Shortcut: Creating Install media for SQL Server 2008 (any edition) + Service pack – Slip Stream method

Why do we need this?

By default, you might be having the stock media package which will give you a SQL server without the latest service pack. You will have to install service pack separately after installing the instance (Double work and time consuming). So if you follow below method you can update your install media with the latest service pack so that you can directly install SQL server + latest service pack in one shot. This method is also called as slip stream.

Prerequisites

Here lets take the example of adding Service Pack 2 to a SQL Server 2008 Enterprise Edition x64 install media.

1. SQL Server 2008 Install Media.
2. x86,ia64 and x64 versions of Executable for latest Service pack. They can be downloaded at http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=12548. Download all three files listed below.
• SQLServer2008SP2-KB2285068-IA64-ENU.exe
• SQLServer2008SP2-KB2285068-x64-ENU.exe
• SQLServer2008SP2-KB2285068-x86-ENU.exe

Procedure

1. Create a new folder name D:\SQL2008EEPlusSP2 and extract/copy all the files of the install media to that folder. Now you will have below list of files and folders in that New Folder.
• ia64 (Folder)
• x64 (Folder)
• x86 (Folder)
• autorun.inf
• MediaInfo.xml
• Microsoft.VC80.CRT.manifest
• msvcr80.dll
• Readme.htm
• setup.exe
• setup.rll

1. Create another folder named PCU inside SQL2008EEPlusSP2. ie, D:\SQL2008EEPlusSP2\PCU
2. Extract each service pack executable into the PCU folder one by one and overwriting each other when prompted. Or use below commands one by one to extract overwriting existing files.

   – D:\SQLServer2008SP2-KB2285068-IA64-ENU.exe /x:D:\SQL2008EEPlusSP2\PCU\
   – D:\SQLServer2008SP2-KB2285068-x64-ENU.exe /x:D:\SQL2008EEPlusSP2\PCU\
   – D:\SQLServer2008SP2-KB2285068-x86-ENU.exe /x:D:\SQL2008EEPlusSP2\PCU\

   You will have below listed files/folders in your D:\SQL2008EEPlusSP2\PCU folder now.

• ia64 (Folder)
• x64 (Folder)
• x86 (Folder)
• mediainfo.xml
• microsoft.vc80.crt.manifest
• msvcr80.dll
• setup.exe
• setup.exe.config
• setup.rll
3. Copy all the files from below listed PCU folders to the similar location in media folder or the parent folder of PCU. Do not copy any folders and the microsoft.sql.chainer.packagedata.dll file. Give Yes to Overwrite when prompted.
1. D:\SQL2008EEPlusSP2\PCU\x64 to D:\SQL2008EEPlusSP2\x64
2. D:\SQL2008EEPlusSP2\PCU\x86 to D:\SQL2008EEPlusSP2\x86
3. D:\SQL2008EEPlusSP2\PCU\ia64 to D:\SQL2008EEPlusSP2\ia64
4. Check if you have default.ini file in x86, x64 or ia64 folders in D:\SQL2008EEPlusSP2 . If you have them, then open them in notepad and add below line to those files.
   PCUSOURCE=”.\PCU”
5. If you don’t have a default.ini file in them, create them and add below lines to them.
   ;SQLSERVER2008 Configuration File
   [SQLSERVER2008]
   PCUSOURCE=”.\PCU”
6. Copy setup.exe and setup.rll (if the file exists) files from D:\SQL2008EEPlusSP2\PCU to D:\SQL2008EEPlusSP2 overwriting the existing ones.

Result

Now if you run setup.exe from D:\SQL2008EEPlusSP2 folder, you will be able to install SQL Server 2008 Enterprise Edition and Service Pack 2 in one shot. The same steps can be followed for other editions of SQL Server and future Service pack levels too. Please comment below if you face any issues. Hope this helped.