Masterclass: Break free from disaster

Create your customised disc
Once everything is downloaded (we recommend putting them all in the same folder for ease of access), start by installing Nlite. Leave the default options as they are and after clicking Finish, the program will automatically launch.

After clicking Next at the welcome screen, you’ll be prompted to locate your existing installation files. Pop your XP installation disc into the drive, exit any welcome screen that may pop up, then click Browse to select your CD or DVD drive.

Nlite will prompt you to select or create a folder to save the modified files to: click OK, choose a folder on the hard disk and click OK again. Make sure the selected disk has enough free space available ­ if you’re not integrating drivers, then 1GB should be ample; double this amount if you are.

Wait while the files are copied from the XP disc to the hard disk. Once complete, the existing installation (Windows XP, XP SP1 or XP SP2) will be identified. Click Next twice to arrive at the main menu screen, which is where you select the parts of Nlite you want.

For the purposes of this Masterclass, we’ll not only be integrating files into the disc, but also setting up some options and tweaks to speed things up further. Click the following items to select them: Service Pack, Hotfixes, Addons and Update Packs, Unattended, and Tweaks before clicking Next.

Unlike other portions of the program, slipstreaming SP3 into the installation files is done instantly. Click Select to browse and select the SP3 file.

The slipstreaming process will begin, files will be extracted and when complete, you’ll be told ‘Integrated install has completed successfully’. Click OK, wait and you should see the installation now referred to as SP3 (5.1.2600.5512). Click Next.

Integrating IE7 and WMP11 is simple using the next screen. Click Insert to select the CAB files downloaded earlier ­ if both are in the same folder, hold Ctrl while clicking each in turn to select both, or select them individually. Once both appear in the list, click Next.

Save time during setup
The Unattended portion of Nlite allows you to specify setup requirements such as regional information and the product key, so they’re skipped during the installation process, speeding things up further. This portion is split into 10 tabs, but not all are required. We’ll guide you through the options that are relevant to creating an unattended setup.

Start at the General tab. Make sure ‘Hide pages’ is ticked under Unattended Mode to ensure you’re not prompted during setup for any information entered now. If you enter the XP product key, it will save having to do so again later. Switch to the Users tab to set up any other user accounts. Create at least one account (your own), password-protected, if necessary, and if you are the only user of your PC, select it from the Autologon section to bypass the Welcome screen each time you start Windows.

The Owner and Network ID tab allows you to set up the computer name, workgroup and personal details. Now switch to the Regional tab to choose English (United Kingdom), select the relevant time zone, and Western European and United States from the Language groups. The other tabs can be safely ignored as they have no bearing on the screens that appear during setup. Click Next when done.