Slipstreaming of Multiple Svc Packs for XP Install Disks

[veritasffg]

I understand that, if I wanted to reinstall XP from the original XP disk (issued before Svc Pack 1), and if my current installation included Service Pack 1, I should either uninstall Svc Pack 1, or slipstream my original disk to include Svc Pack 1.
That seems to make sense to me - in order to prevent the reinstall being blocked by the message that a newer version of XP is on the disk.

But what if the current installation includes Svc Packs 1 - 2 & 3, and the original install disk didn't include any Svc Pack?
Would the choice then be to either uninstall all 3 svc packs, or slipstream the original disk to include all 3 svc packs?

I suppose my question relates to whether svc packs are cumulative; i.e., can svc pack 2 be installed without svc pack 1 being installed?  Can svc pack 3 be installed without either of the first 2 svc packs?

[Calum]

My advice, if you were to reinstall, would be to slipstream SP2 and SP3.  SP1 is not necessary for SP2, but SP1 or 2 is necessary for SP3.
Alternatively install XP with no service packs and then install SP2, then SP3.
I've never had any issues with installations being blocked because I have a newer version installed, although I always install by booting from the disk.

[JJ 3000]

Just use your original disk to reinstall and then go to microsoft update to get the service packs.

[veritasffg]

Thanks to the two previous posters.  I decided not to bother with slipstreaming, and just did a clean install of XP.  I immediately checked in with Windows Update, which bypassed SP1, and went straight to SP2 to download.  No problems thus far - I'll probably get SP3 tomorrow.  I think I agree with JJ 3000 - it's probably just as easy to go get the updates as it would be to slipstream (at least on clean installs).