If you're someone who has to install Windows frequently on PCs from time to time, there's nothing more annoying than having to install the release version of Windows, then run Windows Update repeatedly and wait for all the patches to download. In past versions of Windows, though, it has been relatively easy to build an updated version of the installer CD, with all the latest patches included. Unfortunately, that's not the case with Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008, which both handle patches and updates differently compared with previous versions of Windows.
The new Windows kernel features a "servicing layer", which allows for more streamlined handling of patches and updates with minimal disruption to the user and reducing the need for multiple reboots. However, SP1 updates this servicing layer as well as the OS itself, which makes a slipstream integration procedure like that which we can use for Windows XP SP2 and SP3 not possible.
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