What is Slipstreaming?
If you’ve ever had to reinstall a Windows operating system (OS) you are probably familiar with how time-consuming it can be. Once the OS is installed one typically has to visit the Microsoft website to update the installation by downloading required Service Packs (SPs) or security hotfixes. This is tedious enough for an end-user, nevermind for network techs. Slipstreaming solves this problem and drastically reduces the time it takes to install an OS and have it up and running. Slipstreaming is a process that incorporates all necessary Service Packs and hotfixes into a customized bootable Windows CD that also contains the complete, original installation files. Use the slipstreamed CD to install Windows and the OS will be fully updated and ready to go, saving significant time. You can even slipstream drivers into the CD. To prepare for slipstreaming, an original Windows CD is required. All files from the CD must be copied to a folder on the computer’s hard drive, such as C:\XP Files. If
There is a procedure known as “slipstreaming” that many average computer users do not know but can be pretty useful when you need it. To slipstream means to integrate various patches and service packs into the installation files of the original software such that installing the software also installs all updates automatically. For example, do you have an old Windows XP installation CD? How could you somehow combine Service Pack 2 in with your original installation disc to create a hybrid Windows XP SP2 installation CD? Or perhaps you want to combine several drivers, patches and other updates into a single installation procedure. This is slipstreaming.
