Slipstreaming software

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MaMMa

Supreme [H]ardness
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Aug 11, 2004
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I'm working for a non profit organization and all the computers they get in is donated from the community around here. They are all old and non of them are alike so I can not just create an image and push it out as I would like. Every single machine has to be formatted individually and it sucks.

I am wondering if it is possible to slipstream MS Office and some other software into the Windows installation CD.

Thanks!
 
It won't slipstearm into Windows, but you can make it install automatically after Windows installs. nLite is a good tool to use for slipstreaming updates and automating installs.

There isn't really enough room on a CD to put MS-Office and Windows on it, but there is enough room to put OpenOffice on a CD with Windows. You could use a DVD if you need MS-Office to fit.
 
I don't kwow your situation, but just throwing an idea out there, have you considered Linux? Ubuntu comes with a nice set of software already, including OpenOffice. Ubuntu also has an oem mode to it's text-mode installer that would be good in situations where the person needs to choose their password on first boot-up. Not to mention, Ubuntu is free.
http://ubuntu.com
 
There are ways to integrate Office directly into the install files of Windows XP, it's just not an easy task to accomplish. Some of the things people are doing nowadays with homebrew service packs, update packs (RyanVM being the most popular one I'm aware of) and other projects (www.autopatcher.com) are pretty amazing considering none of this was ever probably even considered by Microsoft.

So much for keeping it simple, I suppose.

As the poster above said, nLite is the premiere tool these days for doing integrated install CDs but as I just said, to integrate apps like Office or Acrobat and others, it takes a lot more effort - meaning more effort than just manually installing the apps and the OS on those individual workstations most likely.

Besides, when you do it manually you can be pretty safe knowing it all works as expected. When using nLite to do streamlining/slipstreaming and app integration, it only takes one thing to go wrong and the whole house of cards can tumble down meaning you waste all the time creating the installer CD/DVD in the first place only to have it be useless across those workstations and... you end up doing it all manually anyway.

Hope this helps...
bb
 
nLite is awsome. I am a huge fan of it and started using it for over a year now? I have all the updates and service packs in, its just office that I'm mainly concerned about. I'll take a look at the suggestions mentioned above.

As far as linux, most of the users here are seniors and all volunteers. They are newbs :(

Thank you,

MaMMa
 
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