Windows XP Service Pack 4 custom ISO with all post-SP3 updates included

Final set of Windows XP Security updates is coming up on Tuesday, April 8, 2014.

We already know how to make a custom ISO to include Service Pack 3, but how do we include all the updates released after SP3 for Windows XP to make a final all-inclusive Windows XP ISO? There will be no official Service Pack 4 for Windows XP - so why don't we try to figure out how to make an all inclusive Windows XP installation ISO?

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The first question I'll ask before making any future motherboard purchase is: can Windows XP be installed on it?
Windows XP is perfect for multi-boots (not BCD dependent) and I still reboot from Windows 8 into Windows XP to use it for work.


• Windows XP allows you to group files or folders on different parts of the screen whereas in Windows 7/8, you can *only* do this on the Desktop and nowhere else. Windows 7/8 has no option to turn Auto-Arrange off. Registry edits which force Auto-arrange to be turned off cannot be used reliably because they break other Windows 7/8 features.

So if you need to group files/folders on the screen for work (for easier sorting) - there is no alternative but to reboot into Windows XP.


• If I am looking for something important on the system for work, I reboot into Windows XP and use Windows XP's Search Engine because Windows 7/8 Search Engine is more difficult to use and is not as reliable as Windows XP Search Engine. [I've caught Win7/8 missing hits and took screen shots.]


• Windows 8 Explorer status bar does not show file details like Windows XP does, if you have to work with a hundred or a thousand files, rebooting into Windows XP is necessary to work faster. For every file you save a second or two because of the more informative Windows XP status bar and because of this, more informative copy-paste initial screen, which Microsoft developers in their wisdom not only took out, but did so in a way that not even Classic Shell http://www.classicshell.net/downloads/ can bring back to Windows 8:

Doing an internet search, I found this thread:
http://www.ryanvm.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10321


Are they close to figuring it out or does it illustrate how difficult this will be?

This is just me, but that seems like a lot of effort for a "dead" OS. Security issues aside, there will come a day in the very near future when you won't be able to buy hardware that XP will even run on. While you have valid reasons Win7/8 won't work for you, how about some other alternatives? There are 3rd party file management apps. Or, you could dual boot to a linux partition.

That said, if you are dead set on XP, I would personally approach this differently. The programmer in me would tackle this by collecting all of the additional packages that need to be installed and writing a routine to systematically install them. It could be as simple as a .bat or vbscript.

What is potentially a better option is creating an install of XP (I'd use a VM) and updating it with everything, and then remove all of the hardware specific drivers. XP will boot up in such a "vanilla" state, and start auto-detecting hardware. I've used this trick to migrate XP installs from one set of hardware to another without needing to do a reinstall or repair. You could then clone that XP image and use the phone activation trick to change out the product key to something valid.

My final point is to think about activation. MS will continue to activate for a while, they say there's no end date for that. However, you are at their mercy. Hardware considerations aside, eventually you won't be able to activate XP anymore. I highly recommend you seek out a viable alternative plan.

I have a quadruple boot. I think you missed the point. Windows XP is good to have as part of your multi-boot for many reasons...


Besides, why have just one operating system? Why abandon your old OS when you upgrade? Just partition the SSD into relatively small partitions and keep old OS when installing new ones. I almost never reboot into Vista or Win7 except to test software on them or to see if a glitch in any software is OS-related, but I often reboot into Windows XP from my Windows 8 to do actual work
Welcome to overclockers forums

Download all Windows XP Post SP3 Updates / Hotfixes for nLite
http://xdot.tk/updates.html

RyanVM's Windows XP Post-SP3 Update Pack
http://www.ryanvm.net/msfn/updatepack-sp3.html

... and use w/ RyanVM Integrator.

I only initially looked at the links. I understand you need to download each and every update separately then integrate it separately? If yes, this will take a while for each of us to do, for each separate download. Obviously it's best to wait until the last set comes out on April 8 and do a fully integrated final ISO then.


I wonder if anyone reliable has posted a completely integrated ISO, I mean it's pretty pointless for each one of us to spend hours separately doing this, this will be a useful ISO.

v1.0.3.7 of the Post-SP3 update pack is on the same page as I linked above.

I opened both pages and CTRL+F'd for 1.0.3.7 and got no hits.

There is a 1.0.3 hit here: www.ryanvm.net/msfn/updatepack-sp3.html

but the download appears to be a 29.0MB download and that date is 2009.


Please clarify.

It's OK., we will figure this out. Your link above is dead (forbidden).


I will do some research for the file to see if I can pinpoint what page you found that link on. Or whenever you have time later, maybe you can post it here.


P.S. What is this vs. what we are talking about and why are they having some trouble with making it:
http://www.ryanvm.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10321

I think there is a misunderstanding here about what RVMUpdatePackSP3_1.0.3.7z file is. It appears to be an old file and it does appear to be a 29MB file.

I was under the impression that this was supposed to be an all-inclusive post SP3 update file, which would have to be a (much) larger file and not more than a couple of weeks old to include the latest Windows XP updates.

It appears as though it can't be redirected. Just click on either that link or one of the mirrors on that page. I was able to start a download from all four links. And if you need to integrate newer hotfixes, security updates, etc., then just add those to the update pack. Or just utilize nLite from the other link I posted.

my understanding is that its just not going to be getting anymore updates right?? Does this mean you'll no longer be able to update a fresh install??

No, we're talking about including all the post SP-3 fixes inside the fresh install ISO so you don't have to rely on lengthy manual updates, or worry about when in the future Microsoft will cut off downloads which won't be for a long time. Starting next month there will be no more *new* updates. Old ones will still be available.


redduc900, thank you for your time. When you say "if you need to integrate newer" fixes, I'm not sure we are clear about what's going on here. If this file is from 2009... then 2009-2014 is half a decade worth of fixes, almost all fixes are not included then since Windows XP SP3 was released in 2008.

Hold up! Are you going to make a Win XP disk with all updates on it?

Silver_Pharaoh said:

Hold up! Are you going to make a Win XP disk with all updates on it?

Click to expand...

I have a Windows 7 ISO that came from Microsoft with SP1 preloaded.
Its pretty easy to make discs with all the updates loaded, just takes some time.

ATMINSIDE said:

I have a Windows 7 ISO that came from Microsoft with SP1 preloaded.
Its pretty easy to make discs with all the updates loaded, just takes some time.

Click to expand...

I've heard of doing it, but I've never actually attempted it.

Having an XP disk with all updates + service packs might be a big disk, but very cool and useful.

Nothing a DVD can't (easily) hold...

I just occasionally build a sliptstreamed disc is all... I do not have a quad boot though like this dude has... LOL!

It's easy to integrate a Service Pack into the original installation. Some people (including myself) didn't bother with updates beyond Service Packs because every Patch Tuesday there is another set of updates, so I figure, since I'll have to connect anyway, just let it load everything it determines it needs, [there are new Patches that supersede old Patches etc.] But now after last Patch Tuesday comes next month, there is no justification for not having an all inclusive DVD, if one can be made.


I think there is a fundamental misunderstanding about what that means. I think that the thread I linked to, which I found after starting this thread, http://www.ryanvm.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10321 attempts to do just what we are talking about. I haven't looked at the details yet but at first look, this is not going to be easy.


P.S. Obviously this is not about simply double clicking on *each and every* Patch ever released after SP3, but a single initial installation that gets the computer into a state it would be after you run Windows Update.

I'm not sure what I can do to help, but lemme know if ya do.

I'd like a copy of this after we put it all together.

doublejack said:

This is just me, but that seems like a lot of effort for a "dead" OS. Security issues aside, there will come a day in the very near future when you won't be able to buy hardware that XP will even run on.... Hardware considerations aside, eventually you won't be able to activate XP anymore. I highly recommend you seek out a viable alternative plan.

Click to expand...

Actually, you will be able to buy hardware that runs Windows XP for decades. I an still buy hardware that runs Windows 3.1. (In fact, I sell some.) Granted, it's not new and a bit hard to find, but that doesn't mean it can't be done.

You will always be able to activate WinXP Enterprise, because it doesn't require activation. Further, if Microsoft were to ever stop activating Windows XP, they would be sued to kingdom come, because it would be a major violations of 100's of millions of existing licenses that granted use "in perpetuity".

That's not going to happen.