1 -First you want to EXTRACT the SP2_Express files to a directory
2- Now run UPDATE.exe under the UPDATE folder
3- This will download all files to this directory 506MB worth
4- As soon as download is complete - SP2 will say BACKING UP files
5- During the BACK UP process and immediately after the DOWNLOADING is done - You will see download Progress Meter
6- Have another folder created elsewhere - This should have been number one - need two directories for this to work
7- Copy your original folder to another folder - You will do this while SP2 is still running and Backing UP older files
8 - If done correctly you will now have a folder that has every single file that you can burn to CD for future installs - believe me I've un-installed and re-installed SP2 over and over again from my newly created CD in the last week or so

The REASON: If you install SP2 with just express it doesn't save all files for install after finished - you would have to run express and download everything again

2ND REASON: If you do the first thing mentioned above and extract to folder and run the update.exe and let FINISH it cleans up some folders and files from that folder which then if burned to CD does not have all the proper files for install and will ERROR when installing from CD - Missing Source Files.

3RD REASON and MAYBE: Now with all these files properly on CD it may be possible to SLIP STREAM SP2 Right INTO an XP SP1 CD - Haven't tried SLIP STREAMING YET - You've all read how to do that from XP to XP SP1 for those with OS originally.

Supposedly YOU CAN'T Slip Stream SP2 but maybe with my technique you could???

Someone willing to try it out let us know...

OR... why not wait for SP2 Full to finish and be released...

Hi,

I did as you instructed but I couldn't slipstream. I have used the following format : update.exe -S:C:\XPCD

But it gave me the following error :


Failed to copy some or all of the files necessary for integrated install.


My current SP2 folder have 55 folders and 2175 files and has total size of 524'067'540 bytes.

Any ideas?

As I said, I did read that it couldn't be slipstreamed but it was worth trying...

My version I copied to CD will install from CD without error doing what I mentioned... I'm only talking about installing SP2.

What I mentioned is so that you can back up SP2 as a full install instead of an Express so that you don't have to go out and download everything again and if Microsoft stops the express version from working which they have done in the past where you can't download at all.

As far as what I see on the CDR I made I have 7 folders and 1814 objects - This is on the root - not counting subfolders - Total Size of CDR Contents:
502MB (527,131,580 bytes)
Size on Disk 504 MB (528,889,856 bytes)

nah slipstream when final is out ... a beta is not worth the CD

Thanks, I guess I have to wait for final version of SP2 to be able to slipstream it. Anyway I am going to make a clean installation of my xp pro and install sp2 on it. Should I install sp1 too?

I tried also and it seems that what I read was correct.

You can not slipstream the SP2 in beta form - it has different switches for the UPDATE.exe than older versions - I tried using a new switch it had called /Integrate but I think this only does it to the actual I386 of a installed OS of XP.

If you already have XP SP1 CD you can just install and update with SP2 - this is what I did.

Read my other post before doing so because a lot of things that work now and that you are used to will not work once you install.

Just remember you CAN un-install SP2 anytime which is a great feature with this Service Pack and it will take you back to SP1 with everything working again.

Just say YES to the first screen prompt you get about Automatic Updates then configure once in to your liking because if you say NO then the Windows Update v5 website will report errors and you will not be able to download any updates.

As I said in my other post on this board is that Windows Messenger - application sharing - file transfers - video and voice conversations will not work unless you know how to make them work? I was able to get voice and video working and that is it so far.

No one else has posted any resolutions for an easy fix yet so still waiting.

SP2 contains ANY change file since 2600 final ..... this means nearly ANY file is updated ... as I said even screensavers .... so you do not need to install any patch or SPx since a SP2 is intended to replace any bugfix