Is there any easy way to add updates/hotfixes to a Windows 7 installation media?

[txus.palacios]

I recently got a couple of 8GB USB sticks for less than 10$ both (actually, for 2.99 EUR each 8GB Lexar Jumpdrive, amazing deal...) and decided to give them an use moving my Windows 7 installer from my YUMI drive to one of the drives.

I can pretty much do the straight forward USB Tool procedure, but I would like to know if there's a way to save myself some time by adding all the available updates and hotfixes to the installer, so that when I install the OS I don't have to wait until they're downloaded (I don't have a WSUS... yet!)

Is there any "proven" nLite-ish app for Windows 7? I'm scared of Googling this because I will most probably just fall in a pit of adware, spyware and what not.

Only requirement is that it is free.

Thanks, OCF!

 

[Convicted1]

Right off hand... You might PM Seebs... He's done a bunch of work with stripping the Windows 7 OS. I know the software he uses includes the ability to add in the hotfixes and such.

He'd be my best guess for somebody to help ya out.

 

[redduc900]

You can slipstream the Win7 updates, hotfixes, drivers, etc. using vLite...

http://www.vlite.net/download.html

... and if you wanted to integrate SP1, you could use RT7Lite for that.

http://www.rt7lite.com/

 

[txus.palacios]

Thanks guys! Just installed vLite and I'm messing with it. Seems to be exactly what I need. I thought it was only for Vista, though.

 

[Seebs]

Win7 slipstreaming is a bit of a weird animal... You can use vLite to add hotfixes and other updates, but it will not do service packs and/or other updates like updating from IE8 to IE9. Some websites say that vLite will do service packs and IE updates, but it has been my experience that although it does pick them up and goes through the motions of applying them... The final product is always a corrupted .ISO.

You will need RT Se7en Lite - Beta (Build 2.6.0) if you want to slipstream SP1 and IE updates.

Google will lead you to plenty of tutorials on how to use RT7Lite to do your slipstreaming in no time.

 

[Convicted1]

Link is busted there Seebs...

 

[redduc900]

I linked you to it above. Is it not showing up for you?

 

[Convicted1]

Not really... All I get is a directory.

 

[redduc900]

There's a problem with their site right now.

 

[Convicted1]

There's a problem with their site right now.

IC... Makes sense.

Been that way for a few days now.

 

[Seebs]

Site is working fine on my end...

 

[Convicted1]

LOL... Not working for me in IE9 or FF.

 

[txus.palacios]

You hijacked my thread!!

Yes, found that it had some problems with IE9 and some hotfixes and found an alternative to RT7Lite and vLite called WinToolkit. RT7Lite is bloated with advertising.

 

[Seebs]

Never tried WinToolKit... I kind of agree with you on the RT7Lite banner inconvenience, but it's not really that bad once you get on with the task of customizing your install... I find my brain just blocks them out and I keep on plugging along and removing unwanted stuff off. It's kind of nice when you can take a 5GB+ ISO and strip it to where it is under 1GB and still functional.

 

[txus.palacios]

Never tried WinToolKit... I kind of agree with you on the RT7Lite banner inconvenience, but it's not really that bad once you get on with the task of customizing your install... I find my brain just blocks them out and I keep on plugging along and removing unwanted stuff off. It's kind of nice when you can take a 5GB+ ISO and strip it to where it is under 1GB and still functional.

Now, that stripping it under 1GB sounds really neat. I just need Windows to be able to run DirectX, Steam, and 3D stuff for games. Everything else is powered by Arch.

Might give it another try. The only problem is that it seems it relies on some ad scripts to behave properly (maybe it waits for them to load before doing anything), and since my pfSense box blocks them, it starts to bug itself.