XP Slipstream CD

Making your own XP Slipstream CD.


Well, now that SP2 is out and it is official, and it really does rock (Check out the /Tools/Internet Options/Privacy tab/Pop-up Blocker/, now how long have we been waiting for this?), a slipstream CD with SP2 built in is essential and you should all make one, use it to repair your systems, and use it to do new XP installs with.

When you install Windows XP on your computer, you did this with a Microsoft Windows XP CD and you got Windows XP with no updates or service packs. After that, you went to windowsupdate.com and got all of your updates. Service Pack 1 contained all of the updates up to that point and SP1 also dramatically changed key Windows operating system files. SP2 also does the same thing and it too contains all of the updates up to this time so there is no need to apply earlier updates if you install SP2.

Why would you want or use a slipstream CD and just what is a slipstream CD anyway?

A slipstream CD is a Windows XP install CD with the service pack already installed inside of it so that when you install from this slipstream CD, your service pack 2 is already a part of the system and you will not have to download and install it. Also you will have all of the critical updates that are necessary for Windows XP without having to download and install them all.

Windows XP comes with a real cool little system repair tool called "SFC" or System File Checker. It is used in the run box and is done like this:

sfc /scannow

This opens up a dialog box that will prompt you to insert the XP CD and it will check all of your vital XP operating system files and replace any damaged, corrupted, or missing ones with fresh ones from the CD. This really works good and I can give you an example of when I used it.

At the time, I was using Windows Firewall and Internet Connection Sharing to get Cinmiester online. One day, Cindy had no internet. I checked her network setup and there were no apparent errors. I then checked my network setup and could find no errors either, yet Cindy had no internet. I then checked my ICS (Internet Connection Sharing) and Windows Firewall and found that they would not start or run. There seemed to be nothing wrong so far as I could tell, yet they would not run. I then put the XP CD in the drive and ran sfc. This took a little while to run, about 15-20 minutes but as soon as it was done, everything was fixed and Cindy was right back on the net. sfc really works good.

After installing SP1 on my computer, I had some system problems later on and ran sfc again. It did it's thing and put back any damaged or missing files...

...bad mistake on my part. A very bad mistake!

After installing SP1, the actual system files on my computer changed versions and the ones from SP1 were not compatible with the original system files on the XP CD. All seemed well until I rebooted. The system would not boot, Windows now had a hodgepodge of old system files and new SP1 system files. They are not compatible, at all, and Windows would no longer boot or run. I had to reinstall Windows.

After this fiasco, I created a slipstream CD with SP1 already built in so that I could do an install and SP1 would already be there and also, I could use sfc again to repair my system. Now that SP2 is out and installed, I made another slipstream CD with SP2 built in today. It was very easy to make and now I am happy and can rest assured that I will be able to do simple system repairs because I now have the right tools to work with.

A slipstream CD is very important to have and you should all make and use one. Put your original XP install disc away for safekeeping!

For this project, you will need to gather a few items:


* You can read up on how to burn an iso file to CD and find a freeware iso recording powertoy for XP only with this link.

For the actual tutorial I have compiled a set of images to make this an easy, step by step process. Since the images are larger than the table format on this page, it is time to go to page 2 of the Letterman XP Slipstream CD How To Guide.

On to page two

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