How to slipstream SP3 to XP on Windows 7 machine.

[GT3]

Using nlite on my windows 7 laptop, I am trying to slipstream SP3 to my release day XP Home disc.

It all goes smoothly and when putting it in the machine I am trying to install it on, goes all the way through the process until the cd-key has got to be entered. The genuine key I have doesn't work.

I gather this is because I am using Windows 7 to slipstream it, is there anyway round it?

 

[marc2003]

if your CD key works with the original disk, there is no reason why it shouldn't work with the new slipstreamed one. the fact you're running nlite on windows 7 is irrelevant.

 

[GT3]

Old article but: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/950722 suggests slipstreaming in vista means your old cd key wont be accepted. I assume this is the same for Win7 and why my slipstreamed copy wont work!

 

[marc2003]

hehe, you got me. i didn't think that would happen at all.

i guess you'll have to follow their "solution" of creating it on an XP machine.

edit: i notice it mentions this at the bottom...

When you are prompted for the product key, your Volume License product key will not be accepted. However, a retail key will be accepted.

now i know there is one file on the XP disk which dictates which key it will accept. it's a file called setupp.ini in the I386 folder. check the contents of this file on new disk against the old one. if it's different, try editing this file before you create the ISO in nlite.

 

[GT3]

The setupp.ini file is identical :/

 

[marc2003]

ah that sucks then. just install XP and then SP3. it's not really worth installing XP, then nlite, creating a new integrated ISO and then re-installing again. but you can create one for future use.

 

[TrUz]

What if you run nlite in xp mode?

 

[GT3]

ah that sucks then. just install XP and then SP3. it's not really worth installing XP, then nlite, creating a new integrated ISO and then re-installing again. but you can create one for future use.

I can't as its an original XP disc that doesn't support SATA hdd's, it blue screens on starting the install hence the reason for slipstreaming SP3!

What if you run nlite in xp mode?

Worth a try I suppose

 

[marc2003]

if you don't have XP mode (you need win7 pro or better), you could install XP in vmware or virtualbox.

 

[Stoner81]

I did this and made my own version of XP but I had to do it on a XP machine since the tools used just didn't like to work on anything else. You could probably download a XP SP3 ISO from DigitalRiver or some place similar (there is a thread here about doing this for Windows 7 so I assume it can be done for XP too).

Stoner81.

 

[this_is_gav]

Since SP3, XP Home doesn't require a serial number on installation - it works just like Vista and 7, where you can just bypass it and enter it once Windows is installed.

This way you can use this Microsoft tool, which will allow you to use your own OEM keys and the likes (such as the ones laptop manufacturers stick on the bottom of laptops which didn't work previously).

I'm eternally grateful to Microsoft for relaxing the rules for activating OEM licenses. The phone activation was the cause of frequent headaches, and thankfully that seems to be much less common now.