Slipstreaming is the process of integrating a service pack into the original installation DVD.
You might want to do this for a couple of reasons. First, a slipstreamed installation DVD is
useful when you need to reinstall Windows or install it on a new PC. A slipstreamed version
of the software is far better updated than the original install. You may also want to create
a slipstreamed installation DVD if you want to use System File Checker as mentioned previously.
The installation DVD you use with System File Checker must include the service pack
that matches the one installed on your PC. If it doesn’t, some operating system files will not
match, and System File Checker will abort with an error.
Sadly, creating a slipstreamed service pack installation DVD for Windows 7 isn’t as simple
as it is for Windows XP. With Windows XP, you simply copy the contents of your Windows
XP installation disc to your hard drive and use an /integrate switch with the service pack
to build it into the file structure. Then you burn back to a bootable DVD. This procedure
changed with Windows Vista, and while you can still slipstream, it’s a significantly more
complex process. Here, however, I’ll describe how to do it step by step.
What You Will Need:
Before beginning the slipstream procedure, gather the following items.
• A spare hard disk or partition on which you can install a fresh copy of Windows 7.
• The Windows 7 Automated Installation Kit (AIK), which you can download for free
from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/deta ... FamilyID=6
96dd665-9f76-4177-a811-39c26d3b3b34 or by searching the Microsoft website for
Windows 7 AIK. You will need approximately 1.5 GB of free disk space to install the
Windows AIK on your PC.
• A blank CD or DVD.
• Software for creating an ISO file.
Step 1: Creating a Windows Pre-Installation Environment
Startup Disc
1. You first need to create a startup disc for the Windows Pre-Installation Environment
(WinPE). To do this, run the Windows 7 AIK installer and select Windows AIK Setup.
2. When the Windows 7 AIK is installed, select Microsoft Windows AIK from the
Start menu, right-click Deployment Tools Command Prompt, and select Run As
Administrator.
3. In the command prompt window that appears, type C: and press Enter. Then type cd
.\Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools, and press Enter again to access the AIK folder.
4. Use the Copype.cmd script, changing the arguments as necessary to match the
locations for your WinPE files and the desired destination folder. (Valid versions
include 32-bit [x86] or 64-bit [x64]. Other supported types are amd64 and ia64.)
Type copype.cmd x86 C:\winpe_x86 or copype.cmd x64 C:\winpe_x64, and press
Enter.
5. The command in step 4 creates a folder structure in a new folder. (For the purposes
of this tutorial, we’ll assume this is C:\winpe_x86.)
Next, to copy the base WinPE image to this folder structure, type copy C:\winpe_
x86\winpe.wim C:\winpe_x86\ISO\sources\bot.wim, and press Enter.
6. Next, you need to add disk boot files to the files you have created in steps 4 and 5,
ready for burning to a CD or DVD.
a. Type dism /Mount-wim /Winfile:C:\winpe_x86\ISO\sources\boot.wim /
index:1 /MountDir:C:\winpe_x86\mount, and press Enter.
b. Type copy C:\winpe_x86\ISO\bootmgr C:\winpe_x86\mount, and press
Enter.
c. Type mkdir C:\winpe_x86\mount\boot, and press Enter.
d. Type xcopy /cherky C:\winpe_x86\ISO\boot C:\winpe_x86\mount\boot,
and press Enter.
7. Add the ImageX disc image creation program to the folder by typing copy “C:\
Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools\x86\ImageX.exe” C:\winpe_x86\mount, and
pressing Enter.
8. Next, create the boot configuration data (BCD) file for the disc. Type the following
commands, pressing Enter after each one.
a. Del c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD
b. Bcdedit /createstore c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD
c. Bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD -create {bootmgr} /d
“Boot Manager”
d. Bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD -set {bootmgr} device
boot
e. Bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD -create /d “WINPE”
-application osloader
9. The command in step 8e returns a GUID value. Type the following commands,
substituting the GUID value returned by step 8e for {GUID}. The GUID should look
similar to {21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D} but will contain different
numbers and letters. Press Enter on your keyboard after each step.
a. Bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD -set {GUID} osdevice boot
b. Bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD -set {GUID} device boot
c. Bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD -set {GUID} path \
windows\system32\winload.exe
d. Bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD -set {GUID} systemroot \
windows
e. Bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD -set {GUID} winpe yes
f. Bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD -displayorder {GUID}
-addlast
10. Finally, create an ISO disc image that you can burn to a CD or DVD. Type oscdimg
–n –m –o –bC:\winpe_x86\etfsboot.com C:\winpe_x86\mount C:\winpe_x86\
winpe_x86.iso, and press Enter.
For Intel Itanium–based architecture, replace etfsboot.com with efisys.bin.
If you are building an ISO to an AMD Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) ISO instead,
type oscdimg.exe –bC:\winpe-x64-efi\efisys.bin –pEF –u1 –udfver102 C:\
winpe-x64-efi\ISO x64-efi-winpe.iso, and press Enter.
11. You will now have an ISO file in the C:\winpe_x86 folder that you can double-click to
start Windows Disc Image Burner
Note
You only ever need to create a single WinPE startup disc (and disc image). You can use
the same disc to install a slipstreamed version of Windows 7 on any computer
Step 2: Installing a Fresh Copy of Windows 7
1. Using your Windows 7 installation DVD, install a fresh copy of Windows 7 onto a
spare hard disk or partition. Use the version you want to create the slipstreamed disc
for, that is Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise, and so on.
2. When Windows 7 is installed and the screen asking for your username and password
appears, press Ctrl+Shift+F3 on your keyboard
3. The system restarts in audit mode. Do not close the System Preparation Tool window
that appears; you will need it later.
4. Install the appropriate service pack. (You can either download the service pack or
install it from a CD, network, or USB pen drive).
5. Windows may restart during the service pack installation. If the Windows 7 password
screen appears again, press Ctrl+Shift+F3 again to re-enter Audit Mode.
6. In the System Preparation Tool window, select Enter System Out-Of-Box Experience
(OOBE) from the System Cleanup Action menu, and select the Generalize option.
Place the WinPE startup disc in the CD/DVD drive. In the System Preparation Tool
dialog box, select Restart under Shutdown Options, and then click OK when you are
ready to create the new Windows image.
Step 3: Creating a New Windows Image File
1. After you follow the previous procedure, the system will start in the WinPE
environment, and a command prompt window will appear.
Noting the following substitution guidelines, type E:\imagex /compress fast /
check /flags “Professional” /capture D: E:\install.wim “Windows 7 Professional”
“Windows 7 Professional Custom” at the command prompt.
• If necessary, substitute the name of your Windows 7 edition for Professional in
the command.
• Substitute the drive letters of the disks on which you have the second copy of
Windows 7 installed and the disk where you want WinPE to store the new Windows
7 Image file. The file will be approximately 2 to 2.5 GB.
Step 4: Creating a New Windows 7 Installation DVD
1. Use ISO creation software (see the Inside Out sidebar below for more information
about where you can get this) to make an ISO file from your original Windows 7
installation DVD.
2. Using the same ISO creation software, locate the newly created Install.wim file you
created in the previous procedure and add it to the disc image file, overwriting the
one that exists there in the \sources\ folder. Double-click the image to burn it to the
DVD using the Windows Disc Image Burner.
You might want to do this for a couple of reasons. First, a slipstreamed installation DVD is
useful when you need to reinstall Windows or install it on a new PC. A slipstreamed version
of the software is far better updated than the original install. You may also want to create
a slipstreamed installation DVD if you want to use System File Checker as mentioned previously.
The installation DVD you use with System File Checker must include the service pack
that matches the one installed on your PC. If it doesn’t, some operating system files will not
match, and System File Checker will abort with an error.
Sadly, creating a slipstreamed service pack installation DVD for Windows 7 isn’t as simple
as it is for Windows XP. With Windows XP, you simply copy the contents of your Windows
XP installation disc to your hard drive and use an /integrate switch with the service pack
to build it into the file structure. Then you burn back to a bootable DVD. This procedure
changed with Windows Vista, and while you can still slipstream, it’s a significantly more
complex process. Here, however, I’ll describe how to do it step by step.
What You Will Need:
Before beginning the slipstream procedure, gather the following items.
• A spare hard disk or partition on which you can install a fresh copy of Windows 7.
• The Windows 7 Automated Installation Kit (AIK), which you can download for free
from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/deta ... FamilyID=6
96dd665-9f76-4177-a811-39c26d3b3b34 or by searching the Microsoft website for
Windows 7 AIK. You will need approximately 1.5 GB of free disk space to install the
Windows AIK on your PC.
• A blank CD or DVD.
• Software for creating an ISO file.
Step 1: Creating a Windows Pre-Installation Environment
Startup Disc
1. You first need to create a startup disc for the Windows Pre-Installation Environment
(WinPE). To do this, run the Windows 7 AIK installer and select Windows AIK Setup.
2. When the Windows 7 AIK is installed, select Microsoft Windows AIK from the
Start menu, right-click Deployment Tools Command Prompt, and select Run As
Administrator.
3. In the command prompt window that appears, type C: and press Enter. Then type cd
.\Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools, and press Enter again to access the AIK folder.
4. Use the Copype.cmd script, changing the arguments as necessary to match the
locations for your WinPE files and the desired destination folder. (Valid versions
include 32-bit [x86] or 64-bit [x64]. Other supported types are amd64 and ia64.)
Type copype.cmd x86 C:\winpe_x86 or copype.cmd x64 C:\winpe_x64, and press
Enter.
5. The command in step 4 creates a folder structure in a new folder. (For the purposes
of this tutorial, we’ll assume this is C:\winpe_x86.)
Next, to copy the base WinPE image to this folder structure, type copy C:\winpe_
x86\winpe.wim C:\winpe_x86\ISO\sources\bot.wim, and press Enter.
6. Next, you need to add disk boot files to the files you have created in steps 4 and 5,
ready for burning to a CD or DVD.
a. Type dism /Mount-wim /Winfile:C:\winpe_x86\ISO\sources\boot.wim /
index:1 /MountDir:C:\winpe_x86\mount, and press Enter.
b. Type copy C:\winpe_x86\ISO\bootmgr C:\winpe_x86\mount, and press
Enter.
c. Type mkdir C:\winpe_x86\mount\boot, and press Enter.
d. Type xcopy /cherky C:\winpe_x86\ISO\boot C:\winpe_x86\mount\boot,
and press Enter.
7. Add the ImageX disc image creation program to the folder by typing copy “C:\
Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools\x86\ImageX.exe” C:\winpe_x86\mount, and
pressing Enter.
8. Next, create the boot configuration data (BCD) file for the disc. Type the following
commands, pressing Enter after each one.
a. Del c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD
b. Bcdedit /createstore c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD
c. Bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD -create {bootmgr} /d
“Boot Manager”
d. Bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD -set {bootmgr} device
boot
e. Bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD -create /d “WINPE”
-application osloader
9. The command in step 8e returns a GUID value. Type the following commands,
substituting the GUID value returned by step 8e for {GUID}. The GUID should look
similar to {21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D} but will contain different
numbers and letters. Press Enter on your keyboard after each step.
a. Bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD -set {GUID} osdevice boot
b. Bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD -set {GUID} device boot
c. Bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD -set {GUID} path \
windows\system32\winload.exe
d. Bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD -set {GUID} systemroot \
windows
e. Bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD -set {GUID} winpe yes
f. Bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD -displayorder {GUID}
-addlast
10. Finally, create an ISO disc image that you can burn to a CD or DVD. Type oscdimg
–n –m –o –bC:\winpe_x86\etfsboot.com C:\winpe_x86\mount C:\winpe_x86\
winpe_x86.iso, and press Enter.
For Intel Itanium–based architecture, replace etfsboot.com with efisys.bin.
If you are building an ISO to an AMD Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) ISO instead,
type oscdimg.exe –bC:\winpe-x64-efi\efisys.bin –pEF –u1 –udfver102 C:\
winpe-x64-efi\ISO x64-efi-winpe.iso, and press Enter.
11. You will now have an ISO file in the C:\winpe_x86 folder that you can double-click to
start Windows Disc Image Burner
Note
You only ever need to create a single WinPE startup disc (and disc image). You can use
the same disc to install a slipstreamed version of Windows 7 on any computer
Step 2: Installing a Fresh Copy of Windows 7
1. Using your Windows 7 installation DVD, install a fresh copy of Windows 7 onto a
spare hard disk or partition. Use the version you want to create the slipstreamed disc
for, that is Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise, and so on.
2. When Windows 7 is installed and the screen asking for your username and password
appears, press Ctrl+Shift+F3 on your keyboard
3. The system restarts in audit mode. Do not close the System Preparation Tool window
that appears; you will need it later.
4. Install the appropriate service pack. (You can either download the service pack or
install it from a CD, network, or USB pen drive).
5. Windows may restart during the service pack installation. If the Windows 7 password
screen appears again, press Ctrl+Shift+F3 again to re-enter Audit Mode.
6. In the System Preparation Tool window, select Enter System Out-Of-Box Experience
(OOBE) from the System Cleanup Action menu, and select the Generalize option.
Place the WinPE startup disc in the CD/DVD drive. In the System Preparation Tool
dialog box, select Restart under Shutdown Options, and then click OK when you are
ready to create the new Windows image.
Step 3: Creating a New Windows Image File
1. After you follow the previous procedure, the system will start in the WinPE
environment, and a command prompt window will appear.
Noting the following substitution guidelines, type E:\imagex /compress fast /
check /flags “Professional” /capture D: E:\install.wim “Windows 7 Professional”
“Windows 7 Professional Custom” at the command prompt.
• If necessary, substitute the name of your Windows 7 edition for Professional in
the command.
• Substitute the drive letters of the disks on which you have the second copy of
Windows 7 installed and the disk where you want WinPE to store the new Windows
7 Image file. The file will be approximately 2 to 2.5 GB.
Step 4: Creating a New Windows 7 Installation DVD
1. Use ISO creation software (see the Inside Out sidebar below for more information
about where you can get this) to make an ISO file from your original Windows 7
installation DVD.
2. Using the same ISO creation software, locate the newly created Install.wim file you
created in the previous procedure and add it to the disc image file, overwriting the
one that exists there in the \sources\ folder. Double-click the image to burn it to the
DVD using the Windows Disc Image Burner.
