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SQL Server Slipstream Installation

Anurag Dobade

Slipstream is an installation method in SQL Server where SQL Server Instance and Service Pack/CU can be packaged together. This feature has been introduced from SQL 2008 SP1.
Slip stream SQL Server 2008 R2 with SP1:
Here are the steps:
1. Copy your original SQL Server 2008 R2 source media to C:\SQLServer2008R2_SP1
2. Download the SQL Server 2008 R2 SP1 packages from here. You need to download all Service Pack 1 architecture packages:
  • SQLServer2008R2SP1-KB2528583-IA64-ENU.exe
  • SQLServer2008R2SP1-KB2528583-x64-ENU.exe
  • SQLServer2008R2SP1-KB2528583-x86-ENU.exe
3. Extract each of the SQL Server 2008 SP1 packages to C:\SQLServer2008R2_SP1\SP as follows:
  • SQLServer2008R2SP1-KB2528583-IA64-ENU.exe /x:C:\SQLServer2008R2_SP1\SP
  • SQLServer2008R2SP1-KB2528583-x64-ENU.exe /x:C:\SQLServer2008R2_SP1\SP
  • SQLServer2008R2SP1-KB2528583-x86-ENU.exe /x:C:\SQLServer2008R2_SP1\SP
Ensure you complete this step for all architectures to ensure the original media is updated correctly.
4. Copy Setup.exe from the SP extracted location to the original source media location. Here is the robocopy command:
  • robocopy C:\SQLServer2008R2_SP1\SP C:\SQLServer2008R2_SP1 Setup.exe
5. Copy all files not the folders, except the Microsoft.SQL.Chainer.PackageData.dll, in C:\SQLServer2008R2_SP1\SP\<architecture> to C:\SQLServer2008R2_SP1\<architecture> to update the original files. Here is the robocopy command:
  • robocopy C:\SQLServer2008R2_SP1\SP\x86 C:\SQLServer2008R2_SP1\x86 /XF Microsoft.SQL.Chainer.PackageData.dll
  • robocopy C:\SQLServer2008R2_SP1\SP\x64 C:\SQLServer2008R2_SP1\x64 /XF Microsoft.SQL.Chainer.PackageData.dll
  • robocopy C:\SQLServer2008R2_SP1\SP\ia64 C:\SQLServer2008R2_SP1\ia64 /XF Microsoft.SQL.Chainer.PackageData.dll
6. Determine if you have a DefaultSetup.INI at the following locations:
  • C:\SQLServer2008R2_SP1\x86
  • C:\SQLServer2008R2_SP1\x64
  • C:\SQLServer2008R2_SP1\ia64
If you have a DefaultSetup.INI at the above locations, add the following lines to each DefaultSetup.INI:
PCUSOURCE=".\SP"

If you do NOT have a DefaultSetup.INI, create one with the following content:
;SQLSERVER2008 R2 Configuration File
[SQLSERVER2008]
PCUSOURCE=".\SP"
and copy to the following locations
  • C:\SQLServer2008R2_SP1\x86
  • C:\SQLServer2008R2_SP1\x64
  • C:\SQLServer2008R2_SP1\ia64
This file will tell the setup program where to locate the SP source media that you previously extracted.
7. Run setup.exe as you normally would.

How to know slipstreaming:

  1. You should see the "Update Setup Media Language Rule" on the Installation Rules dialog:


2) On the Ready to Install dialog, the Action will indicated (“Slipstream”):



SQL Server Version number changed from 
10.50.1600.0 to 10.50.2500.0

Here is what we should do to slipstream SQL Server 2012 and 2014:
  1. Download SQL Server 2012 or SQL Server 2014 media
  2. Download all the needed SPs, CUs and Hotfixes that you want to “embed”
  3. Put all of the .exe files in one directory
  4. Launch the setup.exe from CMD by issuing the command:
Setup.exe /Action=Install /UpdateEnabled=TRUE /UpdateSource=”path_to_the_directroy_where_the_hotfixes_are”
F:\batch_27_mssql_server\SQL_SERVER_2012\setup.exe /Action=Install /UpdateEnabled=TRUE /UpdateSource=F:\Software\SP2012
Following window comes that shows SP4 found at location F:\Software\SP2012:

If there are two updates in folder 
Sp1 and sp4 it would take latest update