- David A. Karp

Frequently Asked Questions

Why won't Microsoft give me a free CD?

In the Taking Stock section at the beginning of the article (print version only), the following passage has caused some confusion:

"If Windows came preinstalled on your PC, but the manufacturer didn't provide a full Windows XP CD, contact Microsoft and ask for one (you did pay for it, after all)."

Unfortunately, this was a misprint. Here's what I originally wrote:

"If Windows came preinstalled on your PC, but the manufacturer didn't provide a full Windows XP CD, contact them right away and ask for one (you did pay for it, after all)."

In short, this should suggest that you contact the manufacturer of your PC (the one who originally sold you your copy of Windows), rather than Microsoft. (Naturally, Microsoft is not in the habit of giving away their commercial software products for free.)

I contacted my PC manufacturer, but they refuse to give me a Windows XP CD. Now what?

As part of a license agreement with Microsoft, some PC manufacturers have agreed not to provide original Windows CDs to their customers. The companies refusing CDs (reportedly) include Hewlett Packard and Sony. Some other manufacturers are better about this; contact your manufacturer for details. (Note that a few readers have reported that HP and some other companies will ship CDs for a somewhat outrageous $20.00 shipping charge.)

Unfortunately, some companies aren't interested in customer relations; even after begging, if you can't get a CD, then I'm afraid you're out of luck as far as free CDs go. As a last resort, you should be able to pick up a true Windows XP CD on eBay.

I already have a Windows XP SP2 CD. Do I still need to follow the steps in this article?

If you already have a Windows CD integrated with Service Pack 2, then you do not need to follow the slipstream procedure to create another one. You should, however, create a separate CD with the latest drivers for all your PC's hardware, and keep that close by as well.

If, on the other hand, you have only a Service Pack 2 update disc, then you may still be able to slipstream it. Just open the disc in Windows Explorer, and see if there's a 272,391 kb (278,927,592 byte) file of type "Application" (i.e. an EXE file). If the file is there, you can use it in place of the WindowsXP-KB835935-SP2-ENU.exe file described in the article; otherwise, you'll need to get the file from the Microsoft website as instructed.

Although I know I can't install XP over XP SP2, can't I just uninstall SP2?

Yes, of course. However, the whole point of the recovery disc is to be used in the event that your system won't start, at which time you won't be able to uninstall anything.

Will this process work for Service Pack 1?

Yes, it should. Just use the network install for SP1 instead of SP2; the rest of the instructions remain the same.

I can only find something called a "recovery" disc. Can I still use this procedure?

Probably not. You need the original Windows XP disc, which is something you can get from your PC's manufacturer (assuming it's the company from which you originally purchased your copy of Windows). Read the first part of the article for details.

Where's the SP2 update?

In the Slipstreaming Service Pack 2 section, there's a mention of the Windows XP Service Pack 2 Network Installation Package for IT Professionals and Developers, followed by a filename. If you go to the Microsoft website, a search for the filename alone will likely turn up nothing, so here's a direct link:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx? FamilyId=049C9DBE-3B8E-4F30-8245-9E368D3CDB5A&displaylang=en

As you can probably imagine, there was no tidy way to include this long URL directly in the article.

When I try to download the SP2 update from the Microsoft website, it stops in the middle. What's wrong?

This is a common problem with large downloads from any website.

If it fails at first, just clear your browser cache and try again.

If that doesn't work, try a different browser. (For instance, if you're using Internet Explorer, try Mozilla Firefox, which is more reliable, more secure, and free to boot.) Better yet, try a download manager, such as MetaProducts' excellent Download Express (also free).

Your other option is to get the SP2 update on CD. You can order this from Microsoft or your PC manufacturer.

When I type the command at the Command Prompt, I get an error. What gives?

This depends on the error. Here are some of the most common:

"Not Accessible" or "Not Found"

When typing the command (all on one line), you'll need to include a space between the filename and the options that follow it, like this:

c:\sp2\WindowsXP-KB835935-SP2-ENU /integrate:c:\xp

"not a valid Win32 application"

The file you downloaded is corrupt. Delete the file and download it again.

"not the correct version"

The file mentioned in the article is the U.S. English version; you'll need to get the correct update for your version of Windows. Just choose your language from the Change language list on this page.

"file too big for memory"

This usually means that you don't have enough free disk space to complete the slipstream. You'll probably need at least 1 GB of free space. If you have sufficient free space (and plenty of RAM), then your SP2 update file might be corrupted - try downloading it again.

"Failed to copy some or all of the files necessary for integrated install"

This can happen for any number of reasons. You may've run out of disk space, or one or more of the files may be corrupt. Try the process again; if you see the error again, you may not be able to slipstream your SP2 CD.

"This service pack cannot be integrated into a destination that also has integrated software updates"

You're trying to slipstream SP2 onto a CD that already has SP1. This process only works with the original version of Windows XP.

Why won't Service Pack 2 integrate with my version of Windows XP?

If you don't have the original, Microsoft-branded release of Windows XP, you won't be able to slipstream it. This means that other versions, such as Windows XP SP1, as well as the custom recovery discs provided by some PC manufacturers, can't be upgraded.

Can I make an answer file with Windows XP Home Edition?

No. Only Windows XP Professional comes with the Windows Setup Manager wizard.

Where's the Bootimage.img file?

When you view your Windows XP CD with ISO Buster, you might not see the Bootimage.img file (as shown in the third screenshot in the article). This may happen if you're using a special OEM (Manufacturer-specific) version of Windows XP or the custom recovery disc provided by your PC manufacturer.

In most of these cases, the .img file you see there (e.g. Microsoft Corporation.img) should do the job just fine. However, there are no guarantees with this process. If the .img file on your CD is not a valid boot image, then your CD is not a true Windows XP CD, and you won't be to slipstream it.

Where do I put the Bootimage.img file?

It doesn't matter; just copy it to a folder in which you'll be able to find it later when you need it. The c:\sp2 folder is a good place.

I put the contents of the c:\xp folder on the CD. Do I have to put the c:\sp2 folder on the CD too?

No. It's only used for preparation of the c:\xp folder.

Where do I find drivers?

Drivers come from the manufacturer(s) of your hardware.

The manufacturer of your computer should have drivers on their website, but only for hardware that originally shipped with your system. For individual hardware components, visit the respective manufacturers' websites: have an NVidia video card? Get the latest driver from NVidia's website. To get the driver for your printer, go to the printer manufacturer's website, and so on.

Note that your computer may have a c:\Drivers folder. This folder might contain drivers preinstalled by your computer manufacturer, or it might've been placed there when you installed a new piece of hardware, long after you purchased your system. Regardless, the drivers contained therein are unlikely to be the most recent versions, so you should use them only if you're unable to find them elsewhere.

After all is said and done, I have more than 700 MB of files, and they won't fit on a single CD. What do I do?

The original version of Windows XP slipstreamed with Service Pack 2 should be well under the 700-MB limit, and should fit on any standard CD-R. However, if you've ended up with more than 700 MB of files, then, obviously, they won't fit. This can happen if you're slipstreaming a CD that has been customized by your PC manufacturer (for instance, to include extra drivers), or if you've included too many third-party drivers yourself.

If this happens to you, you have a few choices. First, if you have a DVD burner, you can write the files to a DVD. If you don't, you can try deleting some of the unnecessary files (such as the VALUEADD, SUPPORT, cmpnents, WIN9XMIG, WIN9XUPG, and WINNTUPG folders) files in the hopes of reducing the size of the installation. Lastly, you can start over and try the process again.

Note: The aforementioned WIN9XMIG, WIN9XUPG, and WINNTUPG folders are used to upgrade from Win9x and WinNT/2000. If you're only installing over Windows XP (or installing on an empty system), you probably can safely delete these folders.

What are the Roxio and Nero settings I need to make a bootable CD?

Make sure you do the following:

1. Choose "Bootable CD" (in Roxio) or "CD-ROM (Boot)" (in Nero) from the list of CD types when you're starting your project.
2. Use the Joliet file system.
3. Specify that the boot section contains 4 sectors.
4. Use "no emulation" for the bootable disc type.
5. Use 0x7C0 for the load segment.
6. Use the same CD volume label as your original XP CD.

Note: if Nero requests an IMA file (as newer versions do), just rename the extension of your .IMG file to .IMA.

Consult the documentation that came with your CD burning software for further details on creating bootable CDs. Please please contact the manufacturer of your software (e.g. Roxio, Nero) if you need additional help with these products.

Note: some readers are having trouble finding these settings in Roxio 7, while others are having no problem with the software. Roxio 6 definitely works, as do all versions of Nero. Please contact Roxio for an upgrade if you're having this problem.

How do I test my new recovery CD without endangering my system?

If your computer is on, shut it down. Then, insert the CD into your CD drive and turn on your computer.

If your system boots off the CD, it will start Windows setup. It won't do anything permanent without asking first, so there's no danger to your system or your files.

Note: your system may not be configured to boot off the CD; if it ignores the CD when you turn on your computer, you may have to go into your system BIOS setup to change this setting. Refer to your computer or motherboard manual for instructions.

Also note: some older CD or DVD drives don't boot discs properly. If you continue to have trouble booting your disc, the drive might be to blame.

My CD won't boot. What did I do wrong?

The most likely problem is incorrect settings in your CD burning software. See the "What are the Roxio and Nero settings I need to make a bootable CD?" topic, above, for the correct settings.

What do I do with the c:\xp and c:\sp2 folders once I've successfully created and tested my recovery disc?

Once you're done, you can delete these working folders.

Is there any other way to make a recovery disc?

There is a program called nLite that helps create slipstream discs. It doesn't offer the flexibility of building your own disc, but it is easier.