How To Make A Custom Windows XPCD

Original article: http://www.lockergnome.com/nexus/kteck/2007/09/04/how-to-custom-xp-cddvd

1. Get the required items:

  • Windows XP CD with SP2
  • Drivers you may want to integrate (extract them)

2. Download the tools:

3. Download the update files:

4. Install the tools:

  • Install nLite in any folder of your choice
  • Install Windows Media Player 11 Slipstreamer to the nLite folder
  • Install Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 to any folder of choice
  • Install Universal Silent Switch Finder

5. Integrate the updates:

  1. Insert XP SP2 CD
  2. Open nLite
  3. Press Next button
  4. Click Browse… button and browse to your CD drive
  5. Click OK
  6. Click OK
  7. Browse to your prefered destination for the project (this is where it stores the files it works with)
    If the folder does not exist press the Make New Folder button and name it whatever you want
  8. Let the file copy finish
  9. Click Next button
  10. Click Next button
  11. Select Hotfixes,Addons and Update Packs button and press Next button
  12. Click Insert button and insert all updates
  13. Click the Next button
  14. Click Yes Button
  15. Wait for the process to finish (This is gonna take a while)
  16. Click Next and click Finish

6. Customize the disc:

  1. Re-open nLite
  2. Click Next button
  3. Click Next button
  4. Click Next button
  5. Select Last Session and click Load and wait for it to say Loaded: Last Session
  6. Click Next button
  7. Deactivate Hotfixes,Addons and Update Packs by clicking on it
  8. Activate Drivers, Components, Unattendeded, Options, Tweaks, Bootable ISO by clicking on them
  9. Click Next button
  10. Insert any drivers you want to intigrate and click Next
  11. Click OK button
  12. Remove any components you dont want on your disc and click Next
    (be carefull as removing the wrong things could render the insalled Xp as broken)
  13. Configure the Unattended settings as per how you want them and click Next Use Universal Silent Switch Finder to find silent install switches for RunOnce tab
    (Its pretty easy.. click the help button if you are not sure)
  14. Configure the Options here as per how you want it and click Next
    (be carefull here as well with these settings as well)
  15. Configure the Tweaks and click Next
    (Go through th available tweaks and only apply what is pratical… some tweaks could have negative side effects)
  16. Click Yes
  17. Click Next
  18. Enter disc name in the Label field and click Make ISO button
  19. Browse to where you want to save the iso file and name it and press Save
  20. Test in Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 to see if your created ISO works
    (its easy to use)
  21. If it didn’t work retry from the start
  22. If it works burn it to CD/DVD

You can also add your favorite open-source/free programs & utilities by going to http://www.winaddons.com/nlite-addons . All of the programs on this page are in CAB format and can be added during the Hotfixes,Addons and Update Packs step. Not only do you not need to use RunOnce to install these programs…they will install silently for you.

You can also use with AutoIt scripts to create your own silent installation for any program you will not find at the nlite-addons page.