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Slipstreaming - Worthwhile or a Waste of Time?
I was recently asked if slipstreaming is
as viable today as it was back when SP1 for XP was first
released. The question took me by surprise as I'd not really
given it any thought. My initial inclination was to say yes,
but after mulling it over while updating the section on
Slipstreaming XP I'm
inclined to change my 'yes' answer to a less enthusiastic
'maybe' response.
As users adopted and migrated
to the release of XP a multitude of errors and
flaws were exposed. The critical updates flowed
hot and heavy for the first year of XP's
release. At the end of the first year of XP's
release when SP1 appeared there was still a
substantial user base that had XP CD's that
didn't include the SP1 update and they were
excellent candidates for slipstreaming.
Of course once SP1 was
released, Microsoft incorporated SP1, and later
SP1a, into the released versions of the product.
The later adopters didn't have to be concerned
with slipstreaming as the service pack was
incorporated into their CD's . In theory, a year
after XP's release it would seem reasonable that
the volume of critical updates and security
patches would decline as problems were
identified and addressed but this didn't seem to
happen. To address the continuing flow of
updates it was expected that SP2 would be
released. Rather then release SP2 Microsoft
decided to go with the Rollup Update that's
discussed at
Update Rollup 1 for Windows XP Is Available.
So while it's possible to
create a slipstreamed XP CD from either an
original Gold (non-service pack included) or an
XP1/XP1a CD that includes the service packs and
rollups, is it worth the effort? Maybe, if you
truly need a fresh installation with no
applications installed, but most users don't
fall into that category. For the majority, once
the operating system has been installed and
updated, it's about the applications and using
them for business or leisure activities.
Even if the system does crash
and burn, you'll likely be more interested in
restoring the entire system, including
applications and whatever data is recoverable,
rather than just re-installing the operating
system and having to redo all the application
installations. To accomplish the latter, more
comprehensive goal, an imaging or backup program
provides a far quicker and less stressful
solution than using a slipstreamed CD.
The choice is up to you, but
with the proliferation of cable access to reduce
download times of updates, the time and
complexity involved with application
installations, and the continued flow of updates
that render a slipstreamed CD out of date within
days of its creation, unless you're in a special
circumstance that can truly benefit from
slipstreaming I'd suggest investigating imaging
and backup alternatives. Whatever you decide,
the Slipstreaming XP
section has been updated and now includes the
Update Rollup if you are so inclined.
Note: I've included a link to
Updating XP Via Windows
Update - Overview, a section put together in early
November 2003 strictly as a personal online reference. It's
convoluted, difficult to follow, and contains no
instructional material; simply some information I find handy
for article preparation. Take it for what it's worth and
note that it may or may not be updated at some point in time
to reflect future released updates. |
