reinstall of XP

[robroy6]

I have a procedure for a non-destructive reinstall of XP Pro SP3. I need to do it on my main pc (Dell 4600i, 3 MB ram, lots of HDD space, 3 PATA internal, 1 SATA internal and 6 external USB drives) to renew the os. One of the problems (time) is that I need to download and install all the windows updates (about 100).
Since I have all the updates stored on my C: drive (see attachment) for my current os can I just install them after the os is finished reinstalling without having to wait for Windows Update to download them to my pc?

 

[goombawaho]

Pictures not working Jean. If you blow away the C: drive, where are the updates going to be? Gone!

Instead, try WSUS offline where you download them onto a USB or external hard drive and then it will put them onto the computer. I keep one of these "offline wsus data stores" updated every month in case I need to do an xp reload and patch. It saves lots of time not having to download.

http://www.wsusoffline.net/

 

[robroy6]

Thanks Goom..., Have downloaded and made ISO, will try after I make a CD.

 

[edfair]

I use Acronis to a temporarily mounted internal. The update is to install the cloned drive, let it do the recent updates and clone to the older drive.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[GHolden]

Hi, if you use nLite (

http://www.nliteos.com/)

you can slipstream the updates into the XP Install, I did this last night with and SP2 install CD an SP3 update and some drivers, added them to the Windows Install, created an ISO and installed all in one go.

There are two ways to write error-free programs; only the third one works.

 

[goombawaho]

The reason I recommended what I did: If you slipstream the updates onto a CD, it's only good for one use and it's outdated shortly thereafter. The offline update, if you update it monthly on memory stick or external hard drive (takes maybe 10 minutes), is ready to go again and again and always pretty close to being completely up to date.

 

[GHolden]

You can continually add to the slipstream folder too, and then you just need to burn a new ISO when you want to use it.

There are two ways to write error-free programs; only the third one works.

 

[goombawaho]

Maybe more important - fresh XP installs (getting more rare all the time). When was the last time you installed Win 2000?

 

[edfair]

Part of the problem is having valid install media that will work with the keycode. Or the alternative is install with what you have then force the revalidation.

Probably 2 months ago on the 2K. Can't remember why but blew it away shortly afterwards.


Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.