Microsoft released Internet explorer 8 Windows Vista & XP and for Windows 7, it’s stilling continuing. So finally I have moved on IE8 and it can be slipstreamed/integrated in Vista/Server 2008 OS images. Here are the steps to make a Vista image with IE8.

Requires:

• Windows Vista/Windows Server DVD or installation source
• Windows Installation Automation Kit (WAIK)
• Internet Explorer 8

Here I am slipstream IE8 in Windows Vista SP1 32bit only and using WAIK for SP1, so you can try the same for 64bit too and as per your OS image.

How to:

1. First of all create folders hierarchy in your local drive. For example I have created these directories.

C:\Test\Vistax86 – folder to copy Vista DVD or installation source
C:\Test\IE8x86 – folder for extraction of IE8 installer
C:\Test\mount – folder to mount Vista’s OS image
C:\Test\pkg – folder to expand IE8 MSU
C:\Test\sandbox – folder where pkgmgr.exe do slipstreaming and extracting cabs

2. Copy Vista DVD to Vistax86 folder and extract IE8 installer (IE8-WindowsVista-x86-ENU.exe) to IE8x86 folder by executing the following command.

IE8-WindowsVista-x86-ENU.exe /x C:\Test\IE8x86

It’ll extract IE8 package to destination folder automatically.

3. Now execute the following command to expand the IE8 MSU (IE8.MSU)

Expand C:\Test\IE8x86\IE8.MSU -F:* C:\Test\pkg

4. To mount the Vista image on temp location, run WAIK Command Prompt (Start > All Programs > WAIK > WAIK Command Prompt as Administrator and then execute the following commands one by one.

imagex.exe /mountrw install.wim <image_number> <mount_folder>

The command will mount the OS image as per image number in Read & Write mode. I am slipstreaming IE8 into Vista Business, so it has index number 1 and command would be this.

imagex.exe /mountrw C:\Test\Vistax86\sources\install.wim 1 C:\Test\mount

5. Now you’re ready to run this command to slipstream IE8

pkgmgr.exe /n:<package_older>\Windows6.0-KBXXXXXX-XXX.xml /o:<mount_folder>;<mount_folder>\Windows /s:<sandbox_folder> /l:<where log file to be saved>

Here is command that I executed

pkgmgr.exe /n: “C:\Test\pkg\Windows6.0-KB944036-x86.xml” /o: “C:\Test\mount; C:\Test\mount\Windows” /s: “C:\Test\sandbox” /l: “C:\Test”

6. Once the slipstreaming command is finished successfully, type and run echo %errorlevel%. It’ll return 0. That’s the symbol of successful slipstreaming.

7. Now dismount the image & commit the changes

Imagex.exe /commit /unmount <mount_folder>

For me: Imagex.exe /commit /unmount C:\Test\mount

8. Finally make bootable Vista DVD.

Applies To:

• Windows Vista
• Windows Server 2008
• Internet Explorer 8