Editing Patch (computing) (section)

== Slipstreaming ==
In computing, slipstreaming is the act of integrating patches (including [[service pack]]s) into the [[installation (computer programs)|installation]] files of their original app, so that the result allows a direct installation of the updated app.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Karp|first1=David|title=Build an XP SP3 Recovery Disc|url=https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2325399,00.asp|website=[[PC Magazine]]|publisher=[[Ziff Davis]]|date=14 July 2008|access-date=7 September 2017|archive-date=9 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180109030902/https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2325399,00.asp|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Thurrott|first1=Paul|title=Slipstreaming Windows XP with Service Pack 3 (SP3)|url=http://winsupersite.com/article/windows-xp2/slipstreaming-windows-xp-with-service-pack-3-sp3-128464|website=Supersite for Windows|publisher=[[Penton (company)|Penton]]|date=7 May 2008|access-date=3 December 2016|archive-date=11 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161211020909/http://winsupersite.com/article/windows-xp2/slipstreaming-windows-xp-with-service-pack-3-sp3-128464|url-status=live}}</ref>

The nature of slipstreaming means that it involves an initial outlay of time and work, but can save a lot of time (and, by extension, money) in the long term. This is especially significant for administrators that are tasked with managing a large number of computers, where typical practice for installing an operating system on each computer would be to use the original media and then update each computer after the installation was complete. This would take a lot more time than starting with a more up-to-date (slipstreamed) source, and needing to  download and install the few updates not included in the slipstreamed source.

However, not all patches can be applied in this fashion and one disadvantage is that if it is discovered that a certain patch is responsible for later problems, said patch cannot be removed without using an original, non-slipstreamed installation source.