Dino Nuhagic, a Croatian college student,, updated his free vLite utility last week and then again yesterday to support "slipstreaming" of SP1, Microsoft's recent update to Vista.
Nuhagic first created software to shrink Windows Vista's footprint.
Dubbed vLite 1.1.6 Beta 2, the newest version now includes a "Service Pack Slipstream" action item that lets users merge SP1's changes with the files on an original, or RTM (release to manufacturing) install disc, and then produce an .iso file of the blend that can be burned to DVD and used to install Vista with the service pack included.
To slipstream SP1 with Vista, users need a copy of vLite, the 32- or 64-bit SP1 stand-alone installer that Microsoft posted last month to its download site, and a blank DVD disc.
Nuhagic has labeled 1.1.6 as a beta. "Consider this [slipstreaming] feature a true beta test," he said in a post to his blog last Friday.
"Let's give it more time," he said today in an interview via instant messaging when asked to describe the stability of the slipstreaming function. "I will name it 'final' after some more feedback. I mean, I did try it and it works, but you never know."
Vista Customization
After running vLite to slipstream SP1 with Vista, users can then pick and choose which Vista components, hot fixes, drivers and even language packs will be added to the disk image used to create an installation DVD.
Some users have reported dramatic reductions in the amount of hard drive space that their customized Vista installations require. Although Microsoft recommends that people set aside 15GB of storage space to install Vista, vLite users boast of squeezing it into an image file as small as 515MB that takes up just 1.4GB on the drive when installed.
vLite 1.1.6 beta 2 can be downloaded from Nuhagic's Web site or from any of three mirrored sites. Nuhagic has also posted a short description of the slipstreaming process on the site and will update it with screenshots in the future.
"[This is] just to clear some confusion I read on other forums," Nuhagic explained. "[People] are not sure when to apply the changes, and so on."
For more enterprise computing news, visit Computerworld. Story copyright © 2007 Computerworld Inc. All rights reserved.
- Sponsored Resource:Are you ready for virtualization? Try the sever assessment tool.
- Sponsored Resource:Stay at home servers. Learn more about a home server for your family.
- Sponsored Resource:Get the communications, data, and security a business needs in one neat package. Learn more.
- Sponsored Resource:Learn more about ultra light notebooks from Asus and the best warranty in the industry.
- Sponsored Resource:Thinking about a new Laptop? Lenovo has models to meet everyone's needs.
- Sponsored Resource:Get the truth about remanufactured ink. Learn more from HP.
- Sponsored Resource:Six smart ways to grow small business IT
News For Your Business
- Disable Shadows in 10.5 Window Screen Captures
- Top Ten Worst Uses for Windows
- Linux Not The Savior For Our Economy
- How to Save Time by Typing Less
- What Does It Take to Get a PC With XP?
Community Comments