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DriverPacks were created for integrating drivers directly into your Windows setup CD, which also
happens to make an unnattended installation easier. We are going to assume that you understand the
basics of creating an unattended Windows setup CD. Therefore, if you are a complete beginner and
want to build an unattended setup CD, we suggest that you first read the excellent tutorials over at
MSFN.org.
DriverPacks BASE is an integration program that will take individual DriverPacks (downloaded here
or created by yourself) and integrate them into a local 32-bit Windows source for installation on
another PC. (installing from the slipstreamed CD or from a RIS networked image.). At the time of this
writing, you can use DriverPacks BASE to slipstream the Driverpacks into a Windows 2000, XP or
Server 2003 source.
In this tutorial, we will be using a Windows XP Home OEM CD-ROM as source, and DriverPacks
BASE 7.04.
Before we start, there are a few items you will need.
1. Local Windows source (That is a copy of the original Windows CD in a folder on your hard
disk.)
2. DriverPacks BASE
3. DriverPacks for your hardware you must not extract them!
4. Optional: 7-zip (free). (Needed for creating or modifying DriverPacks)
It is highly recommended that you use either nLite or the RyanVM Integrator to integrate all current
hotfixes prior to integrating DriverPacks. This will create a secure, up-to-date Windows install with
minimal downloads from the Microsoft Update website. Please refer to the above websites for detailed
instructions for those programs.
Caution
Once the DriverPacks are integrated into your Windows source, you will not be able to integrate
any patches or hotfixes without breaking the DriverPacks. This means that you should run nLite
and the RyanVM Integrator before DriverPacks BASE!
The recommended order is:
1. RyanVM Integrator
2. nLite
3. DriverPacks BASE
First, copy your Windows CD to a folder. You can choose to use or not use nLite or the RVM
Integrator on it. Whether you do or not, that folder will be your local Windows source for the rest of
this tutorial. In this example, you can see that the copy is located at C:\OEMXP.
Image 2:
DriverPacks BASE as downloaded from driverpacks.net
Then, double-click the DP_BASE_704.exe file and allow it to extract its contents to the folder you
picked.
Images:
Extracted DriverPacks BASE.
Images:
Installing DriverPacks: just a matter of copying them into the right directory.
Now from the below screen you can select the Windows source directory we created earlier in step 1
(the directory that contains the I386 folder, NOT your C:\Windows\ directory) by pressing the
"Browse" button. Select what type of Windows source you are using (typically select "disc" option
unless you are using an advanced multiboot Win2k, WinXP, Win2k3 source or a BartPE environment).
Then click the right arrow button again.
Selecting DriverPacks
Next, in the screenshot below, you can select which DriverPacks you want to integrate. If you don't
have a DriverPack available, that option will be greyed out.
downloaded 3rd Party DriverPack, or DriverPacks you built yourself, in the 3rd party DriverPacks
folder and selected to load them, you would not see individual 3rd Party DriverPacks listed here. It's all
or nothing, so be careful what you place in the 3rd party DriverPacks folder.
The BASE versioning system will detect and use the latest version if you have more than one copy of a
DriverPack in the folders.
Have you made your selection? Press the right arrow button to continue.
Some drivers require some special attention, to get installed at all, or because they come with a control
panel that requires a separate setup that must be executed (for example the control panels of ATI and
nVidia GPUs). That's where the DriverPacks Finisher comes in. It's a small, yet extremely flexible
application that should run after Windows has finished installing. It will then finish off the
installation (hence its name) by installing control panels and handling edge cases for you
completely automated.
In the below screen you can select when you want the DriverPacks Finisher to run. Read the
description for each option. GUIRunOnce is selected by default. If you don't want to set any optional
settings, just press the Slipstream! button, otherwise press the right arrow button twice to go to the
optional settings.
Images:
The initial DriverPacks BASE screen
To continue, a valid location must be selected
A valid location has been selected.
You're able to choose which DriverPacks you would like to slipstream
Choosing a slipstream method
Choosing a method to start the DriverPacks Finisher
QuickStream Cache
Next up is the QuickStream Cache. Read the descripton. It is enabled by default.
Basically, the QuickStream Cache speeds up the integration process for the next time you use
DriverPacks BASE. However, if you edited and repackaged your DriverPack Mass Storage, you must
clear out the QSC directory (which is where the QuickStream Cache is stored). You will find it easily,
in this example it would be present at C:\Driverpacks\QSC\.
Under normal circumstances, the version numbering system will prevent an outdated cache from being
used, but it is still wise to clear it when updates were downloaded.
Images:
Optional setting: KTD
Optional settings: QuickStream Cache
Other optional settings
Images:
Overview of settings
Images:
The built-in UpdateChecker
Step 8: slipstream!
If all is ready Mash that "Slipstream!" button and let 'er rip!
Depending on the speed of your PC and the number of DriverPacks you are integrating, the
slipstreaming process may take anywhere from 8 seconds to 5 minutes.
If you run into any errors, search the forums before you post your problem. Chances are someone has
already encountered the same problem you have and someone else has already found the solution.
If all went well, then build your Windows source into an ISO file (using nLite or RyanVM Integrator),
test it in a Virtual Machine (using VirtualPC, or VMWare) but remember that drivers won't install
properly in a virtual environment, burn to CD-RW (mistakes are erasable!), and test on real live PC
hardware. Make sure to give us feedback on your success/failure. Only your feedback will make these
DriverPacks even better than they are now we obviously cannot test everything for you, because
then we'd need to have all hardware in existence.
We hope this tutorial was helpful. If you feel DriverPacks are a worthwhile investment, please donate
to the cause.
Images:
Slipstreaming
Slipstream complete!