This may seem like a no-brainer, but I haven't seen it mentioned in this section yet.

Copy all Windows files from the installation CD (or just the ones needed for basic installation) onto another drive or partition in your target system. Do it over a network if you must.

Install the OS from these files to speed up OS installation, updates and driver installation. If the OS is already installed, you can still copy the CD files and then use this link from Winguides to modify the default OS install path.

No more scrounging for an installation CD and you can even save on the cost of a CD drive in some cases.

An added tip may be to image (ghost) this setup for multiple deployment where needed.