Trust issues and Slipstreaming correctness of nLite

[Shaman]

Hello,

I've been using nLite from the older days (when SP3 had just come out). My interest is now renewed since MS will abandon XP for good soon. I've read the FAQ, and have succeded in fully upgrading my CD with the latest updates (save for .NET and Search and possibly a few more).

I have some general questions:

1) Obviously I've been using nLite so I do trust the application, but aside from that, is there a "trust guarantee" of some sort that nLite is free of malware and whatnot? For example, source code would be a good "trust guarantee" in this situation. I wouldn't want to miss it, if I can have it. Same for WMP 11 Slipstreamer.

2) Windows Update Agent 3.0 does not work for me. It slipstreams alright with nLite, but apparently it does not get installed, because I can re-install it afterwards (and the issue it was supposed to solve which is Windows Update 0x8024D001 error code, does not get solved until I re-install it). Apparently, it must be installed AFTER windows is activated. Any input on this?

Links (I'm referring to the x86 version only):

http://download.windowsupdate.com/windowsupdate/redist/standalone/7.2.6001.788/windowsupdateagent30-x86.exe

http://download.windowsupdate.com/windowsupdate/redist/standalone/7.2.6001.788/windowsupdateagent30-x64.exe

3) How can I be sure that nLite has slipstreamed EVERY update properly? Any guarantees on this? Or do I only have to rely on the fact that I get no error (However I got no error slipstreaming windows update agent 3.0 either!)? Does nLite have specific instructions for every KB update? What about the reports I;m reading on the forum that it cannot integrate certain KBs (which, in my case slipstreamed correctly, again apparently)?

Thank you all

Edited October 19, 2013 by Shaman

[Ponch]

Please edit your 1st post to change the title, it is very annoying searching the forum and seeing a thread called "general questions" as you can never remember what was asked and what was answered.

[markstrelecki]

If I didn't know better, I'd swear those files you mentioned were Windows 7 versions.

... /7.2.6001.788/windowsupdateagent30-x86.exe

The 7.2 above is what caught my eye.

MARK STRELECKI

Atlanta, GA. USA

[jaclaz]

If I didn't know better, I'd swear those files you mentioned were Windows 7 versions.

... /7.2.6001.788/windowsupdateagent30-x86.exe

The 7.2 above is what caught my eye.

Not really, as a matter of fact that is an "outdated" version.

While seemingly you cannot get latest one "standalone", the "latest for XP should be 7.4.7600.226

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/946928/en-us

so, in case, that one is the one that is to be tried slipstreaming (inless there is a particular reason for wanting the 7.2.6001.788

jaclaz

[Shaman]

@Ponch

I edited the title and tagged the thread

@markstrelecki, jaclaz

The Windows Update agent file that I linked to in my post was the first link that I found on the web that would solve the 0x8024D001 error when visiting Windows Update. So I thank you for linking me to the latest "standalone" version as I have no reason to keep the old one. Also WUA does NOT have to be installed after windows activation - at least this latest standalone version. So forget what I said before.

Now:

I did some testing with the 7.4.7600.226 version of WUA3.0 (the latest standalone for x86, currently) and verified that it cannot be slipstreamed with nLite. nLite recognises the file, goes on to "start the procedure", but the installation does not "grow" by any MB (I used the WUA executable on its own), and when using that particular installation later on, the WUA is far outdated (version 5.xxx.xx or something like that). Note that nLite gives NO error during the slipstreaming process.

The above makes me have even more thoughts about the issue in my first post: How can we know that nLite has integrated all the updates properly, since it may not even give an error? Can we only rely on the fact that Windows Update will not recommend any updates later on?

Thanks

Edited October 19, 2013 by Shaman

[Explorer09]

Now:

I did some testing with the 7.4.7600.226 version of WUA3.0 (the latest standalone for x86, currently) and verified that it cannot be slipstreamed with nLite. nLite recognises the file, goes on to "start the procedure", but the installation does not "grow" by any MB (I used the WUA executable on its own), and when using that particular installation later on, the WUA is far outdated (version 5.xxx.xx or something like that). Note that nLite gives NO error during the slipstreaming process.

The above makes me have even more thoughts about the issue in my first post: How can we know that nLite has integrated all the updates properly, since it may not even give an error? Can we only rely on the fact that Windows Update will not recommend any updates later on?

Thanks

How about trying the UDC script from -X-? It might help solve your problem.

For your second question, I can give you some hints:

1. When you add hotfixes in nLite, click the "Advanced" button. Then check the "Display Reports" checkbox.

nLite will warn you about the updates that it cannot directly integrate. (I don't know if it warns about WUA---because I don't have time to track the bug.)

2. After slipstreaming, you can see the nLite log, and the I386\SVCPACK directory inside your nLite'd CD. The SVCPACK directory should contain .CAT (or .CA_) files for every KBxxxxxx update you integrate.

3. If you slipstream Adobe Flash and WUA, look for the installers in SVCPACK too.

[Shaman]

Thanks for the answers. I wasn't aware of that tool, or the post-SP3 list of updates; that's very useful. However, I have a localized version of XP, and after installing SP3 (using Virtualbox), I noted & downloaded all the updates that Windows update would offer me, which are DIFFERENT than those on the list by -X-! That is, I have some that are not in the list, and the list contains some which Windows update did not download. Note that this is an installation of a Windows XP SP0 CD, having only integrated SP3, and I did it just today (the updates that I have *should* not be obsolete). Plus, when I make a new fresh installation with my post-SP3 CD, I do not get prompted for ANY new updates, so that *should* (again) mean that I have all the latest ones. This is quite a mess

[Explorer09]

Thanks for the answers. I wasn't aware of that tool, or the post-SP3 list of updates; that's very useful. However, I have a localized version of XP, and after installing SP3 (using Virtualbox), I noted & downloaded all the updates that Windows update would offer me, which are DIFFERENT than those on the list by -X-! That is, I have some that are not in the list, and the list contains some which Windows update did not download. Note that this is an installation of a Windows XP SP0 CD, having only integrated SP3, and I did it just today (the updates that I have *should* not be obsolete). Plus, when I make a new fresh installation with my post-SP3 CD, I do not get prompted for ANY new updates, so that *should* (again) mean that I have all the latest ones. This is quite a mess

If you want me to troubleshoot your problem, you should clearly describe what happened to you and what your problem is.

Here are some points I need to make clear:

1. What updates did you integrate? Did you integrate the ENU version of updates or the updates of your language (ITA, I guess)?

2. What differences do you see between Windows Update and -X-'s list?

3. When you "do not get prompted for ANY new updates", what is the version of your Windows Update Agent?

For the third question, look at the file version of "C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuapi.dll". (In your Windows Explorer, right-click the file and select "Properties". Then go to Versions tab and you will see the file version.)

4. (This is not a question but a thing you need to check too.) Open "regedit", and navigate to "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Hotfixes". In the "SP4" subkey, you should find every KBxxxxxx update you have ever installed in your computer, or slipstreamed through nLite. Before you can claim that you have "all the latest ones", check the key and make sure it is not empty and it has a lot of KBxxxxxx subkeys.