When I try to slipstream Win2K SP1 or SP2 from the downloaded file, why do I get an error?

A. Although this FAQ applies to both Windows 2000 Service Pack 1 (SP1) and SP2, the following example addresses SP1 only. If you try to slipstream a Win2K distribution point from the downloaded SP1 file (sp1network.exe from http://msvaus.www.conxion.com/download/win2000platform/SP/SP1/NT5/EN-US/sp1network.exe) with the -s switch (e.g., sp1network.exe -s:\[2000 distribution location\]), you receive an error message:

Not all files necessary to perform an integrated installation are present.<br><br>

You receive this error message because you didn't extract file CDTAG.1 before the installation. You don't encounter this problem when you use the SP1 CD-ROM.

To resolve the problem, first expand the service pack file to a temporary area:

sp1network.exe -x:\[service pack 1 location\]<br><br>

For example,

sp1network.exe -x:d:\temp\sp1<br><br>

After you extract the file, go to the folder \[service pack 1 location\]\i386\update subfolder. Run the following update command, and you should no longer receive a warning:

update -s:\[2000 distribution location\]<br><br>

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Note that the \[2000 distribution location\] should be the folder in which the i386 folder exists, not the i386 folder itself. That is, if your Win2K folder is d:\deploy\win2kp\i386, the distribution location is d:\deploy\win2kp.

Thanks to Bert Vereecke for this tip.