How to make a Windows XP install CD with SP2 or SP3

If you have a Windows XP installation CD that do not have Service Pack 2 (SP2) or Service Pack 3 (SP3) on it, you will sometimes get in trouble when trying to install it on a computer with newer hardware. If you get a blue screen of death during the installation, it might be a sign that you need to include the SP2 or SP3. Newer Windows XP installations CDs comes with a SP already included. To check if that is the case with your Windows XP installation CD, insert

into a computer. If you see a file named WIN51P.SP2 in the top folder of the CD, this means your Windows XP installation CD already has Service Pack 2 included. Follow these steps in order to make an installation CD with no (or a lower) SP complete with Windows XP and SP2 or SP3 included.  Note: If your Windows XP installation CD has no included SP or SP1, you must integrate it with SP2 before you integrate it with SP3. Note: Some license keys will not work if you upgrade your installation CD to SP3 but may work with SP2. In that case, just upgrade your Windows XP installation CD with SP2 and then, when you have finished installing Windows XP, upgrade the running system to SP3 using Windows Update.

  1. Copy the entire content of the Windows XP installation CD to a folder on your computer, for example C:\XPCD.
  2. Download the Windows XP Service Pack 3 Network Installation Package from Microsoft.
  3. Download the Windows XP Service Pack 2 Network Installation Package from Microsoft (this is not needed however, if your CD already has SP2 on it and you can skip to step 6).
  4. Start a Command prompt and enter the following command to unpack Service Pack 2: 
    C:\path_to_downloaded_service_packs\WindowsXP-KB835935-SP2-ENU.exe -x
  5. The -x parameter lets you choose where the Service Pack should be unpacked. Enter for example C:\SP2
  6. Start a Command prompt and enter the following command to unpack Service Pack 3: 
    C:\path_to_downloaded_service_packs\WindowsXP-KB936929-SP3-x86-ENU.exe -x
  7. Unpack this file to for example C:\SP3
  8. Enter the following command to update the Windows XP installation with SP2: 
    C:\SP2\i386\update\update.exe /integrate:C:\XPCD
  9. Enter the following command to update the Windows XP installation with SP3: 
    C:\SP3\i386\update\update.exe /integrate:C:\XPCD
  10. Now burn the contents of C:\XPCD to a new CD-R. Make sure that C:\XPCD will be equal to the top folder of the new CD-R and remember to make it bootable.
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