Different ways of finding the same service packs?

[spinjector]

I was wondering about the process of determining which service packs to include during the slipstream process, like you'd see on Tomcat's lists. What are the different ways to do it?

I've been installing my HF-slipstreamed WINXPSP3+IE7+DX9 into vBox, running Microsoft Update, download each item one at a time, add them to the HF folder, and start all over.

Is there a better way? Or different way?

Could there be service packs I might want/need that are not listed by WU web page..?

(I know there some like KB943460 that you need for successful IE7 integration, but those you find by reading the forum here.)

Thanks.

Edited July 24, 2009 by spinjector

[Martin H]

It's called updates and not service packs...

(Off-topic: and it's not hotfixes either, as that's only the propper term used for unoffical updates which is obtained by request from msft, or included in the QFE branch of official updates!)

Anyway, HFSLIP has three offical update-lists(check the stickied thread) with the high-priority updates and some optional ones, so you don't have to run WU/MU on a VM for those...

[fdv]

Do I understand you right?

You're creating a full slipstream using HFSLIP, installing that full slipstream, then going into the virtual PC, and RE-downloading all of the patches a second time?

If yes, then you don't need to do it twice(?).

Just put the MS-issued patches in HF. As TommyP revises his XP list (see stickied thread), delete the obsolete fixes he lists, and download each month's new ones every month.

Sorry if I'm not getting what you're saying.

[spinjector]

You're creating a full slipstream using HFSLIP, installing that full slipstream, then going into the virtual PC, and RE-downloading all of the patches a second time?

No. I only download them once, I've just re-run HFLSIP a few times to get where I am. Like this:

1) I made a baseline slipstream of WINXP+SP3+IE7+DX9, with all the slipstream-required updates like KB898461 (package installer), KB943460 (for IE7 ss), with swflash.cab and the other basic goodies described on TommyP's SP3 update page at http://users.telenet.be/tc76/winup/_winxpsp3.html.

2) I installed it in vBox and ran Microsoft Update. On the MU Results page, each item has a URL for more info, which I clicked to download that specific update.

3) I collected all the KBxxxxxx update files in an organized fashion into a folder called "Phase 1".

4) I copied these all to my HF folder, flushed out the SOURCESS folder, and ran HFSLIP again.

5) Then I repeated the process a second time, with a folder called "Phase 2".

...and that's where I am now. I only did it twice so far (other than all the failed attempts). According to MU, I have most everything current. All that's left is stuff like IE8, Silverlight, Desktop Search, and other junk.

I basically followed the same process I would as if I were installing a normal copy of Windows XP from SP2 CD, and then ran MU over until it was current. But in this case everything needed to be saved, so functionally, running HFSLIP is substituded for the reboot one would normally do after a bunch of MU updates.

Just as I'm typing this, I've realized I probably should have done all the large roll-ups first, and then the little ones on another run if they were still needed.

As TommyP revises his XP list (see stickied thread), delete the obsolete fixes he lists, and download each month's new ones every month.

Ok I was watching his web page.

If an update becomes obsolete, but gets installed anyways, and then the later update is installed, is the result the same? Is it just copying files/keys into the same places twice?

Sorry if I'm not getting what you're saying.

That's ok, I don't get what I'm saying a lot of the time, too.

Thanks as always.

[Guest]

If an update becomes obsolete, but gets installed anyways, and then the later update is installed, is the result the same? Is it just copying files/keys into the same places twice?

That might depend on the order you installed it. The newer files may get overwritten by an older one so I wouldn't run an older update after having ran the newer one.

[tommyp]

It would be easier to use the stickied hotfix page on this forum. The one one tomcat's page is outdated and obsoleted. Once tomcat returns, maybe he can update the page on the hfslip website. Until then, use the stickied post for the latest updates. I try to update it on patch tuesdays and revisit it when someone brings up an oddity.

[spinjector]

That might depend on the order you installed it.

Well... It's not *me* installing them - they're being slipstreamed by HFSLIP...

Which makes me wonder - what order does HFSLIP run the updates?

I'm sure it must look for important specific ones first, like the Package Installer, but what about the rest? Does it do them in order by the KB######, or just the way the file system in the command window happens to throw the directory listing at it...?

[spinjector]

It would be easier to use the stickied hotfix page on this forum. The one one tomcat's page is outdated and obsoleted. Once tomcat returns, maybe he can update the page on the hfslip website. Until then, use the stickied post for the latest updates. I try to update it on patch tuesdays and revisit it when someone brings up an oddity.

Ok thanks.

[Martin H]

If an update becomes obsolete, but gets installed anyways, and then the later update is installed, is the result the same? Is it just copying files/keys into the same places twice?

It's recommended to keep the HF folder up-to-date, but nonetheless, when HFSLIP calls the updates with their extraction-switches, then the updates themselves overwrites older binaries with newer ones, but in some special cases, then binaries with higher version-numbers can have older file-dates, and hence, needs HFSLIP to make exceptions so the older binaries, but newer in version-numbers, are kept instead...

Btw, the off-topic remark i made in my first post to you, about updates often being wrongly called hotfixes, i just wanted to make sure that you know that it wasen't directed at you!

CU, Martin.

[fdv]

Does it do them in order by the KB######, or just the way the file system in the command window happens to throw the directory listing at it...?

All are expanded into \WORK, and dupes are eliminated (or kept) via individual file date stamp. So, if MS has dates on the files in the KB .EXE right, HFSLIP will always get it right. There are a few KB's that have wrongly dated files, and HFSLIP is "aware" of these exceptions and oddities.