Much that you are reading in the XP NGs about slipstreaming would appear
to be hocus pocus as it perhaps are some of the comments that you are
seeing about SP2. However you are quite correct in that an original RTM
(Release To Manufacturing) CD, (which might be thought of as SP0), cannot
be used to launch the repair console once an SP has been installed
although it can still be used for a repair install, although it will
return you to RTM, so ...

If all else fails, I can of course follow your advice, install first
then slipstream but in effect is that much different from just
running SP2?

It would appear that you didn't follow what I was trying to say which was
that you could:
a) Install XP using RTM or SP1 media,
b) Not bother to activate for reasons that will become obvious at d),
c) Create a slipstreamed XP SP2 CD,
d) Wipe your system and finally,
e) Clean install XP SP2 using the media you created at c).

Which other than for wishing you luck just leaves one question. How old
is the XP media you intend using? I ask as it is quite possible that if
recent that it will already be a slipstreamed SP2 copy. Personally I find
the main justification for installing XP using slipstreamed media rather
than to use RTM and then install the latest SP is the considerable saving
in space.

For example installing using slipstreamed SP2 media rather than installing
using RTM or SP1 media followed by installing SP2, avoids the creation of
the windows\servicepackfiles folder which for SP2 contains some 474MB of
files. For those like myself who like to keep their system partitions
"clean and lean" this is a considerable saving in space and results in a
smaller backup image size which is also quicker to create. The saving
over the space occupied for systems which were originally RTM and were
then upgraded to SP1 and then upgraded to SP2 is approaching 1GB.

Regards,
--
Mike Maltby MS-MVP



"looneytunesverizone.net" "looneytunesverizone.net" wrote

I guess the reason propelling my wish to create the slipstream CD is
to avoid the need to upgrade to XP and then to go through the
installation of SP2. Reading the XP newsgroups seems to indicate many
have had some problems after doing SP2 while others say the
slipstream method is easier and also leaves you with a disk suitable
for a full reinstall if necessary. Unless I read some of them wrong
they say SP2 is such a radical revision that your original XP CD can
no longer be used for repair or reinstall. If that is not true please
let me know. I will be adding quite a bit of new hardware to my
system after the upgrade and want to make sure XP works with it all
before activation. BTW, your reference to XP RTM means "retail"?? If
all else fails, I can of course follow your advice, install first
then slipstream but in effect is that much different from just
running SP2? I appreciate your hanging with me while I try to sort
this out. I build my own machines and I am not usually timid about
changing things like operating systems but, the move to XP is more
than just an upgrade and I want to do it right the first time. I have
pretty much given up on the idea of a wipe and clean install because
I have too many applications that I do not want to reinstall. So,
please forgive the long post and any more helpful suggestions would
be appreciated.