Database Update Overview
5/10/2007
A Windows XP Embedded database update is installed to the component database on the development system. A database update ensures that all future run-time images that are created on the development system include the update.
Updates that are made to the database cannot be uninstalled from a run-time image that was created to include them.
Because the update is installed directly to the component database, in order to update your deployed run-time images, you must rebuild and redeploy the run-time image. There are some practical advantages to distributing an update by re-deploying. For example, you can more effectively test a run-time image for missing dependencies and other problems. It can also be more practical to re-image when you have a number of updates to apply..
Servicing solutions are not typically designed to replace an entire run-time image. Most servicing solutions are designed to deploy smaller updates to an existing run-time image. Further, the mass deployment of a run-time image over a network demands a lot of resources, even under the best of circumstances. Distributing an update in a re-imaged run-time image also means that the boot media must be replaced or reformatted.