True Addon vs. Switchless Installers, etc.

[learning_the_ropes]

Hello Everyone,

This is my 1st post here so excuse me for my ignorance specifically if the questions I am bringing up have already been answered or are already common knowledge.

First off, I've few friends already engaged in this and they've been at it for some years now. They've introduced the idea & have just been recipient of their OS CDs which have been most updated when I receive one. Aside from being most updated, their Windows installation discs have been customized & a recipient like me (& some other friends) can't ask for more & just wait whenever they have new OS discs to give away. To make things a little competitive, 1 would claim that his OS disc's better than the other. I've always been content to just sit & wait when their updated OS gets burned ready to install without any user intervention (aside from putting my CD key) until I figured maybe I could dig my hands into it too. I've been asking them some questions & true enough they've been generous to share some of what they know. But I'm certain it'll be a great pay-off to join forums & ask other folks who've been doing it too for quite sometime now & maybe find consolation that there are others out there who'd like to "learn the ropes" just like me. Moreover, this might serve as answers to newbie questions that maybe others would like to ask but are embarrassed to to do, much more admit not to really know about the topics being discussed. Lastly, this will be something that I can always refer too as an online document for I know along the way I will get confused.

Now to get the ball rolling, I've chosen to post here because this seems to be the most relevant forum to address my ignorance, or for lack of better understanding. I've tried searching the web, but I can't find anything direct & clear enough to make me truly understand these concepts in its most basic sense. Most that I've found were downloads. I'm confused about the similarities & differences of the following terms:

Addons vs. True Addons vs. SVCPACK Addons vs. Switchless/Silent Installers vs. Update Packs

How do I distinguish 1 from another?

Is there such a thing as not being a true addon?

Updating vs. Slipstreaming vs. Integrating

Please describe & differentiate them.

Are hotfixes & updates from Microsoft better slipstreamed or integrated?

I'm sorry if I might have mixed these all up. I'll stop here for now. I think this will be a good take-off point for me but for sure I'll be back with more supplemental questions. I'm hoping you guys help clarify these stuff to me. Thank you very much.

[Kelsenellenelvian]

You do realize that what they are doing is illegal? Redistribution of Windows from ANY other than a MS certified distributer is illegal.

Slipstreaming and integrating is the same thing.

A TRUE addon is on that is ACTUALLY integrated into the disk. i.e. the files are actually integrated into the disk and not JUST and installer that is placed in the svcpack folder.

A svcpack addon is just a installer that is repackaged and added to svcpack.

[Kelsenellenelvian]

Individuals who wish to report software piracy cases may get in touch with the BSA through its anti-piracy hotlines at 819-5897 for Metro Manila residents and the toll-free 1-800-1-888-8787 for those residing outside Metro Manila. BSA gives a reward of up to P1 million for reports on companies using unlicensed software.

Food for thought...

[learning_the_ropes]

Hello,

I might have set confusion about this. The customized Windows discs are only shared not sold to our circle of friends for personal use especially to those wanting to reinstall Windows. CD key has always been left blank & it is up to us to type in our own license key.

Thank you.

[ricktendo]

I want that $1 million reward...I will report every moron I find

[kiki burgh]

hey learning_the_ropes! "kabayan"! (this means countryman) i see this is your 1st post ... do i know you? anyways, this is how it is (to partially quote (modified) some forum friends):

Binaries (individual files) of hotfixes maybe slipstreamed directly which means that original files are being replaced with newer versions present in a hotfix executable you can obtain from the Microsoft Download Center. In rare occasion that a hotfix has non-standard package or requires special installation procedure, integration may be done instead. These uncommon hotfixes/updates maybe left as they are to be installed automatically near the end of Windows setup (via svcpack).

most of the time, slipstream & integrate are used interchangeably ... wikipedia defines is as:

In computer jargon, to slipstream updates, patches or service packs means to integrate them into the installation files of their original software, so that the resulting files will allow a direct installation of the updated software.

Not all (Windows) patches can be applied in this fashion and one disadvantage is that if it is discovered that a certain patch is responsible for later problems, said patch cannot be removed without using an original, non-slipstreamed install CD. Online instructions for this way of doing things emphasise the use of virtual PC environments (such as VMware Workstation or VirtualBox) for testing, as the end user often gets no support from the program manufacturer for using these "homemade" CDs.

could be worth reading too:

Remastering (the term is taken from the audio production process) is the process of customizing a software distribution for personal or "off-label" usage (and often distribution, depending on the legalities involved).

i'm confident that others here will share their thoughts to shed better light to your queries. Edited November 27, 2009 by kiki burgh