Be Careful When You Use Slipstreamed SharePoint Installation Files

Please note this post only talks about new installation using slipstreamed build, not updating an existing farm.

In the previous blog post I mentioned the following:

Should I use slipstreamed SharePoint server installation files to deploy SharePoint and its CUs?
Maybe – depending on if you want to use language packs or not. If language packs are not installed when you install SharePoint Server, and you install those LPs after the server has been installed, you may need to reapply SharePoint CU packages to get all those LPs up to date.

Now I got questions about this “maybe”. Let me go deeper in this topic…Slipstream is good – but you have to use it in the right way, with the right order.

A typical slipstreamed SharePoint Server install is like this:

  1. Install SharePoint Server RTM + SP1 + June CU Slipstreamed
  2. Install SharePoint Server Language Packs
  3. Run PSConfig

Looks simple and clear. But it is wrong – you will have RTM version of Language packs in this way. Why? Think about the table we had in previous post, then think about Cumulative Update concept. If something is not installed when you apply the CU package, then those files of the missing component will not be installed at all. In this case, the language pack updates in the CU server package are the ones missing. 

The following screenshot shows what this will look like (Chinese LP in 4763 RTM, but all other components are in June CU 6105)

snap0042

To fix this issue you need to apply language pack SP1s and June CU again. So the installation order should be changed to something different:

  1. Install SharePoint Server RTM + SP1 + June CU Server Package Slipstreamed
  2. Install SharePoint Server Language Packs
  3. Install SharePoint Server LP SP1(s)
  4. Install June CU Server Package again
  5. Run PSConfig

This would work. But why install June CU twice? It’s a waste of time so let’s change it again. The other thing is that you can slipstream LP SP1 into language pack installation files (extract and put all files in updates folder):

  1. Install SharePoint Server RTM + SP1 Slipstreamed
  2. Install SharePoint Server Language Packs + Server LP SP1 Slipstreamed
  3. Install June CU Server Package
  4. Run PSConfig

Now all language packs are updated to latest version.

snap0044

What can you learn from this? Don’t slipstream CU if you need to install additional language packs. Always apply CU Server Package at the last step.

Jie.