smilejack1

YES!!! That did the trick. Thanks so much, to both of you...

It didn't work. I saved the text as "Fix.reg" on my desktop & double-clicked. It asked me if I wanted to make the changes in the registry, I clicked yes, it said it had successfully made the changes, but when I rebooted, I still got Icons view.

Thanks. I didn't realize that was a link. Do the dashes before the first four registry keys mean I should delete them?

I searched. I was unable to find a solution.

As a not-particulary-sophisticated user, I'm deeply troubled to report that I am unable to attempt the fixes you recommended because "HKCU\Software\Classes\Local Settings" doesn't currently exist on my machine. I hope this is not proof that Bill Gates is the Devil, but fear that it is. It occurs to me, again as a not-particulary-sophisticated user, whether this is because, using nLite, I installed Docs & Settings on D:\...

I've just re-installed XPPro (SP3), and Explorer won't retain my view settings after I've applied them to all folders. I want the Details view, but it keeps reverting back to Icons. Notes: "Remember each folder's view settings" is checked. I have the most recent Windows updates installed. I've Googled extensively, and know this is a common problem. I've tried using TweakUI, the Kelly's-Korner tweak, and changing the bagMRU size values. I'm finding this quite maddening. All help will be greatly appreciated.

I posted this here because I doubt it's an nLite issue. This installation of Windows is 4 months old, and this behavior only began a few weeks ago...

My 4 month old install of XP Pro SP3 (slightly NLited) appears to not be retaining changes - it's is behaving as if I were installing new apps and updates in a virtual environment like Sandboxie or Returnil. The changes disappear when I reboot. Examples: I've installed the newest Windows updates (KB969947 and Nov Malicious Software Removal) several times, via both Automatic Update and the Update website. They install correctly, tell me to reboot, and when I do, they're gone. Avira updates disappear after every shutdown. Comodo Firewall recognizes my recently created home home network at every startup even after I set it to allow my computer to be accessible on the network. I have Returnil installed on my machine but it is not turned on. All advice is appreciated, as I assume I'll have to re-install if i can't figure this out, and I'd rather not...

Unfortunately, I've recently become unemployed, so I can't justify even $8 if it's not absolutely necessary. The rest of your advice, however, is very useful and I appreciate it greatly...

The part # is CT5807. According to the info here it's the Sound Blaster Audio Pci 64 Dell OEM. The sound quality on the tracks I record on my computer doesn't really matter - those are just studies. What I record elsewhere and mix on my computer needs to sound good. I'm guessing that the soundcard won't alter the quality of those tracks at all, however, as long as the playback is good enuogh that I can mix them competently. Thanks for the advice...

A friend just gave me a Dell Dimension 2400. It's old, but my current machine is much older. According to the Dell website, it has an Analog Devices 198x Integrated Audio sound processor, which I can't find much info about online. I also happen to have an old Creative Soundblaster Live card (the Dell OEM version) I could put in this machine. I'm not all that knowledgeable about such things, and I'm wondering which would be better from the following two perspectives: 1) Managing general sound tasks (like system sounds and YouTube videos and the like) while reducing the demands on general system resources. Doesn't the Soundblaster have it's own chip and memory, thereby freeing up the main processor and memory for other tasks? 2) Handling more demanding sound tasks like recording and audio mixing in Audacity and Band-in-a-Box. I don't do complicated recordings (I just record a few guitar and vocal tracks a track at a time). But I also record on a friend's digital recording studio and bring the tracks home to mix. I need reasonably good sound quality on these. All help is greatly appreciated.

I've used nLite once before with success. I'd like to make a much slimmer installation this time, however, and have a few questions. My computer skills are modest at best, so plain and simple English, where possible, will be appreciated. 1) If I remove a given Windows component - Dr. Watson, say, or Microsoft SideWinder support, or Remote Desktop - and then later find that I need it, can it be added to my Windows installation without too much fuss? Will I be able to install them onto my machine from the nLite disk I make, or from the install disk I use to make my nLite disk? or download them? 2) Regarding services: Does eliminating unnecessary services (I currently disable about 20 which are enabled by default) result in a performance gain greater than that which would be achieved by simply disabling those services? And, can these services be installed later if they become necessary? 3) Can anybody direct me to a webpage or two which has clear, simple, and reliable descriptions of the various Windows components nLite can remove, what they do, and what relies on them? I already know about BlackViper for services, but a great many other components mystify me (what the hell does Dr Watson do, anyhow?). I'm hoping to avoid Googling every last one of 'em. But I'm determined to prune every unnecessary line of code I can from this installation. All help is greatly appreciated...

For future reference: The NetBoot disk's version of DOS does not appear to have an xcopy function on it. I had to download xcopy.exe from a different source and access and run it from my desktop machine. Just in case anyone else is in the same boat...

It took me a few more months than I expected, but I got the installation files onto my Toughbook via xcopy (took a couple hours' worth of fiddling and Googling dos questions to make it work), and the installation worked. Converted to NTFS via convert.exe, and we're off to the races. Thanks for the help...

Thanks for all the help. Work obligations will prevent me from attempting to implement the recommended procedures for the next few days. But I'll be back if I need more help, and if I manage to achieve my goals without more help, I'll put post up concerning how I did it, just in case anyone is curious. Thanks again...

You can convert the system partition to NTFS after installation? I didn't realize that. I thought you had to reformat to do that. And when I used the term PE, it referred to the Windows pre-install environment. Isn't that what the blue screen which puts Windows on your hard drive is called?

If I use any of the suggested methods to copy the installation files to a local drive on the Toughbook, does it matter which partition I copy it to? If I copy it to C:, won't the installation files disappear when I reformat to NTFS during the install? Or does the PE just run in memory?

Wouldn't mind learning a bit of DOS. I can even spell it if you spot me the D and the O. Answering your questions: OS - nLite version of XP, but not significantly reduced. Mostly just used to slipstream SP3 and tweak a few things. Left the XP tour out, but not much else. Disk size ~ 28 GB Partitions - I want a total of three - C: for Windows, D: for Program Files and Docs & Settings (customized my install to do this via nLite), and other data, and E: to make an image of C: with the fresh install on it. There are currently 3 partitions on it, by the way, one approximately 8 GB (C:), the other two about 10 GB each, all FAT32. Would like them to end up NTFS, eventually, but the current sizes work for me.

I have a Toughbook, which currently has no OS installed, and which has only a floppy drive. I need to install XP Pro on it (actually, a version customized via nLite), and ideally, without spending any money on equipment. I know the installation can be done off my flash drive, but I don't know how, and the Toughbook BIOS has no USB boot option. And I can see my desktop from the Toughbook via my wireless network using the NetBoot floppy, but my (non-existent) DOS skills won't get me past just seeing my shared folders. I know if I could copy the installation files (currently copied to my desktop) to the Toughbook and run winnt.exe, it would install that way, but I can't figure out how to do it. How can I do this installation? Any help would be greatly appreciated, and I should note that my computer skills are mediocre at best. I probably can't successfully follow any instructions that don't have every last detail spelled out down to the last keystroke. Thanks again.

I need to buy an internal DVD burner for my ancient Dell, I'm on a sickeningly tight budget, and I could use some advice. Here is what I'm looking for: I don't need any bells and whistles like headphone jacks, buttons which do this or that, or blazing speed. It doesn't have to be pretty, stylish, hip, or particularly quiet. I'm not willing to spend an extra dime for any of these things. And, I don't need a software bundle or a cable or any other paraphenalia - OEM is fine. What I do need, and for which I will spend as many extra dimes as are necessary (but no more), is accuracy, reliability, and durability in performing the core functions of a DVD burner - reading and writing CDs and DVDs. I need it to install with a minimum of headaches, not make coasters, not be finicky about media (because, in keeping with the sickeningly tight budget referenced above, I'll probably buy whatever's on sale), and not be a flimsy piece of **** which disintegrates in 6 months. Dual-layer would be nice, but isn't essential, and if it inflates the price more than a couple bucks, forget it. A company with decent support would be nice, too. Finally, the minimum requirements have to be in line with my Methuselah of a machine - 1.3 G P4, 768 M Ram, WinXP Home - and if manufacturer's specs for this sort of hardware are as foolishly optimistic as, say, Microsoft's are, please let me know. Also, I might set up a dual-boot w/ Ubuntu soon, so compatibility therewith would be a plus. I'll quit ranting and start listening now. Many thanks for all advice offered...

I'll be reinstalling Win XP soon. I've partitioned my hard drive and put my data on D: and will be installing Windows on C:. I'm doing this in part so I can make a drive image of the fresh installation and copy it back to the system partition every 6 months or so when Windows starts slowing down, thereby avoiding having to re-install everything after a reformat. My question regards the pros and cons of doing a custom installation so that either the Documents & Settings folder, the Program Files folder, or both are on the data partition instead of the system partition. Actually, I should rephrase that, as the pros are rather obvious - not having to backup and recover all the data in those folders if I have to/choose to reformat. I'm wondering what the potential downsides are. For instance, if I have an app installed when I make the drive image of my system partition, update the app sometime thereafter, and then put the old drive image back on the system partition, will I run the risk of creating some type of conflict which will cause me many headaches? Are there other potential risks involved with separating Docs & Sets or Prog Files from the system files? Any advice will be greatly appreciated...