Lesson 8: Installing Service Packs

With previous versions of Windows, you were required to install the Windows operating system and then apply each required service pack separately. Also, in the earlier versions of Windows, when components were installed or removed, the service pack had to be reapplied. For example, if you were to add remote access services to a computer running Windows NT 4.0 Workstation with service pack 4, you would have to reapply service pack 4 in order to make the installed component compliant with service pack 4.

Windows 2000 Professional eliminates the need to reapply a service pack after installing new components and allows you to apply a service pack at the same time that you install Windows 2000. This lesson describes this process.

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After this lesson, you will be able to

• Deploy service packs

Estimated lesson time: 5 minutes

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Slipstreaming Service Packs

Windows 2000 Professional supports service-pack slipstreaming, so service packs can be integrated with the Windows 2000 Professional installation files. This allows you to keep one master image of the operating system. When Windows 2000 Professional is installed from this master source, the appropriate files from the service pack are also installed. This saves you having to manually apply service packs after each Windows 2000 installation.

To apply a new service pack, run Update.exe with the /slip switch. This replaces the existing Windows 2000 files with the appropriate files from the service pack. Some of the key Windows 2000 files that are replaced when you apply a service pack include the following: Layout.inf, Dosnet.inf, Txtsetup.sif, and if any drivers have changed, a new Driver.cab file.

Deploying Service Packs After Installing Windows 2000

To apply a service pack to a computer running Windows 2000, run Update.exe. Running Update.exe replaces the existing Windows 2000 files with the appropriate new files from the service pack.

Unlike earlier versions of Windows, where each time you changed the system by adding or removing services, you had to reapply any service packs, Windows 2000 automatically recognizes that a service pack has been applied to the system and which files have been replaced or updated. Whenever you add or remove services from a computer running Windows 2000, the system copies the required files from either the Windows 2000 installation files or from the service pack install location, so you don't have to reapply the service pack.

Lesson Summary

Windows 2000 Professional simplifies the installation and maintenance of service packs and supports service-pack slipstreaming, so service packs can be integrated with the Windows 2000 installation files. As you install Windows 2000, the appropriate files from the service pack(s) are automatically applied during the installation.

This lesson also explained that when you apply a service pack to a computer running Windows 2000, and you later decide to add or remove services, you don't need to reapply the service pack. Windows 2000 automatically recognizes that a service pack has been applied to the system and copies the required files from either the Windows 2000 installation files or from the service pack installation location. This frees you from having to reapply the service pack every time services are added or removed from a computer.