with WU, as was a concern in the thread you linked, and a couple of other quirks as well. They only pointed to IE as the cause and I could never determine what was throwing mine. I Read around and got directed to that article and slipping 1a before integrating 3 cleared it up without removing other modifications.

You only need SP3, I recommend to do the slipstreaming in XP even if nLite can 'fix' it in Vista. I compared XP Pro SP3 integrated by MS to a gold CD, slipstreamed the gold CD using only SP3 and the install and the results were the same. I used the 'official' method extracting the SP file and doing the update.exe switches, in XP.

The CD key install issue was a result of using Vista to slipstream and probably a coincidence you received the fix from nLite rather than from doing SP1a then SP3.

Edited December 12, 200817 yr by redxii