BASIC HOW-TO

Step 1: Preparing the HFSLIP64 folder structure

Download the latest HFSLIP64 zip package and extract its content into a folder of your choice.  This web site will generally refer to that folder as "your HFSLIP64 folder".  It is advised, for best results, that your HFSLIP64 folder path does not contain any exotic characters; for example, use D:\HFSLIP64.

Run the hfslip64-xxxxxx.cmd file in the HFSLIP64 folder once by double-clicking it.  This action will prepare a bunch of folders in which you need to put specific files.  The exact purpose of these folders is discussed below.

Step 2: Copy the Windows source

Copy the content of your Windows installation CD into the SOURCE folder.  You do not necessarily have to copy everything.  At a miminum, the I386 folder, the AMD64 or IA64 folder, and the identification files residing in the root of the CD are required.  But do copy the entire CD if you want to make sure you have everything.

Step 3: Adding a Service Pack

HFSLIP64 doesn't have extra code to deal with hotfixes for pre-SP2 sources, so you are advised to either let HFSLIP64 slipstream Service Pack 2 or to slipstream it yourself beforehand.  If you want HFSLIP64 to slipstream Service Pack 2, put the correct Service Pack 2 installer (for x64 or for Intel Itanium) in the HF folder.

HFSLIP64 slipstreams the Service Pack directly into the source you put in the SOURCE folder so that it doesn't need to be applied anymore if HFSLIP64 is run again at a later time.

Step 4: Adding hotfix installers and updates

Supported executables need to be placed in the HF folder.  All updates for Windows which appear on Windows Update or on Microsoft Update are supported except the time zone updates, Shockwave Flash 6 updates and .NET Framework upgrades.  If you want to have immediate access to the Windows Update site, you'll need to download WindowsUpdateAgent30-x64.exe into the HF folder.

For Microsoft Update, you need at least WindowsUpdateAgent30-x64.exe and muweb_site.cab (32-bit Microsoft Update engine).  Both of them go in the HF folder.  If you also want to make Microsoft Update the default update site, put MUAuth.cab in the HF folder as well.

Special HFSLIP64 plugins for the latest Adobe Flash Player and the latest cumulative time zone update are available from the HFSLIP64 Downloads page.  If you want to use these plugin packages, download them and extract them into the HFTOOLS folder.

If slipstreaming the malicious software removal tool, you'll need to manually extract the hotfix and place the mrt.exe file into HF folder.

Special note

If you include a Service Pack in the HF folder, you need the hotfixes for that Service Pack level, not for the Service Pack level of the OS in your SOURCE.  For example, if you include Windows XP SP1 in the SOURCE folder and the Service Pack 2 installer in the HF folder, you need the hotfixes intended for Service Pack 2.

Step 5: Preparing files to create an ISO image (optional)

HFSLIP64 can automatically create an ISO image near the end of the HFSLIP64 run which any decent CD-burning program is capable of handling without modifications (click on "Image" or whatever it may be called in the burning program of your choice).  If you are unfamiliar with how to burn the updated content to a CD by hand and making it bootable, this step is recommended.

Required files (to be placed in the HFTOOLS folder):

BBIE.EXE is used to grab the boot image from the Windows installation CD-ROM; the boot image is automatically saved inside the HFTOOLS folder as a small file called BOOT.BIN, containing the necessary information to make a Windows installation CD bootable.  Don't forget to insert the installation CD into your CD-ROM drive the first time you're doing this, else the boot image will not be created and consequentially HFSLIP64 won't be able to create the final ISO image.  MKISOFS or CDIMAGE (your pick) are the two programs that HFSLIP64 supports making the ISO with.  These programs use BOOT.BIN to make the ISO bootable.

Note that some packages of MKISOFS you find on the Internet contain cygwin1.dll while some don't.  Basic rule: if the package contains cygwin1.dll, include it in the HFTOOLS folder alongside mkisofs.exe; if it isn't part of the package, it isn't needed so don't go look for it.  Very simple.

Step 6: Remove HFSLIP64 DOS box during Windows setup (optional)

At about 13 minutes before Windows setup finishes, a DOS box titled HFSLIP64 will appear executing a few important commands.  If you want, you can make that box invisible immediately after it's opened by placing either cmdow.exe or cWnd.exe in the HFTOOLS folder.

Note #1

If you put both cmdow.exe and cWnd.exe in the HFTOOLS folder, HFSLIP64 will slipstream both, but cWnd.exe will be used to hide the DOS box.

Note #2

It is advised you disable your anti-virus program if you're going to use cmdow.exe.  Some of those may erroneously tag it as a trojan and delete it without asking for your confirmation.  You can test if your AV comes with proper detection by having it check cmdow.exe first.  If there's no problem, you can safely keep your anti-virus application running.

Step 7: Running HFSLIP64

Make sure you are now logged on to an account with administrative privileges.  Some aspects, such as extraction of MSI files, may fail if you are not.

Recheck every folder you've populated, and when you're sure everything is alright, start the HFSLIP64 program by double-clicking hfslip64-xxxxxx.cmd.  Read the introduction pages in the beginning; you can click through them by pressing Enter on your keyboard.

At the last introduction page, type the words "I have read the instructions" and press Enter.  Sit back and relax.

When finished, HFSLIP64 will display a message indicating that everything's done.  You can close the HFSLIP64 window from there.  Your updated source will be located in the new SOURCESS folder, and the ISO image (if you followed step 5) can be found in the root of the HFSLIP64 folder.

When running HFSLIP64 once more, be advised that an existing SOURCESS folder will be deleted in order to create a new one.