Need Windows XP Pro SP3 (UNTOUCHED)

[Possy_99]

I agree, if your in an envoronment where your say running a works it infrastructure [as you seem to be], where the hardware doesn't often change, imaging is a much better solution and is often much quicker..

but if your working in a repair shop [as the op seems to be], on different equipment every day then I maintain a slipstreamed generic os disk is better.. i work in a shop - installing tweaks/apps for the best part is not my job - I'm only interested in AV and spyware protection.. anything else the customer wants to clog up their pc with, they can put on themselves..

[Raptor]

Shop environment image is the best way IF you do it right - I never mentioned filling up with apps - of course not. The essentials at the bare minimum. the tweaks are important as you know

Acronis UR is the way to go - like i said 15 minutes start to finish on MULTIPLE hardware configs - thats why you use universal restore - can recover to ANY hardware with all drivers installed on reboot.

[TotallyRandom]

hey rap you made me look in too this got me really intrested. I've downloaded all the drivers. Was looking at the diffrent versions of universial restore seems too be about 3/4 out there. Not sure what would best suit me. I reinstall for home users generally at there house i want to install oem's do i need to create seperate oem builds ? What version do you think i should go for?

[Possy_99]

what about WAT? doesn't it limit you to 3 hardware modifications..?

[d3xt0r]

Its very rare that we get the same system or setup more than once a week. Most of our computers are donated and we have to Secure Wipe the hard drives before we even look at the system. Alot require hardware which we have every peice of hardware known to man in our warehouse, we even get the odd 486 in, obviously these get scrapped but what im saying is just about every system that comes in has different hardware. We have 16gb of drivers and universal drivers on our Flash Drives so installing hardware normally takes a minute or 2 at most, unless we get a bugger of a system.

So not sure if a Restore would be any good.

Also Drdude, thanks for the offer but ive got what i was after now, cheers bud.

Rap we are using MSE at the moment but i dont think thats what were going to be using permenantly.

I've made an iso with unattended install and tweaks for example My Computer, My Documents and such on desktop and other stuff. Ive slipstreamed all the security updates and such, only thing i didnt add was IE8 which i should have really as it takes about 30mins to install(thats including doing windows update afterwards for all the IE8 updates)

So thanks for the advice guys. It's much appreciated

d3xt0r

[Mr.James]

Personally I'd go down the Acronis UR imaging method. Just image a system that executes the driverpacks autoinstaller on first run and searches a USB flash drive for the drivers... 15minute install and it only installs the drivers you need...

I've also got a script somewhere that connects to the windows updates site and installs all the updates that have been released since the image was made if you want a copy?

[d3xt0r]

wouldnt mind a copy of that script aye mate cheers

d3xt0r

[Over Carl]

A poiint worthy of adding to this thread - I've found slipstreamed drivers sometimes don't install the full s/w as if you manually installed the driver - happens most often with sound cards that don't install the extra utils or bluetooth modules that detect the device but don't install the bluetooth stack, also often same thing with wifi but tbh I consider that a bonus!

[Mr.James]

Here ya go. This version sets the computer to look to our internal windows updates server rather than going to the internet... You'll need to change the two https:myserver.domain.net to point to your own wsus server if you have one...

'----- Create Registry Settings Required for Workgroup Updating -----
On Error Resume next
Dim oShell
Set oShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
'----- Restart wuauserv Service so Settings Take Effect -----
Set oWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:" & "{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\\.\root\cimv2")
Set colServiceList = oWMIService.ExecQuery ("Select * from Win32_Service Where Name='wuauserv'")
For Each objService in colServiceList
objService.StopService()
Wscript.Sleep 10000
oShell.RegWrite "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\WUServer", "https://myserver.domain.net:443", "REG_SZ"
oShell.RegWrite "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\WUStatusServer", "https://myserver.domain.net:443", "REG_SZ"
oShell.RegWrite "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AcceptTrustedPublisherCerts", 1, "REG_DWORD"
oShell.RegWrite "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\TargetGroupEnabled", 1, "REG_DWORD"
oShell.RegWrite "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\TargetGroup", "Assigned Computers", "REG_SZ"
oShell.RegWrite "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\ElevateNonAdmins", 1, "REG_DWORD"
oShell.RegWrite "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU\UseWUServer", 1, "REG_DWORD"
oShell.RegWrite "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU\AutoInstallMinorUpdates", 1, "REG_DWORD"
oShell.RegWrite "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU\IncludeRecommendedUpdates", 1, "REG_DWORD"
objService.StartService()
Next
Wscript.Sleep 10000
'----- Create Session -----
Set UpdateSession = CreateObject("Microsoft.Update.Session")
Set UpdateSearcher = UpdateSession.CreateUpdateSearcher()
'----- Search for Updates -----
Set SearchResult = UpdateSearcher.Search("IsInstalled=0 and Type='Software'")
For I = 0 To SearchResult.Updates.Count-1
Set Update = SearchResult.Updates.Item(I)
Next
'----- Quit if No Updates Found -----
If SearchResult.Updates.Count = 0 Then
WScript.Quit
End If
'----- Create List of Updates to Download -----
Set UpdatesToDownload = CreateObject("Microsoft.Update.UpdateColl")
For I = 0 to SearchResult.Updates.Count-1
Set Update = SearchResult.Updates.Item(I)
UpdatesToDownload.Add(Update)
Next
'----- Download Updates -----
Set Downloader = UpdateSession.CreateUpdateDownloader() 
Downloader.Updates = UpdatesToDownload
Downloader.Download()
'----- Create List of Updates to Install -----
Set UpdatesToInstall = CreateObject("Microsoft.Update.UpdateColl")
For I = 0 To SearchResult.Updates.Count-1
set Update = SearchResult.Updates.Item(I)
If Update.IsDownloaded = true Then
UpdatesToInstall.Add(Update) 
End If
Next
'----- Install Updates -----
Set Installer = UpdateSession.CreateUpdateInstaller()
Installer.Updates = UpdatesToInstall
Installer.Install()
'----- Quit -----
WScript.Quit

If you don't have one this will download the updates from the internet.

On Error Resume next
'----- Create Session -----
Set UpdateSession = CreateObject("Microsoft.Update.Session")
Set UpdateSearcher = UpdateSession.CreateUpdateSearcher()
'----- Search for Updates -----
Set SearchResult = UpdateSearcher.Search("IsInstalled=0 and Type='Software'")
For I = 0 To SearchResult.Updates.Count-1
Set Update = SearchResult.Updates.Item(I)
Next
'----- Quit if No Updates Found -----
If SearchResult.Updates.Count = 0 Then
WScript.Quit
End If
'----- Create List of Updates to Download -----
Set UpdatesToDownload = CreateObject("Microsoft.Update.UpdateColl")
For I = 0 to SearchResult.Updates.Count-1
Set Update = SearchResult.Updates.Item(I)
UpdatesToDownload.Add(Update)
Next
'----- Download Updates -----
Set Downloader = UpdateSession.CreateUpdateDownloader() 
Downloader.Updates = UpdatesToDownload
Downloader.Download()
'----- Create List of Updates to Install -----
Set UpdatesToInstall = CreateObject("Microsoft.Update.UpdateColl")
For I = 0 To SearchResult.Updates.Count-1
set Update = SearchResult.Updates.Item(I)
If Update.IsDownloaded = true Then
UpdatesToInstall.Add(Update) 
End If
Next
'----- Install Updates -----
Set Installer = UpdateSession.CreateUpdateInstaller()
Installer.Updates = UpdatesToInstall
Installer.Install()
'----- Quit -----
WScript.Quit

[Mr.James]

A poiint worthy of adding to this thread - I've found slipstreamed drivers sometimes don't install the full s/w as if you manually installed the driver - happens most often with sound cards that don't install the extra utils or bluetooth modules that detect the device but don't install the bluetooth stack, also often same thing with wifi but tbh I consider that a bonus!

Along those lines, Vista and Win7 won't automatically install drivers if they're not digitally signed too...

[d3xt0r]

This is the reason i dont slip stream drivers. I've got about 10gb of drivers in total and the odd time windows will install the wrong AC-97 driver and i end up with a blue screen and having to fanny about removing and getting the right 1 to install.


Thanks for the script, will see about getting it implamented.

Cheers

[Morph]

to be fair I think MSE is actually pretty good as a free app

however ive always said the best AV app for me has always been ESET Smart Security - but i dont recommend a hacked version - its well worth paying for

well said, Eset s the bollox. The ONLY AV with 100% hit rate. For £20+/year its a no brainer.....

Be careful when using driver packs with RAID btw - sometimes they will put generic drivers in that wont work... Just a heads up other than that, Acronis and Farstone rock

[pctuner1984]

what about WAT? doesn't it limit you to 3 hardware modifications..?

It does if you intend to use the same activated OEM key on multiple machines, WAT souldn't be an issue if you used an COA key that's usually attached the hardware. Just change the key.

or alternatively use sysprep then make an image of the os for Home/Pro..etc then they can enter their own COA.

Not used sysprep in years tho, but i know ya can do it

EDIT** Disregard my comments im tired and miss read parts of the thread lol, the drivers side is a pain in the equipment keeps changing lol, at work we standardise on Dell Equipment so this does make it easier for us but not in your case

Bed time for me