Best way to include Windows updates into an installation?

Columbo

Columbo

Columbo

Soldato
Joined
26 Mar 2007
Posts
9,118
Location
Nottinghamshire
So yesterday I had to format my in-laws laptop an re-install XP which took about 45 mins.

However 4 hours past that it had only just finished installing all the updates needed.

So for future reference whats the best way of trying to include all these within an ISO to make things a lot simpler?
 
AFAIK you can't Windows install disks are pretty much outdated as soon as you get one home, I've never done a Windows install where it said "No Updates Found" as new updates come out almost every week its impossible to get fully updated version.

Don't quote me on that, but that is my understanding
 
You can slipstream service packs in. The best way would be to fully update your Windows and install any apps (such as office, flash, acrobat, etc.) and then image it.

There are loads of image programs out there in the freeware post at the top of this forum. I have an old copy of Ghost that I use which is licenced but, I appreciate, most people don't want to spend money so I'd head over to the freeware post.



M.
 
You can slipstream the latest service pack Linky

But as said above, I don't think there's any way to add updates.

Best way is to do what's mentioned above..get a good installation then image it. I use acronis true image but it isn't free
 
XP is just horrific to install these days, with all the updates/patches necessary to make it safe and fully functional.

Check out the post-SP3 update packs available here - the OnePiece pack is probably the most comprehensive and includes all the .NET frameworks and their associated updates. You can integrate it into an ISO using nLite, which also lets you perform other customisations.

You might also want to have a look at AutoPatcher and/or WSUS Offline, which will at least get round any issues of a slow Internet connection at the target machine's location, although they won't help with the problem of an intrinsically slow computer.
 
Cheers for that Crash superb advice.

I've 'nLited' an ISO this afternoon which includes what you have posted above so hopefully should it need the same thing again it'll a far quicker process.
 
Last edited:
ManCuBuS said:
I've 'nLited' an ISO this afternoon which includes what you have posted above so hopefully should it need the same thing again it'll a far quicker process.
Click to expand...
Jolly good... one thing I would suggest though after you've created a custom install disc is to test it out in a virtual machine (or a spare PC if you have one), rather than waiting until you need to use it in anger and then finding it doesn't work for some reason. :)
 
nlite is so old now, I wouldn't use it for slipstreaming new updates.

When it was in development, I was on the alpha testing team. Almost every month a new update would break the functionality of something when slipstreamed with nlite. Since there have been hundreds of Windows updates since the last nlite update. There's bound to be a minefield of incompatabilities.

It's safe for slipstreaming service packs and drivers, but beyond that I wouldn't insert anything else into the disc.


Autopatcher is a good way of updating post install.
 
That's strange - I last used it about three months ago slipstreaming the OnePiece update pack into a vanilla XP Pro SP3 disc and it worked absolutely fine.

I can't say if any updates since then would have caused problems, I guess you'd just have to suck it and see.
 
bledd. said:
nlite is so old now, I wouldn't use it for slipstreaming new updates.

When it was in development, I was on the alpha testing team. Almost every month a new update would break the functionality of something when slipstreamed with nlite. Since there have been hundreds of Windows updates since the last nlite update. There's bound to be a minefield of incompatabilities.

It's safe for slipstreaming service packs and drivers, but beyond that I wouldn't insert anything else into the disc.


Autopatcher is a good way of updating post install.
Click to expand...

This is the conclusion i've come to as well. It always had a habit of breaking the install. Nlite is great at everything else it does though.

I now run this VBS script 2 or 3 times to download and install all the Windows updates after the OS is installed automatically.

Code: 
Set updateSession = CreateObject("Microsoft.Update.Session")
Set updateSearcher = updateSession.CreateupdateSearcher()

WScript.Echo "Searching for updates..." & vbCRLF

Set searchResult = _
updateSearcher.Search("IsInstalled=0 and Type='Software'")


WScript.Echo "List of applicable items on the machine:"

For I = 0 To searchResult.Updates.Count-1
    Set update = searchResult.Updates.Item(I)
    WScript.Echo I + 1 & "> " & update.Title
Next

If searchResult.Updates.Count = 0 Then
    WScript.Echo "There are no applicable updates."
    WScript.Quit
End If

WScript.Echo vbCRLF & "Creating collection of updates to download:"

Set updatesToDownload = CreateObject("Microsoft.Update.UpdateColl")

For I = 0 to searchResult.Updates.Count-1
    Set update = searchResult.Updates.Item(I)
    WScript.Echo I + 1 & "> adding: " & update.Title 
    updatesToDownload.Add(update)
Next

WScript.Echo vbCRLF & "Downloading updates..."

Set downloader = updateSession.CreateUpdateDownloader() 
downloader.Updates = updatesToDownload
downloader.Download()

WScript.Echo  vbCRLF & "List of downloaded updates:"

For I = 0 To searchResult.Updates.Count-1
    Set update = searchResult.Updates.Item(I)
    If update.IsDownloaded Then
       WScript.Echo I + 1 & "> " & update.Title 
    End If
Next

Set updatesToInstall = CreateObject("Microsoft.Update.UpdateColl")

WScript.Echo  vbCRLF & _
"Creating collection of downloaded updates to install:" 

For I = 0 To searchResult.Updates.Count-1
    set update = searchResult.Updates.Item(I)
    If update.IsDownloaded = true Then
       WScript.Echo I + 1 & "> adding:  " & update.Title 
       updatesToInstall.Add(update)    
    End If
Next

    WScript.Echo "Installing updates..."
    Set installer = updateSession.CreateUpdateInstaller()
    installer.Updates = updatesToInstall
    Set installationResult = installer.Install()
    
    'Output results of install
    WScript.Echo "Installation Result: " & _
    installationResult.ResultCode 
    WScript.Echo "Reboot Required: " & _ 
    installationResult.RebootRequired & vbCRLF 
    WScript.Echo "Listing of updates installed " & _
     "and individual installation results:" 
    
    For I = 0 to updatesToInstall.Count - 1
        WScript.Echo I + 1 & "> " & _
        updatesToInstall.Item(i).Title & _
        ": " & installationResult.GetUpdateResult(i).ResultCode         
    Next
(save it as a .vbs file all call it using cscript)

It takes about an hour to run the 1st time but its unattended so you can just forget about it.

With it using just Windows components and pulls updates only applicable to the install you never have to worry about 3rd party issues.
 
Last edited:
bledd. said:
nlite is so old now, I wouldn't use it for slipstreaming new updates.

When it was in development, I was on the alpha testing team. Almost every month a new update would break the functionality of something when slipstreamed with nlite. Since there have been hundreds of Windows updates since the last nlite update. There's bound to be a minefield of incompatabilities.

It's safe for slipstreaming service packs and drivers, but beyond that I wouldn't insert anything else into the disc.

Autopatcher is a good way of updating post install.
Click to expand...

I formatted my laptop last night and used the ISO I created. It worked perfectly and is running fine so I'm not really sure why I would need anything else.

It took about 45 mins from format to finish with no further updates found on WU.

And Lizard I have no idea about what you have posted fella :confused:
 
CaptainCrash said:
That's strange - I last used it about three months ago slipstreaming the OnePiece update pack into a vanilla XP Pro SP3 disc and it worked absolutely fine.

I can't say if any updates since then would have caused problems, I guess you'd just have to suck it and see.
Click to expand...

The issue that would crop up would sometimes be small niggly things, others would completely break other applications.

We would test at least 15 alpha versions minimum before even sending out a beta. Every month or so there would be new update that once slipstreamed would cause problems.

For that reason, since development stopped, I've only ever used it for drivers and service packs.
 
Ah right, so if I'd took this a step further and tried to integrate something like Adobe Lightroom then it might not play so friendly?
 
programs will be fine, that's not slipstreaming, it just adds it to the install routine. It's windowsupdates that shouldn't be slipstreamed
 
bledd. said:
The issue that would crop up would sometimes be small niggly things, others would completely break other applications.

We would test at least 15 alpha versions minimum before even sending out a beta. Every month or so there would be new update that once slipstreamed would cause problems.

For that reason, since development stopped, I've only ever used it for drivers and service packs.
Click to expand...
Well, I suppose the final version would have fewer issues than the alpha and beta versions you tested - I can honestly say it's never caused me any problems with slipstreamed patches and updates. I've broken things by removing stuff which would have been better left in, but that's not nLite's fault, and I soon realised it was mostly pointless anyway.

I guess AutoPatcher or WSUS Offline Update would be viable alternatives if you don't want to go down the slipstreaming route, but they still take an eternity to install on the (mostly) slow computers that are still running XP, particularly all the .NET stuff and everything that comes with it.
 
You should be able to download the latest available version from microsoft. They do offer ISO for download but they are very strict on the links. You should look for version of windows 7 you have with sp1 iso and you should be able to find it from microsoft. For home use slipstreaming is a waste of time imo.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom