Clean Installation of XP-SP3 From Retail ISO

L

Lex24

The question how to perform a clean XP installation using retail ISO keeps coming back from time to time. Here are some instructions. The BIOS is set to MBR/CSM/Legacy mode.

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1) Download the original retail XP-SP3 ISO file (google it):

en_windows_xp_professional_with_service_pack_3_x86_cd_x14-80428.iso

sha1: 1c735b38931bf57fb14ebd9a9ba253ceb443d459

Burn the CD and then copy its contents to a temporary folder, eg:

XPSP3CD

Alternately, use an application that will extract the files directly from the ISO to
XPSP3CD folder.

2) If you want to keep another instance of Windows installed on the same disk use GParted to create a second NTFS partition. GParted is a Linux application but you don't need to know anything about Linux to use it. It is run from a bootable CD. The graphical interface is not particularly impressive but under the hood you have the latest technology, available for free.

https://gparted.org/download.php

Please do some research about the best partition alignment for your disk. Around 2010 there were two important changes in hard disk technology:

a) MiB alignment replacing CHS alignment (Cylinder/Head/Sector)

b) implementation of Advanced Format drive technology (change of physical sector size from 512 to 4096 bytes).

All that stuff is a bit complex and not mentioned much on tech forums. Here is one possible way to deal with it:

- older disk (physical sector 512 bytes) with WinXP: aligned to CHS
- new disk (physical sector 4096 bytes) with WinXP: aligned to CHS
- new disk (physical sector 4096 bytes) with Linux: aligned to MiB

GParted has both alignment options available. Technically it is possible to have some partitions aligned to CHS and some to MiB on the same disk, but there will be small unallocated space left in between those partitions and performance penalties associated with such a layout are hard to predict.

3) Install Boot-US boot manager.

This step is only needed on a multi-boot system with a few instances of Windows. Boot-US is specifically designed for multi-booting Windows and it employs "true hiding" of primary partitions. It only works on systems with BIOS set to MBR/CSM/Legacy mode (it will not work in UEFI mode).

http://www.boot-us.com/

Here is some information about the importance of "true hiding":

http://www.boot-us.com/tips_w05.htm

4) Extract hardware drivers

There are tons of applications offering to scan your computer to check or extract the drivers for a fee, but all what is needed in this case is free Double Driver (just google it):

double_driver_4.1.0_portable.zip (2,165,485 bytes)

5) Download the latest drivers from manufacturer's website (HP, for instance, keeps them available for 10 years).

6) Extract OEM Product Key (it's usually different than COA key)

http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/product_cd_key_viewer.html

A few links to similar applications can be found here:

https://www.lifewire.com/produkey-review-2625099

7) Extract OEMBIOS files

Try to find the following file (google: getoem oembios getfiles.bat):

getfiles.zip (909 bytes)

In case the zip archive above is hard to find it is easy to build the two files included in the archive yourself from the source code provided in the first post at the link below:

http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/63258-building-a-pre-activated-cd-from-an-existing-installation/

getfiles.bat (442 bytes)

getkey.vbs (1108 bytes)

Place both files in a temporary folder and run getfiles.bat. Four OEMBIOS files and winnt.sif will be extracted in the same folder. They must all be copied to the following folder (replacing the original files):

XPSP3CD\i386

8) Modify Setupp.ini

XP-SP3 ISO file downloaded in p.1) above is intended for creating a retail CD. To get installation working on OEM computer the following file must be modified:

XPSP3CD\i386\setupp.ini

Change the Pid line (Channel ID) from generic (000) to OEM as follows:

Pid=76487000

Pid=76487OEM

76487 is XP-SP3 Product Code. Below is some extra information:

http://www.thetechguide.com/howto/setuppini.html

9) Integrate non-executable hardware drivers with nLite

http://www.nliteos.com/nlite.html

Hardware drivers which are executables (.exe) must be installed later from XP.

10) Modify CD Label

In CD burning application change the CD Label to:

GRTMPOEM_EN

11) Burn the CD

12) Boot to XP and install executable hardware drivers. Done.

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13) Shown below is an example of how to get IE8 and POSReady updates (until 2017-Dec-22) included on the XP-SP3 CD. Simply integrate the following three zip archives into XPSP3CD source using nLite:

XPSP3_QFE_UpdatePack_10-10-17.7z
XPSP3_QFE_POSReady_Addon_20171222_5er.7z
YumeYao_IE8_Addon_Clean_ENU_1.5.36.7z

https://ryanvm.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=7184

https://ryanvm.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10479

https://ryanvm.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=10482

In the example above POSReady updates for .NET are not included but it is possible to get them with a separate exe installer.

14) Using nLite it is also possible to remove all unwanted components and services and shrink the size of installation CD. Here is the list of some items removed in my current version of XP. The iso size is 242 MB and the size of drive C after installation is 1.20 GB (without a swap file):

- all drivers
- most keyboards and languages
- media center
- wmp , wmp6.4, shell media handler
- IP Conferencing, Netmeeting
- .NET Framework
- services: indexing, remote registry, system restore
- directories: docs, support, valueadd


Hope this helps.
 
the above is not for the average user, I have done none of the above and I reinstall once a year, HP does not have drivers for xp as it is over 10 years and not supported, hp drivers have to be gotten somewhere else on the net. :)

most all older models have only mbr settings, you should clarify that your instructions are for possibly newer and larger drives and for pc's that can dual boot, most all xp older pc's cannot run win7 without lots of hardware changes.

nlite is a good tool, but it is only a tool, you cannot arbitrarily delete windows programs unless you read up at the nlite forums on what is connected to what, a lot of windows programs are intertwined so that you can disable it but not delete it as other programs are dependent on parts of it.

http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/66361-what-not-to-remove-for-some-programs/?hl=+reinstall++removed++languages

should read above before deleting some things and in the attached file are some definitions of some files and what they are needed for in xp
 

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Elizabeth23 said:
Most all older models have only MBR settings, you should clarify that your instructions are for possibly newer and larger drives and for PCs that can dual boot.
Click to expand...

My instructions are actually primarily intended for older computers.

You could buy a PC with 250 GB disk as far back as 2005 and it would be sufficient to have a multi-boot system with three instances of XP on primary partitions and lots of space left over for logical partitions with data files (or a few Linux distros to try out).

Most computers originally sold with XP only support BIOS-MBR booting. UEFI-GPT booting was gradually rolled out as a replacement after 2011, so anyone installing XP on a newer machine must keep this in mind and switch the boot firmware to Legacy mode (also called BIOS or CSM mode).

Elizabeth23 said:
HP does not have drivers for XP as it is over 10 years and not supported, hp drivers have to be gotten somewhere else on the net.
Click to expand...

It depends on the model, some are still supported. Here is an example:

https://support.hp.com/ca-en/drivers/selfservice/hp-compaq-dc7700-small-form-factor-pc/3232029

Elizabeth23 said:
nLite is a good tool, but it is only a tool, you cannot arbitrarily delete windows programs ...
Click to expand...

The general rule is that items shown in red should not be removed without very careful analysis. Items shown in black are safe to remove if a particular functionality is not required. In the example below, if you don't intend to run a website hosting server from your XP then IIS is safe to remove:

http://www.nliteos.com/files/scrn2.png

Just to be on the safe side you still need to google all the dependency components listed on the right.
 
I don't have the Edit button available under my original post so I'm posting some edits here.

Ref-1)
Checksums for original XP ISO files can be found here:

http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/173057-how-to-obtain-authentic-microsoft-xp-isos/

Ref-4)
https://www.ghacks.net/2010/04/17/backup-and-restore-windows-driver-with-double-driver/

Ref-5)
Also, download the latest drivers for the graphics card, printer, monitor, etc., directly from their manufacturer's websites (if possible).

Ref-7)
Extracting OEMBIOS files from the old installation will make the new installation pre-activated, so there is no need to activate over the phone, which saves some time. It will only work if the original XP was pre-installed by one of the major manufacturers (Dell, HP, etc.).

File getfiles.zip is available here:

http://s89934018.onlinehome.us/BIOS/getfiles.zip

In case the download link stops working both files can be easily built from the source code provided in the first post at the link below. To do it create two new text files in a temporary folder, copy and paste the code and then rename the files as shown:

http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/63258-building-a-pre-activated-cd-from-an-existing-installation/

In case the link to the page with the source code stops working the code is available in the attachment getfiles_getkey.zip at the bottom of this post.

Ref-8)
https://wiki.lunarsoft.net/index.php?title=Product_IDs&oldid=1416

https://johnscs.com/winxpid/

Ref-12)
Activation status can be checked by running the following command:

c:\windows\system32\oobe\msoobe.exe /a

If the installation is not pre-activated then Microsoft's phone activation should still work (the last time I tried was in Oct-2017). In that case the COA from the sticker on the computer case must be used and not OEM Product Key extracted earlier with ProduKey. You can choose the option to receive activation instructions by a text message on the phone.

15) Enable POSReady updates.

Create a new text file (the second line must be a blank line):

Code: 
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\WPA\POSReady]
"Installed" = dword: 00000001

Rename the file to let's say posreadyxp.reg
Import the above file: regedit - File - Import

The correct syntax of .reg file is explained at the link below:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-ca...delete-registry-subkeys-and-values-by-using-a
 

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Last edited:
Lex24,
Lots of good info you posted and will take a while to digest.

I try to avoid the clean install scenario if possible and heavily rely on Acronis if I need to revert to a "new" state. I now only do clean installs for new hardware builds with a new Retail XP SP3 CD and key, or rebuilding a PC having a recovery partition or CD already available. I immediately make an Acronis image after first boot to avoid having to rebuild from CD or recovery partition again.

I have done what you did once, making a system specific CD pre-activated with the appropriate files from the old harddrive slipstreamed onto a virgin boot CD iso. Pain in the butt... but needed because the friend did not keep any of the CDs that came with the PC (why do people throw out stuff they need...). I used a different guide and method but achieved the same result- a working recovery CD to reinstall from. I did install to a new drive and my friend kept the old as a backup.

I had the POSReady2009 updates installing on my main box and laptop for a few years. Last year they both became unusable, running out of GDI and User objects in a day or 2... I ended up reverting both to Acronis images made before I implemented the POSReady2009 reg mod and have been running both with no post 2014 updates, and no issues either.

Keep in mind I'm web browsing in a Linux virtual machine. All new potentially unsafe installs are tested on 2 to 3 different boxes- 1 XP VM having no internet access, 1 XP physical machine not plugged into my LAN. Setup.exe and installed files scanned for viruses on a Win7 box with MSSE up to date. If ok, the new program can then be installed on my main box. I'll make a new Acronis image right before the install if I suspect I may have issues from the install. Heavy installs like Office 2003, Nero, Adobe suites I didn't need to vet as I bought the original CDs, but I did make an Acronis backup before and after. Works for me.

Note that Paragon Alignment Tool (not free) will analyze your system and list the partition alignment status for each drive. From that dialog, you can fix alignment if necessary. As I have multiple backups of everything, I chose the fastest (least safe) options. I only align SSDs to extend their life. The spinning disks work fine as they are, aligned or not, they're fast enough.

My spinning disks are all on a 12 port 3Ware RAID1 controller and a failed disk is a minor issue. I use Hard Disk Sentinel to check remaining life and health of disks on my computers. Again not free, but well worth the cost. I had 4 failing drives on my main system summer of 2017, all identified by HDS. One was the boot SSD...

Fortunately I did not have any activation issues after copying it to a new much larger SSD. I cloned via making an Acronis image backup, then restored that, except during restoration to the new disk, I chose to skip restoring the drive signature. That was the correct choice (my main fear was WGA and Office 2003 activations dying). HDS has been most useful on my main file server- SnapRAID 96TB and 28 drives to keep healthy. I keep StableBit Scanner running on it all the time.
 
1)
Sixthofmay: I heavily rely on Acronis if I need to revert to a "new" state.
Click to expand...

This is extremely important. Partition image backups (using Acronis or a similar disk imaging application) can save you hours of headaches. An image backup should be created before running any OS updates or installing any new application. It only takes a few minutes to restore XP from an image backup.

2)
Sixthofmay: I had the POSReady2009 updates installing on my main box and laptop for a few years. Last year they both became unusable ...
Click to expand...

POSReady 2009 updates should work ok on a new clean installation but you need to follow a well tested methodology from a reliable source. My favourite method is described in p.13) of my original post and includes packages available on RyanVM forums (those forums have very high reputation in OS tweaking world). Please keep in mind that in order to get everything working properly you need four components integrated using nLite in the following order:

- source folder created from original XP-SP3 ISO
- XPSP3_QFE_UpdatePack_yyyymmdd.7z
- XPSP3_QFE_POSReady_Addon_yyyymmdd_5er.7z
- YumeYao_IE8_Addon_Clean_ENU_1.5.nn.7z

Here are all the links again:

https://ryanvm.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=7184

https://ryanvm.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10479

https://ryanvm.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=10482

I always use the "clean" version of IE8 addon in my installations, the "nosetuperror" version is another option.

I don't have any .NET installed in my current version of XP (even v2.0). The package suggested on RyanVM forums is available below (look for the post from Thu Jan 11, 2018 2:34 pm):

File: dotNetFx_AIO_x86_20180111.exe

http://www.repacks.net/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=26&sid=26dedcbaf72ee0df69525cf9c59c26ba&start=40

3) An alternative to QFE pack and related addons mentioned above is USP4. It has IE8, WMP11 and all versions of .NET already included, but has only limited number of POSReady updates:

https://ryanvm.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10321

4) Personally, I don't run MS Updates from IE8 and install all updates manually after downloading update files from Microsoft Update Catalog. There are only a few updates every month:

https://s19.postimg.org/ds2s1ttkz/msuc-1.png

https://s19.postimg.org/z1qecopb7/msuc-2.png

5) In case of any problems with updates you can usually find a solution posted on RyanVM forums mentioned above or on MSFN POSReady 2009 thread:

http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/171814-posready-2009-updates-ported-to-windows-xp-sp3-enu/

6) Here are two screenshots from a new installation.

Add/Remove Programs - the pre-installed updates are not shown (except for KB931906), but all updates initiated by the user going forward will be shown:

https://s19.postimg.org/4003w5vir/add-rmv.png

Task Manager (alcxmntr.exe is the audio driver and QuickShot.exe is a screenshot app):

https://s19.postimg.org/6u399oakj/taskmgr-2.png

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Disclaimer: I use Linux Lite, Arch Linux and Debian for everyday tasks and only use XP to run a few specialized Windows applications.
 
Can I ask, please; Before I start reading through all of this, is it possible to install the version of XP Professional mentioned above on my older Dell machine using my existing Windows product key?

Due to a clogged up machine, 2 weeks ago I embarked on reinstalling XP Home SP2 using the Dell disk from 2004 (which I've done successfully at least once before) and have spent the last couple of weeks trying to access my Router (using cable and wireless). I am close to buying a new machine - that's how frustrated I am! :)

Without internet access I obviously can't apply the mountain of patches and upgrades to get me back to SP3 which might well sort out out my problem.

Having just discovered this thread I wondered if I can bypass the upgrades and get my internet access sorted out at the same time using en_windows_xp_professional_with_service_pack_3_x86_cd_x14-80428.iso?

Regards
 
Lex24 said:
1) Download the original retail XP-SP3 ISO file (google it):
Click to expand...

does this mean i can get a free clean xp program with svc pk 3 installed for free off a net site

I lost the original program disk a long time ago
 
Last edited:
Elizabeth23 said:
in one thread here I listed several sites that I trust where you can get a clean iso of xp, however you still need a valid product key.
Click to expand...

Thank you Elizabeth
the dell xp I have has been given away 2-3 times before it got to me,
no one knows who first owned it.
how do i get a valid product key.

PS
you told me some of this stuff a long time back, I got very sick and for got it
 
does the dell you received have a COA sticker on the side or the back or on the bottom, this will show you the OS that was originally on that pc and then you can get that particular OEM ISO and use the product key on the pc, the dell product keys are tied to whichever pc they came on, as for a new product key, microsoft is not selling any anymore, but if the pc you have has been activated, then do the following:


Create the Activation Status



Navigate to system32 folder.

Copy the wpa.dbl and wpa.bak files

Reinstall XP in the normal manner

Restart the computer and use the F8 key to bring up the Advanced Boot Options

Select Minimal Safe Mode using Up and Down Arrow Keys and press Enter.

Navigate to system32 folder.

Rename the existing wpa.dbl and wpa.bak files.

Copy the previously backed up wpa.dbl and wpa.bak files to the system32 folder.

Reboot the computer.
 
jim davis said:
does this mean i can get a free clean xp program with svc pk 3 installed for free off a net site

I lost the original program disk a long time ago
Click to expand...

Yes you can and it is actually quite safe as long you follow these two rules:

1) When using a search engine (e.g. Google) to look for a file make sure that the file name you enter in the search box is the same as the original.

2) After downloading the file verify its checksum. For large files like an ISO with XP it will be SHA1 checksum.

In this case the file name and the checksum are as follows (as shown in the first post):

en_windows_xp_professional_with_service_pack_3_x86_cd_x14-80428.iso

sha1: 1c735b38931bf57fb14ebd9a9ba253ceb443d459


My favourite program to verify checksums is QuickHash:

https://quickhash-gui.org/

https://github.com/tedsmith/quickhash/releases

I have v2.8.4 working in XP, I have never tried v3.0.2
 
Elizabeth23 said:
Navigate to system32 folder.

Copy the wpa.dbl and wpa.bak files

Reinstall XP in the normal manner
Click to expand...

THANK YOU ELIZABETH, you are most sincere that alone makes me feel best.

but any instructions for a computer beyond three or four actions
never works out for me, I will take it to a repair shop
I keep forgetting that when i ask questions here
I do psycho analysis very well, very at home with it.
and I can tell you with great authority its because numbers are meaningless to me, I live in the right brain, plus my shop guy always needs the money,
he has a big family.
 
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