Install win-updates with SVCPACK.INF metod

[Nolo]

Hi

I am at the first unattended Winxp/office2003 installation and thanks to the guide and this forum I was able to run almost everything smoothly.

I notice however that the most time-consuming step it was installing via SVCPACK.INF (T13) metod all the MS updates and fixes.

I had to install testing ISO's many times into VM.

thankfully to:

- silent-net-maker-synthesized (muchas gracias to the developers)

- RogueSpear's Runtime Collection

- Ricks_WindowsSearch4.0en.7z

I finally create a fully updated DVD.

I was wandering if someone adopted a different solution ad if is happy with that.

Suggestions are welcome

Thanks

Nolo

Edited September 20, 2009 by Nolo

[Martin H]

Installing updates from svcpack.inf is IMHO an old and inefficient method of integrating the updates, as it will add extra overhead into the equation in terms of increasing the size of your install-source and adding to the total installation-time.

Instead, I would suggest using nLite to integrate the updates directly, or using an update-pack instead, as it's a much more efficient method.

nLite can then also be used as a convenient base platform for e.g. directly integrating custom drivers, defining unattended settings, tweaks and patches, enabling/disabling services and if wanted, removing unwanted components etc. etc.

The nLite process can be run completely unattended through command-line switches(after having run it once manually to make a preset file), and there's a lite .NET framework available, which installs into the nLite program-folder, so that the full .NET package isn't even needed either.

As a second best method IMHO, would be to use the updates own /integrate switch, which also will directly integrate the updated binaries into the install-source, but will then also need to run the updates at T-13 from svcpack.inf, just to get the needed reg-entries added and run any possible post-install commands(e.g. registering dll's etc).

And then as the very last method of integrating the updates is IMHO, the standard svcpack.inf method...

Just my 2 cents...

Edited September 20, 2009 by Martin H

[Nolo]

Thanks Martin,

in my opinion too svcpack.inf isn't an efficient method, for few but important reasons....

At this point my only concern about the 2 others method you mentioned is, if they are able too perform the job for all the different updates and fixes that I will need to install. My Winxp SP3 CD after a fresh install in total report more then 80 update available to download.

As you suggest it is possible to use an update-pack already made.

With my next unattended DVD I will strongly use NLite.

Regards

Nolo