SP-2 CD (XP Pro)

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Please pardon my ignorance here, but I haven’t even got it installed yet … here’s the thing…

I’ve been offered various software upgrades by the university I work for. Among other packages, the IT dept offers “Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 1a”. I’ve been advised to “update” (further) with SP-2 before installing anything else. The IT dept tell me that I’ll have to get SP-2 from my own department. So off I trot and the only CD they could find was a copy, with “Windows XP SP-2” scrawled over it. My question is whether this latter CD is a full copy of XP, up to date with the SP-2 fixes (does one even exist?) or whether it’s (as I suspect) the service pack only, to be run after the basic installation. Nobody in my dept seemed to know anything (about anything).

Alan

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It may well be a ‘slipstreamed’ CD Alan, ie one that has SP-2 ‘joined’ to the Windows XP installation disk so that XP AND SP-2 can be installed at one time.

I suppose the easiest way to find out would be to try and install Windows with it- if it’s just an SP-2 disk, nothing will happen….

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Why not just drop it in the CD tray and give it a run ??? It should auto start and tell you what it is. If not, then explore the CD to see what’s there. SP 2 should be much smaller that a full install of XP with SP2 … right ??? Here’s a screenshot of the contents of a “factory” SP2 CD. HTH

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Grrr… I’m guessing, despite all assurances, that I’ve been given a SP2 (only) update CD. Trouble is, it doesn’t gel with your screenshot, nor with John’s description. I’ve found a reference to the (only) root file WindowsXP-KB835935-SP2-ENU.exe under “Download details: Windows XP Service Pack 2 for IT Professionals and Developers.” I’m now hoping that this will be appropriate to a future standalone installation, rather than be geared specially for networks. The site does state:

“If you’re updating just one computer, please visit Windows Update.”

Any further advice?

Alan

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> “If you’re updating just one computer, please visit Windows Update.”

This comment was added since if only updating one computer, Windows Update would only download the updates that are required for that computer, typically resulting in a much smaller download. The full size update can be used to update any version of XP and includes all the updates required for SP-2.

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(Edited by AlanMiller on 26-Jun-05 22:20. And finally…)

Thanks Tony. At least that’s one good piece of news.

Alan

P.S. I’ve located the CD I should have (also) been issued with –

Microsoft

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The full file ( WindowsXP-KB835935-SP2-ENU.exe ) works fine as a standalone. I always update XP — both the “gold” and the SP1 versions — with this file, regardless of whether they’re networked. It will detect whether you have XP Home or Pro installed, and will install the appropriate files. As someone mentioned earlier, it’s best to install SP2 right after doing the initial XP installation. This means do NOT update the original file with Windows Update (or Microsoft Update, if you have that installed), but install SP2 onto the “bare” XP installation. Don’t forget to remove your antivirus program and software firewall, and disable any virus checking in your bios prior to installing, as these programs will interfere with the writing of the boot record file(s). You should be fine with the IT networked version of SP2. Just make sure you have a fairly current version of the full file, as it has probably changed, due to security updates, since the file was originally issued, and remember to do Windows Update after the installation is complete. But, you knew all of that anyway. In this forum, I guess I’m just preaching to the choir, but it never hurts to refresh our memories as to procedures that work.

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Thanks for that extra info. And no, I’m totally ignorant of any XP issues, so any information is good information. There are still lots of issues I need to check up on before I take the plunge… such as this caper of locking out new software installs after some period of time. I’ve heard of it, but that’s as far as my knowledge extends. Once more into the fray of the web…

Alan

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The Official Microsoft Windows XP (“with Advanced Security Technologies”, says the autostart screen!!) is labelled VRMSP_EN and is 498,444,288 bytes in size, according to Properties.

The directories in the root are DOTNETFX, IMAGES, SUPPORT and VALUEADD, and a couple of files in the root are a giveaway, XPSP2.CMD and XPSP2.EXE. Everything in the root is dates 04/08/2004 13:00 (UK dates and times).

John

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Alan,

Whether it’s the full slipstreamed XP with SP2 or just the SP2 upgrade, it will STILL only be current up to the date of the release of SP2. All of the other hotfixes that have come out since that date will have to be downloaded and installed.

It WILL be a giant step up from SP1 only, so give it a shot, then go for any later updates.

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If the CD is SP-2 only and you can get another fairly large download done look at AutoPatcher.com – The Home of AutoPatcher 2000/XP/2003. It is about 149MB. Also, I’d recommend that after SP-2 you go to update.microsoft.com/microsoftupdate for the latest windowsupdate software which will also update Office and other MS server products.

Joe

Joe

--Joe

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Why not just order an SP-2 CD from Microsoft.. ITS FREE

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He already has a CD that is either SP-2 by itself or SP-2 slipstreamed with XP. An SP-2 CD from MS will add nothing. He still needs all the fixes after SP-2.

Joe

--Joe

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I found this reference to AutoPatcher today, trying to help my wife do a fresh install of XPHome on a replacement HDD after a HDD failure. Windows Update certainly is confusing. She has yet to manage to get SP2 installed and may have to wipe the disk and start again.

I write this reply to point out this link I found tonight when I went in search of AutoPatcher:

http://www.autopatcher.com/137#more-137%5B/url%5D

It announces that someone in Redmond has decided that AutoPatcher can no longer be distributed. I gather from a partial reading of a long blog entry with responses that it is seen as a ‘threat’ to Windows Genuine Advantage.

I guess it is pointless to ask if I could have used my antique Win98 SE2 machine to create an AutoPatcher CD.

Have others had a good experience with creating a slipstream CD? Again, should it be possible to put together the CD on a non-XP machine, or will MS check to see if the machine attempting to gather service packs and patches is running XP and balk if it is not?

I found this:

http://www.theeldergeek.com/slipstream_01.htm%5B/url%5D

The process looks complicated, as though there are many opportunities to make a mistake and end up without an installation.

Comments please,

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If you just install Windows and then update to SP2 then you can no longer use your original Windows XP CD to do a repair installation.

I created a slipstreamed CD from my Windows XP Pro CD and the SP2 update, using Autostreamer. I used this to install Windows, and I can also use it to do repair installations when I get a problem.

StuartR

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Again, showing my ignorance here, is it at all possible to incorporate already downloaded and installed updates into some equivalent of slipstreamed installation CD(s)? I think I’ve read something about this before, but can’t remember what the conclusion was.

Alan

I think it was nLite – Deployment Tool for the bootable Unattended Windows installation that related to this query.

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I’ve never come across a way to do this, but you never know … maybe someone will have a bright idea.

StuartR

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OK, thanks for all the input folks. The departmental staff ( s) couldn’t let me take the CD away, and couldn’t burn a copy because they couldn’t find any blank coasters, so I’m still in the dark as to its contents. But now I know there are two possible configurations, I’ll do the required checks before I start the installation.

One thing I forgot to ask… (while I have you all here ) is whether the NTFS/ FAT32 is still relevant to XP and if so, is there much value in using NTFS. If this has been discussed extensively elsewhere, I’ll go search.

Other than that, I look forward to smooth, satisfying and event-free installation.

Alan

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Try this Google search for information about NTFS vs. FAT32.

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Alan,

In addition to the information in the link Doc provided, see this Microsoft Windows XP – Choosing between NTFS, FAT, and FAT32. This Microsoft Windows XP – NTFS has more to read.

Joe

--Joe

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Thanks Joe. I’ll have a good read.

And Doc… I didn’t get through all the links you pointed to but some did alert me to searching for appropriate drivers for some of my older hardware. I think I’ll be OK with fax modem, scanner & printer. So thanks for the nudge.

Alan

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Hi Alan
I just realized that my XP Pro installation does not have any Service Packs (SPs) identified (using the Word Help | About Word | System Info… method). I noticed in reading through this thread that there seems to be some concern about installing SPs after installing other software which seems rather awkward. Can you provide any insight?

I trust that you eventually resolved your upgrade/update problems.

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If you checked the Help-About screen in Word, it will show inly updates applied to Office, not Windows itself. To check your Windows XP status, press and hold the Windows key and press the Pause/Break key or right-click on My Computer and select Properties.

You can install a Service Pack at any point in time, regardless of the software that may already exist on your computer. Antivirus products should be disabled before installing updates, as noted earlier in this thread, due to their integration with low-level system components.

Either way it sounds like a visit to Microsoft Update is in order for you!

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Hi Mark
Thanks for the advice. Can you comment on my concern about installing Service Packs subsequent to installing other software. This concern was raised by [indent]

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Please pardon my ignorance here, but I haven’t even got it installed yet … here’s the thing…

I’ve been offered various software upgrades by the university I work for. Among other packages, the IT dept offers “Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 1a”. I’ve been advised to “update” (further) with SP-2 before installing anything else.

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[/indent] found here in this thread.

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I think that comment was made simply to hasten the installation of Service Pack 2. SP2 for Windows XP was a major release that included a great number of security updates, hardening the operating system and closing holes to hackers. As for the particular timing, as I mentioned before you can install it at any time – but sooner is always better in the case of a major security update. In light of the recently discovered WMF vulnerability this is sound advice.

In my various IT capacities, I’ve installed Service Packs on various configurations with little to no problems. Most end users are not vigilant when it comes to updating their systems with the latest fixes. If you have the opportunity to install SP2 before anything else, then you should. If there is already other software installed, it will not prevent a successful update. The nature of Service Pack 2 (and all others) is to update the system regardless of what is already present; any fixes that require it will not install in its absence.

To reiterate, it is not an absolute requirement to install SP2 prior to other software, but if you have the opportunity, make it the first thing you do instead of pushing further down your to-do list.

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Thank you Mark
That was exactly the response I was hoping for. Thank you again.

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