Slipstream Your Way to Safer, More Secure WinXP Systems

To install your new slipstreamed OS, insert the disc into the CD drive of the machine on which you wish to install it. As you boot up the system, you'll need to set it to start from the CD drive using the boot menu (accessed by hitting F12 as the system boots).

From there, install Windows XP as you would normally. But note, each installation will require a valid serial number.

Using nLite to Simplify the Slipstream Creation Process

Now that you understand the basic principals of slipstreaming, you'll realize that an application like nLite can save even more time.

nLite's main function is to remove unnecessary Windows components, such as Media Player, Outlook Express, and MSN Explorer. But it can also automatically extract a Service Pack, slipstream it into the base OS files, and then create a bootable CD image, which can be burned using a CD-burning application with support for .iso files. This essentially automates the most complicated steps of the slipstreaming process, making it easier and faster.

To get started, download nLite. If you don't already have the .NET framework, you'll need to download it from the Microsoft .NET Framework Develioper Center download page. It's required for nLite. Once both nLite and .NET are installed, launch nLite. Here's a shot of nLite's welcome screen:

First, select the language and click Next, as depicted here:

Next, use "Browse" to locate the base Windows XP files, either those copied from the XP CD to the system's hard drive, or directly from the CD itself. Click Next. In our example, we're using the D:\Slipstreaming\XP directory for the source files.

For this Recipe, we won't use presets, so click Next past the Preset page. The Task Selection page will be displayed like so:

From the list on the Task Selection page, select thee items: Integrate a Service Pack, Hotfixes and Update Packs, and Create a Bootable ISO. Then click Next.

For this Recipe, we're going to skip the process of removing unwanted Windows components. But I recommend that you play around with the functionality at another time, as it's useful and powerful.

Once the Integrate a Service Pack page is displayed, select the Service Pack you saved earlier. For our example, we placed the Service Pack in D:\Slipstreaming\XPSP2. Once selected, the Service Pack will automatically extract and then integrated itself into the OS. Once the extraction and integration are complete, click OK. Then click Next, which will appear like so:

If you wish to install hotfixes that have been released since Service Pack 2, you can download them from the Windows Security & Updates page on Microsoft's site. Once you've downloaded them, click Insert on the Hotfixes and Update Packs page. Then select the ones you wish to integrate to the bootable image. Once you've inserted all the hotfixes you want to add, click Next to start the process of adding them. After a few moments, the process will be complete. Click Next:

You're now ready to create the image file as an .iso. You can optionally change the ISO Label to your original Windows CD. But leave the Additional Attributes with the default settings. Then click Make ISO and save the .iso file to the hard drive. For this example, we'll save the .iso to D:\Slipstreaming\XPISO.

The .iso creation process will take a few minutes. Once it's complete, you'll have a ready-to-burn .iso file sitting in the directory you indicated.

Use your CD Burner of choice to burn the .iso. Your CD will be a bootable, slipstreamed version of Windows XP.

By investing an hour or so in creating an up-to-date bootable Windows XP installation disc, you'll save hours of toil down the line. Even better, you'll no longer have to manually update each and every system you build.

PETER HAGOPIAN is a Philadelphia-based freelance writer. He's been covering technology and music for more than a decade.