One install is better than many

August 20, 2008 10:54 PM

How can I create a Windows install image (ISO) from an already installed XP installation?

I've used nLite in the past to create a slipstreamed version of Windows from my installation media, but I now have a fresh install of XP with all the basic applications installed that I'd like (virus scanners, chat clients, network tools, etc) and I'd like to avoid having to do this process all over again. Would it just be easiest to ghost the drive and can I do this to a CD image or is there another way?
I'm looking for a simple and cheap/free way to do this.

Thanks much!

posted by mcarthey to Computers & Internet (2 answers total)

Cloning is an option, and that has plenty of free options, but you will need a drive space that can hold as much as your entire installation setup. There's a list of software at the bottom of the Wikipedia page.
posted by Ky at 10:59 PM on August 20, 2008

I believe nLite can be used to do unattended application installations, like MS Office, etc.:

Here's a forum posting.

The trick with doing an image to be used over and over again is that you have to be working with very similar hardware, or the image won't work.
posted by chengjih at 7:00 AM on August 21, 2008