Slipstreaming SP2 into SharePoint Server 2007

If you are performing a greenfield or clean install of SharePoint, it is a good idea to install the latest version (which as of today would be Service Pack 2 with the April Cumulative Update).  The latest install media for SharePoint, however, only has SP1 integrated, so today I will show you how to slipstream the latest updates into your install media.

To get started, you will need a copy of the SharePoint 2007 install media, the SP2 installers for both Windows SharePoint Services and Office SharePoint Server, and the latest Cumulative Updates for both WSS and MOSS.  You can download them all here:

Edit: October cumulative updates have been released.  Follow the same steps, but use the two following CU files instead of those released for April:

First, create a folder that will hold the slipstreamed installer.  In my case I’ll call it c:\SP2Slipstream.

Next, extract the install media into that folder as follows:

OfficeServer.exe /extract:c:\SP2Slipstream (there are no spaces after the /extract switch).  You will end up with the folder structure below. 

The Updates folder is where we are going to extract all up the SP2 and Cumulative Update files, and setup.exe will be smart enough to integrate the updates at install time.

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Next, extract the four update files as follows:

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wssv3sp2-kb953338-x64-fullfile-en-us.exe /extract:c:\sp2slipstream\updates

officeserver2007sp2-kb953334-x64-fullfile-en-us.exe /extract:c:\sp2slipstream\updates

wss-kb968850-fullfile-x64-glb.exe /extract:c:\sp2slipstream\updates

office-kb968851-fullfile-x64-glb.exe /extract:c:\sp2slipstream\updates

When you are done, the Updates folder will be full of msp files. 

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One last step before you burn the SP2Slipstream folder to a CD… Delete Wsssetup.dll from the updates folder because it conflicts with Svrsetup.dll. Having both Wsssetup.dll and Svrsetup.dll in the updates folder for a slipstreamed installation source is not supported.

Burn your SP2Slipstream folder to a CD and you are all set to go!

*Update: I had someone ask me if the above steps will work if you are starting out with SP1 Media instead of RTM, and the answer is yes. I just like using the RTM Media as it starts out with a clean Updates folder instead of being full of SP1 updates that are superseded in SP2.