Slipstream Windows XP with SP3 and updates (and drivers)

squeaky

-TangleFoot- wrote: »

Drivers already installed on the system cannot be used by nLite - you need to get them from somewhere else. Usually, you'll find them on the discs supplied with their associated hardware, but if these are not available you should be able to find the drivers on the Internet. In the rare event that they cannot be found, you can use something like Double Driver to back up those that are in use; you can then import the resulting files into nLite.

Be careful: doing this can add a lot of extra bulk to the image, which may result in it being too large to burn to disc!

Usually I just keep copies of any drivers I need on a separate storage medium - they can always be added after Windows has been installed anyway.

Thanks very much. As you say, if they make the install file too large at least I can have them all available and so separately install them. I'll have a play before adding this tip into the first post.
Actually I think nlite has the option of adding a few of your own files onto the disk without streaming them. This will obvioously depend on space.

squeaky

Well, it only seems to save the details of the drivers, not the drivers themselves, and, unfortunately, if I try searching for ANY of the text in that list on the Intel site I get no results.

Double_Driver wrote:

< Intel(R) 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB2 Enhanced Host Controller - 27CC >
Version: 8.2.0.1008
Date: 9-13-2006
Provider: Intel
Class: USB
Setup Information: oem3.inf
Setup Section: INTEL_USB2.NT
Hardware ID: pci\ven_8086&dev_27cc

Eventually I got a result by using just a part of one detail (82801G) but I'm blowed if I know if it's relevant to my machine.

What I did finally stumble across is the fact that windows has a dot inf folder and the dot inf for my USB2 is in there. Along with LOTS of others.

Hm... Intel's site is not exactly what I'd call user friendly. My brain hurts.

-TangleFoot-

squeaky wrote: »

it only seems to save the details of the drivers, not the drivers themselves

I managed to archive the driver for my wireless adapter with that utility very easily. Did you click the button labelled Backup?

squeaky

-TangleFoot- wrote: »

I managed to archive the driver for my wireless adapter with that utility very easily. Did you click the button labelled Backup?

In the end, yes. I started off by thinking "what on earth do I want to back up this list for?"
In zipped form a backup of all listed drivers is just 19MB, so I could easily add that to the disk.
I think I'll see what keeping the folder format is like and whether or not nlite will accept and include it with its multiple folder option thingy when it gets to drivers. But not tonight. My brain has clearly run out of puff.

But yes Double Driver is doing what I wanted. Brilliant thanks.

squeaky

-TangleFoot- wrote: »

Drivers already installed on the system cannot be used by nLite - you need to get them from somewhere else. Usually, you'll find them on the discs supplied with their associated hardware, but if these are not available you should be able to find the drivers on the Internet. In the rare event that they cannot be found, you can use something like Double Driver to back up those that are in use; you can then import the resulting files into nLite.

Be careful: doing this can add a lot of extra bulk to the image, which may result in it being too large to burn to disc!

Usually I just keep copies of any drivers I need on a separate storage medium - they can always be added after Windows has been installed anyway.

Brilliant thanks

If you use it to save ALL drivers and select the "Multiple folder" option after you hit the back-up key - nlite will grab the drivers and add them. It only added 20MB to the installation file and there's plenty more space available.

Of course - othe people's collection of drivers may be larger, but unless they've got a humingous amount of the things it shouldn't be a problem.

-TangleFoot-

squeaky wrote: »

If you use it to save ALL drivers...

You didn't back up the default Microsoft drivers too, did you? They're already on the disc, after all.

squeaky

Yes I did!

On purpose!

I've been using drivermax to collect updated drivers and some of those are microsnot drivers that have been updated since microwotsit issued their files.
After seing how many drivers I needed to update on drivermax I went into hardware devices and worked through the whole lot clicking on the update button and only two of (a possible 19) updated.
So some of my microsoft drivers are actually newer than the ones my original microsoft installation had.

-TangleFoot-

Point taken. Not what I'd do, but then I've always tried to avoid things that insist you create an 'account' before you can use them.

squeaky

-TangleFoot- wrote: »

Point taken. Not what I'd do, but then I've always tried to avoid things that insist you create an 'account' before you can use them.

Me too. Mostly.
I had in fact checked a couple of other sites before someone on this thread (thank you kindly) pointed me at drivermax. While it is somewhat idosyncratic - it does the job without sending you all round the houses like my earlier finds did.

Apparently they are in the process of upgrading their servers so that they can lift the "one driver a day" restriction.

Let's face it, once I'm up to date I'm not likely see a new driver arrive more often than about once a month.

So what do you think of the first post? Enough info? Anything wrong? Missing?

-TangleFoot-

I wouldn't create quite so many folders; I'd also let both nLite and Double Driver install to their default locations. That's... about it.