I was wondering what the senses is on nlite vs ryanvm integrater, as far as making a slipstreamed cd. I also wonder what virual machine you would reccomend for testing the cd?

I'd go for /integrate personally, or if making a custom cd, use RyanVM.

I use nlite, RVMi seems to be held in higher regard but if you use nlite to do other stuff to cd such as removing components you effectively remove a step from the process as nlite also handles integration. Since I am used to nlite I always use it and cannot think of any specific problems I have come across that are caused by nlite alone. Occasionally people will make addons that are not compatible with nlite but I dont use those addons so not a problem for me.

Why use an app for this in the first place? The service pack has a /integrate switch for a reason. It's the standard way to slipstream, and it's very easy.

Example:
step 1) copy CD contents into C:\XP
step 2) run WindowsXP-KB936929-SP3-x86-ENU.exe /integrate:C:\XP
step 3) there is no step 3! (reuse your winnt.sif, apply your other changes and burn away)


VMware

Both nuhi and RyanVM has stated that if you're gonna use nLite anyway, after having integrated the RVMPack, then also use it for integrating the RVMPack also(and in one pass too)...

However, as there's now SP3 out for WinXP, then i would recommend using that, instead of a post-SP2 update-pack...

I would also, just like crahak, recommend that you use the '/integrate' switch to slipstream SP3 into your install-source, but i wouldn't recommend using that switch for the post-SP3 updates, as HFSLIP and nLite does a much better job of that...

The reason being that the '/integrate' switch will besides replacing the outdated binaried with the new updated ones, also leave the new updated ones uncabbed, even though they where originally cabbed, and then also copy the installers into 'I386\svcpack\' and reference them all to be run at T-13 to get the needed reg-entries and occasionally post-install commands like e.g. registering new files etc..

Also, there's some different post-SP3 update-packs available, if you're into something like that...

I used to be a very enthustiastic user of such packs myself, but have now instead gone over to preffering to just get the updates straight from MS on every patch-tuesday, and then directly integrate them with HFSLIP(or you could use nLite), instead of relying on others work and what they happen to think should be included and their release-schedule etc...

Now about VM's, then VirtualBox seems very nice as it's lean and unbloated, but i unfortunetly cannot use it, as i'm getting an error about not being able to allocate enough memmory(i also only have 256mb RAM)...

Then i instead used VMware Workstation v6.0 for some time, and allthough it worked fine, then i hated how bloated and consumming it was, so i'm now gone over to using VMware Workstation v5.0, as that's much leaner while still fullfilling all of my purposses and only being about 78mb compared to the 250mb or more of v6.0...

Instead of the expensive VMware Workstation, then you could instead use the free VMware Player together with a vmx maker like e.g. the online easyvmx.

ms vpc 2007 is free but may be feature-poor compared to vmware. it's not bad at all, however.

vbox by sun is also another great free one. it supports usb capability, which vpc does not.

Thanks for all the info as it is very helpful.

I use virtual pc, what am I missing by not using vmware?

Speed and features...

if you are using vpc2007 just for home use - testing and stuff, you're not missing much except maybe usb support. vbox is a greater alternative for usb support - i do find it useful to be able to see my usb drive in the virtual machine.

yeah dont need usb support, I am not a fan of vmware after last time I used it, the network driver stuff it puts on killed my entire lan. O_o

virtual pc I find very fast it runs almost as fast as a dedicated pc.