So Windows XP SP2 is out and for every other edition of Windows XP apart from Media Center slipstreaming this update is a pretty simple thing. The Media Center components do not appear to get updated when you intergrate SP2 into an image, there is a way to slipstream sp2 but I’m pretty sure this isn’t a supported method so use this at your own risk, should you encounter issues after installation you will not be able to get any support from your OEM or Microsoft.
1) Create a folder on your hard disk called XPMCESP2 and copy the contents of your Windows XP CD 1 and 2 into this folder. This must be a full version of the Media Center install software, not a manufacturer recovery disc; a suitable disc will have an i386, DOTNETFX, support and tools folders on CD1, and then CMPNENTS folder on CD2.
I am using MSDN DVD 2428.1 using
CD1 - \ENGLISH\WINXP\PRO_SP1A
CD2 - \ENGLISH\WINXP\TABLETPC\CD2
If you wish to create a DVD for Media Center 2002 you can now skip to burn the bootable disc to CD/DVD using Nero 6, else follow the steps below to integrate SP2.
2) Download the 266MB network installer for Windows XP Service Pack 2 from
http://microsoft.com/windowsxp/sp2
3) Once downloaded run DRIVELETTER:\xpsp2.exe /integrate:driveletter:\xpmcesp2
You should now see a window titled ‘extracting files’ on screen, this will update the Professional CD1 components present on the CD and may take a few moments to complete.
Once ‘Integrated install has completed successfully’ appears on screen move to step 4
4) Open mediactr.cab in the XPMCESP2\CMPNENTS\MEDIACTR\I386 folder
Copy the 6 JPEG files, custsat.dll, mcintro.wmv and doa3.dvr temporary folder
Arch.jpg
BigWave.jpg
custsat.dll
doa3.dvr
Fish.jpg
Freestyl.jpg
mcintro.wmv
Rio.jpg
winxpfs.jpg
Now deleted mediactr.cab from this folder and move your files from their temporary directory to XPMCESP2\CMPNENTS\MEDIACTR\I386
5) Media Center 2004 uses some video files which are not included in the service pack or the original components. These can be downloaded from
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/mediacenter/displaycalibration.mspx
or taken from a current Media Center 2004 install. However unless your planning to burn the CMPNENTS folder as a separate CD, or use DVD Media I’d recommend creating some text files and rename them so a 0byte file exists with each video name. If you put all the videos as a whole in the image will be around 875Mb.
The additional files are
AspectRatio4x3.wmv
AspectRatio16x9.wmv
Brightness.wmv
ColorTint.wmv
Contrast.wmv
intro.wmv
Positioning4x3.wmv
Positioning16x9.wmv
RGBBalance.wmv
Sharpness.wmv
Once these files or a 0byte file with that name exists in your CMPNENTS folder rename intro.wmv to ehintro.wmv
When doing this I found I was able to get everything onto a single 700Mb CD with doa3 and the intro videos as 0 byte files. This maintains the functionality should you want to setup your display using the wizard.
Now at present your \CMPNENTS\MEDIACTR\I386 folder should contain
Arch.jpg
BigWave.jpg
custsat.dll
doa3.dvr
Fish.jpg
Freestyl.jpg
mcintro.wmv
Rio.jpg
winxpfs.jpg
AspectRatio4x3.wmv
AspectRatio16x9.wmv
Brightness.wmv
ColorTint.wmv
Contrast.wmv
ehintro.wmv
Positioning4x3.wmv
Positioning16x9.wmv
RGBBalance.wmv
Sharpness.wmv
6) It is now time to add the updated files from Service Pack 2. Download winrar from www.rarlabs.com, after installation right click on xpsp2.exe and select open with winrar. Browse to i386 > root > cmpnents and extract the Mediactr and netfx folders to a temporary directory. Now in the mediactr folder you just extracted go into the i386 sub folder, select all the files in this directory and copy them to your CD image folder XPMCESP2\CMPNENTS\MEDIACTR\I386.
7) We must also upgrade the .net framework patch which exists in CMPNENTS\NETFX\I386. To do this delete the cab file which exists in this folder and repeat the previous operation for the extracted netfx folder moving the files to \CMPNENTS\NETFX\I386.
8) Create a 0Kb file called MEDIACTR.CAB in your \CMPNENTS\MEDIACTR\I386 folder and NETFX.CAB in your \CMPNENTS\NETFX\I386
Integrating SP2 may also have created or recreated a TABLETPC folder in \CMPNENTS; this can be deleted to save space on the disc. Your image should now be complete you are ready to burn.
To burn the bootable disc to CD/DVD using Nero 6:
1) Download the Windows XP Boot image file xpboot.bin from www.dougknox.com/xp/xpboot.zip and extract it from the ZIP file. It does not need to be in the same folder as the files from the ISO's.
2) Open Nero 6 and create a new CD or DVD-ROM (Boot) compilation depending on what you’re burning.
a) On the Boot tab, select the Image File radio button and point it to the xpboot.bin file you downloaded earlier.
b) Check the box Enable expert settings.
c) For Kind of emulation, select No Emulation.
d) On the boot tab, leave the Load segment of sectors at 07C0.
e) On the boot tab, change the number of loaded sectors to 4.
f) On the Label tab, in the ISO 9660 box enter WB2PFRE_EN
g) On the ISO tab set the following options
File Name Length: Max of 11 = 8+3 chars (ISO Level 1)
Format: Mode 1
Character Set: DOS
Joliet – Enabled
Allow path depth of more than 8 directories – Enabled
Allow more than 255 characters in path – Enabled
Do not add the ';1' ISO file version extension - Enabled
Allow more than 64 characters for Joliet names - Enabled
No other changes should be necessary in the New Compilation dialog.
3) Click the New button on the compilation dialog.
4) Drag the all the files from your XPMCESP2 folder into the Nero window so that you have the folders such as i386 at the root of the disc.
5) Burn the compilation to CD/DVD and you're all done.