Recovery CD

[barrowhill]

Having found out I need to remove SP1 before I can do a repair install, is it
possible to slipstream SP1 with the recovery CD to create a new one in case I
need or to do a repair install in the future

 

[Mark L. Ferguson]

Although theoretically possible, it's too much trouble to slipstream an
Image of Vista. The Resource kit is a one gig file, and you could do 4 sp1
online updates for that.

 

[barrowhill]

Mark,

Noted. Let's hope there's no SP2 and/or loads of hot fixes for Vista. I
see if it's possible to get another recovery CD from supplier that includes
SP1.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

Having found out I need to remove SP1 before I can do a repair install, is
it
possible to slipstream SP1 with the recovery CD to create a new one in
case I
need or to do a repair install in the future

You don't want to try it. Vista Gold's servicing stack did not support
slipstreaming. I believe that SP1 fixes that but you would already have to
be running SP1 to do it. Catch 22. However, if there is an SP2 that should
work out OK working from an SP1 base. The other methods of integrating
Vista Gold and SP1 are, as Mark indicates, arcane at best.

A slight clarification; Vista does not support an XP-style repair install.
In Vista it is an in-place-upgrade and is run from within Vista instead of
by booting with the media.

 

[barrowhill]

Colin,

Thanks for additional info. Problem would be having a recovery CD without
SP1 would mean if there becomes an SP2 or, even heaven forbid, an SP3, I'd
have to uninstall the downloaded SP1, (and SP2 etc) before a repair install
would be allowed. Hopefully in that case I'd only have to install latest SP
as that would include hotfixes of earlier releases?.

 

[Nonny]

Colin,

Thanks for additional info. Problem would be having a recovery CD without
SP1 would mean if there becomes an SP2 or, even heaven forbid, an SP3, I'd
have to uninstall the downloaded SP1, (and SP2 etc) before a repair install
would be allowed. Hopefully in that case I'd only have to install latest SP
as that would include hotfixes of earlier releases?.

Simple solution to that and a host of other possible problems:

Buy a nice, fat external USB drive and make periodic backups of your
entire system to it.

No need to worry about the sequence of service packs, and no need to
worry about catastrophes that will cause you to lose your data, etc.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

Colin,

Thanks for additional info. Problem would be having a recovery CD without
SP1 would mean if there becomes an SP2 or, even heaven forbid, an SP3, I'd
have to uninstall the downloaded SP1, (and SP2 etc) before a repair
install
would be allowed. Hopefully in that case I'd only have to install latest
SP
as that would include hotfixes of earlier releases?.

Yes you would.

But as always the solution is to use an imaging backup program like Acronis
True Image Home and archive images of the system drive following major
upgrades and to make periodic full backups. This is recommended for all
users whether the user ever installs a service pack or not.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

Thanks for additional info. Problem would be having a recovery CD without
SP1 would mean if there becomes an SP2 or, even heaven forbid, an SP3, I'd
have to uninstall the downloaded SP1, (and SP2 etc) before a repair
install
would be allowed. Hopefully in that case I'd only have to install latest
SP
as that would include hotfixes of earlier releases?.

To answer your second question, previous service packs usually are not
needed and you upgrade from Vista gold directly to the latest SP. There
were some considerations that required XP SP1 or later before upgrading to
SP3 but I have only seen that once. I don't see that happening with Vista.