# Build an XP SP3 Recovery Disc or installation disk from XP SP1 or XP SP2



## Gauravs90 (Sep 2, 2009)

This helps very much when you installed SP3 as an update and one day your XP goes corrupt. Now what to do you can't use your original xp disc to repair XP.
This tutorial explains how to create SP3 recovery disk or installation disk.

*Step 1: Take Stock* 
 To prepare a recovery CD, you'll need only three things: a Windows XP install CD (any edition), a valid Windows product key, and about 1.5 gigabytes of free space on your hard drive. Of course, as with many recipes, procuring the ingredients is often the hardest part. 

 The install CD can be any version, including Service Pack 2, Service Pack 1, or the original release from 2001. If you already have a disc labeled "Windows XP with Service Pack 3" (as opposed to merely an SP3 _update _disc), then you don't need this procedure.

 The CD can be difficult to come by if you bought your PC with Windows preinstalled, mostly because so many manufacturers omit Microsoft's installer CD these days in favor of some sort of customized "express install" recovery disc. (This is done for a variety of reasons, including to simplify customer support and also, in the penny-pinching tradition, to reduce Microsoft licensing fees.) Some PC manufacturers are service-conscious enough to send a true XP CD to any customer who asks for one, but if you're not so lucky, you can get a genuine disc on eBay for as little as $10. 

The 25-digit key, of course, you should already have handy if you own a legal license to the software. If XP came with your PC, it's printed on a sticker somewhere on the PC case; if you bought XP, it's on a sticker on the CD sleeve. (You may also have been compulsive enough to save the hologram-laden Certificate of Authenticity, which should have the key as well.) If you can't find it, contact your PC's manufacturer or, barring that, Microsoft for a proper key. You might also try the simply awesome (and awesomely named), open-source Magical Jelly Bean Key Finder, a tiny little utility whose sole purpose is to find the registration keys hidden away in your Registry. 

*Step 2: Slipstream Service Pack 3* 
 To create a slipstreamed XP SP3 CD, first create a new folder called _XP _in the root folder of your hard drive. Insert your original XP CD, start Windows Explorer, and then navigate to your CD drive. Highlight everything in the root folder of the CD, and copy all of it to the C:\XP folder you just created. 

Next, create a second new folder alongside C:\XP, and name it _SP3. _Go to download.microsoft.com, type _sp3 network install _into the search box, and click the link for Windows XP Service Pack 3 Network Installation Package for IT Professionals and Developers in the search results. Download the 324MB file, _WindowsXP-KB936929-SP3-x86-ENU.exe, _and save it to the new C:\SP3 folder.  
  From the _Start _menu, select _Run _(or press Windows key-R). Type the following command at the prompt and click _OK:_ 
  c:\sp3\WindowsXP-KB936929-SP3-x86-ENU /integrate:c:\xp 

Type the entire command on one line with only a single space between _ENU _and _/integrate_—there should be no spaces surrounding the colons. 

If all goes well, the process should take a minute or two and then conclude with a simple "Completed" message box. Otherwise, if you see an error, here's what it means: 
_
Failed to copy some or all of the files necessary for integrated install: _This can happen for any number of reasons, most likely because you mistyped the _/integrate _command. But do make sure you have plenty of free hard drive space, and that all of the files from your older XP CD are present in the C:\XP folder. 
_
*…is not recognized as an internal or external command:* _Either you mistyped the SP3 update filename, or you didn't save it in the C:\SP3 folder. 
_
*…is not a valid Win32 application:*_This error usually means the file you downloaded is corrupt, or has not finished downloading. Delete the file and try downloading again.
_
*…not the correct version:* _You're trying to slipstream the U.S. English version of the SP3 update with a non-English copy of Windows XP, or vice versa. Just return to the Microsoft download page, choose your language from the _Change language _list, and download the correct file.


*Step 3: Bootstrap and Burn

*You're not done with your old XP disc yet; you still need to pull the boot loader off the old disc so you can make the new one bootable. 

The easiest way to do this is using ImgBurn, available free from www.imgburn.com. Install ImgBurn, start the app, and click Write files/folders to disc on the first screen. Choose the Advanced tab, followed by the Bootable Disc tab, and from the Extract Boot Image list select the drive containing your XP disc. Click the Save icon and save the BootImage.ima file to your C:\SP3 folder. 

Now it's time to burn a new CD. You'll need CD-burning software capable of creating a bootable CD, such as ImgBurn, Nero Burning ROM (part of Nero 8 Ultra Edition), or Roxio Media Creator, and you'll need to customize the burning settings carefully. 

If you're using Roxio or Nero, choose Bootable CD or CD-ROM (Boot), respectively, from the list of project types. Or, if you're using ImgBurn, choose the Advanced tab, followed by the Bootable Disc tab, and turn on the Make Image Bootable option. 

Next, use 0x7C0 for the load segment, and 4 for the sector count. Make sure you're using the Joliet file system, and if prompted to choose a bootable disc emulation type, select no emulation. Specify the BootImage.ima file you just created as the boot image; copy the CD volume label from your original XP CD, and paste it as the disc label for your new project. 

Drag the entire contents of the C:\XP folder into your CD project and burn the CD. For good measure, use a Sharpie pen to write your XP key right on your CD, and then put the disc in a safe place for that rainy day


----------



## Amir.php (Sep 2, 2009)

According to You, need:
Any edition xp cd
1.5 gb hdd space.
But you can do it more easily using nLite....Make your xp sp3 iso and burn on single cd.
Also can do more customization as you want.


----------



## phuchungbhutia (Sep 2, 2009)

Thanks for the tutorial . . Finally i ll get to do it in a dvd . . I failed it with nlite . . It couldnt create size over 900mb . . Maybe this ll do the magic


----------



## kapsicum (Sep 7, 2009)

thanks .. you remind me to slipstream SP3 ...usually i just reinstall Xp with SP2 & applyinh SP3 update patch on it..


----------

