RobbyR

Got a screenshot of what shows of the screen with just those core boot files? I bet its funny. Its like a black screen with a pixelated green man. No its probably boots you to a DOS prompt, for a bare minimum of whats required to run commands. I'm playing with Foobar and feeling humbled by how complicated its programming is.

Thanks Happy-Dude. I think I sort of have a "claim" on this topic. With the links you added I can now find them easily here in one place. To delete empty folders left after using nLite: Try DelEmptyFolders, freeware single EXE no installation, 210kb. Download here DelEmptyFolders To answer my question before: It turns out a lot of programs use IExplorer Core. From Media Player (requires IE v6 or greater), to certain anti-virus software, 3rd party media players, and I've heard even "Add/Remove Programs" somehow uses IExplorer Core. I would not suggest removing the IExplorer core, but if you keep Core and just remove IExplorer 7/8 you will still have support for all other software that requires it. Then there is a question of "Why some programs open up popups to IExplorer even if its not my default browser?" For Windows XP >> GoTo Control Panel >> Add/Remove Programs >> Set Program Access and Defaults The first option "Choose a Default Web Browser"... And either "Non-Microsoft" or "Custom". Now even Windows Media Player and all other programs will popup your default browser instead of using Internet Explorer.

I like that idea. I can confirm what you said - no file in the "windows/system/" directory is used anymore. And I use procexp as well, a great program. Can we just get rid of windows task manager and replace with procexp...? Not easily... because of Windows File Protection (SFC). There are post install hacks to do it. But in keeping with the theme of nLite I cannot think of anyway to delete and replace Task Manager. Oh, I'm off subject. Yes good idea deleting everything in "WINDOWS/system/" folder.

Thanks for the welcome everyone. Right now I am doing some very dull and thankless tasks of seeing if I can find any files nLite left behind that might not be needed anymore (considering the services and components I removed, and don't plan on using). I am using DLLToys - Import Checker (Shareware) and DllSweeper (Freeware). I don't fully trust DLLToys - I found they list DLLs with no references (orphans) that I know 100% are NEEDED. DLLToys also lists about twice as many (aprox 300) as DllSweeper (137)... Dll Sweeper reports 120+ Mb of unused DLLs.... in a 790 Mb installation!!! I removed DrWatson and Microsoft Error Reporting (call to Microsoft Server detailing errors). Do I need? DWUP.inf (installation to write to registry and register components) DW20.exe DWTRIG20.exe DWDCW20.DLL DWINTL20.DLL ( x 10 in subfolders of Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\DW\ ) I still want to use Programs >> Administrative Tools >> Event Viewer I am also thinking of removing IExplorer 7 and IExplorer Core... since I use Firefox. But considering... does Windows Media Player 11 load webpages using IExplorer components....? BOLD FORTUNE REPORTS THESE FILES SAFE TO REMOVE http://www.bold-fortune.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=232 msimsg.dll ...(Windows Installer International Messages). The Msimsg.dll stores the error messages for Windows Installer. ...also the DLL is not listed as a dependency for MSIEXEC.EXE LNKSTUB.EXE ...(Win95-to-WinNT Migration Dll, Win95 Side). Incompatibility program. This program was designed for Windows Millennium and previous versions. REGEDT32.EXE ...(Registry Editor Utility). A 32-bit Registry-editing tool. In Windows XP the extra functionality of the Regedt32.exe has been merged into the Regedit.exe. If you start the Regedt32.exe, the system runs the Regedit.exe (Registry Editor). SHRPUBW.EXE ...(Share Creation Wizard). Wizard used to create shared folders on a Windows XP system ...You can simply share a folder by clicking any folder >> Properties >> Sharing. Why do you need a wizard? SmWizard.exe ...is a SmartWizard MFC Application related to C-Media audio chipsets on some motherboards. SYSKEY.EXE ...(SAM Lock Tool). Windows XP Account Database Manager. Used to secure the Windows XP account database. ...Home users probably don't need this, probably not functional if you removed Windows Default Encryption via nLite. WINCHAT.EXE ...Windows for Workgroups Chat(NT). Ever use this tool to chat with someone else on your LAN? Me neither. nLite removed this. WRITE.EXE ...(Windows Write). A text document-editing tool from a previous version of Windows to Win95, (Man, is this file dated.) v7vga.rom...... I keep vga.dll, for soe reason, my computer shows "this file is currently in use." vga64k.dll.....32K/64K Color VGA\SVGA Display Driver vga256.dll.....256 Color VGA\SVGA Display Driver atkctrs.dll ...(Windows NT AppleTalk Perfmon Counter dll). Is now deprecated by Apple in favor of TCP/IP networking. Wow that's old! esent97.dll ...Microsoft® Windows NT Server Database Storage Engine (not needed for Windows XP). ...However, I have not deleted this yet, so cannot confirm. Its > 1Mb. jet500.dll ...(JET Engine DLL). The Microsoft Jet (Joint Engine Technology) Database Engine. It has since been superseded by Microsoft Desktop Engine (MSDE) and no longer exists as a component of Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC). miglibnt.dll + MIGPWD.EXE ... Are you upgrading from Windows 95???? Otherwise not needed. moricons.dll ...Windows NT Icons Library. Not used by default in Windows XP. A little like Atari 1980s technology. pifmgr.dll... more Windows NT icons not used by XP. sfmapi.dll ...Windows NT Macintosh File Service Client w32topl.dll.....Windows NT Topology Maintenance Tool. Old, older, and outdated. netsh.exe + aaaamon.dll ...Netsh (Network Services Shell) is a command-line scripting utility to configure of various network services. ...Go to Run >> type netsh. This is the only time these files are used. atmadm.exe Gives 3 stats on an ATM connection using the command prompt...leftover since I removed ATM with nLite. atmpvcno.dll....Atm Epvc Install DLL. Left behind, since I removed ATM via nLite atmfd.dll.......Windows NT OpenType/Type 1 Font Driver atmlib.dll......Windows NT OpenType/Type 1 API Library ...both above used by Adobe on earlier versions of Windows and Mac. Now depreciated by Type 1 fonts on WinXP & Mac OSx mfc40u.dll ...(MFCDLL Shared Library - Retail Version 900kb). Microsoft Visual C++. Depreciated version of the mfc42u.dll. Ok thats all for now. I still have some questionable DLLs that I will be looking into to see if they are required... and by what. You delete all the files listed by BOLD FORTUNE.... you could save up to 10 Mb. Anyone know more about Dr Watson as in my question above....?

I have been playing with nLite for about a week now. It took me to my 5th attempt to create a Windows XP nLite installer + addons... with no failed installations. I cut my installation CD to 390 Mb (with 65 Mb of addons) and aprox 790 Mb total installed. First I offer some of my advice.... FULL UNATTENDED ALL THE LATEST COMPONENTS Windows XP Pro + SP3 Slipstream DirectX 9.25.1476 nov2008 --- using RVM_Integrator_1.5.3 DirectX for Managed Code (XP SP3 Only) --- using RVM_Integrator_1.5.3 Adobe Shockwave 11.0.3.470 Slim Microsoft dotNet Framework 1.1 SP1 --- using RVM_Integrator_1.5.3 Microsoft dotNet Framework 2.0 (opted not to use 3.0 because of size 140 Mb) --- using RVM_Integrator_1.5.3 Microsoft Silverlight 1.0.30401.0 User Profile Hive Cleanup (for faster Shutdown) Windows Genuine Advantage WINDOWS INSTALLER 3.1.KB893803-V2-X86 MEDIA CODECS SUPPORT Combined Community Codec Pack 2008.09.21.0 (only 6.6 Mb copared to Vista Codecs Pack 17.5 Mb) Xvid 1.1.3 Build 27.04.2008 QuickTime Alternative Lite 2.7.0 Real Alternative Lite 1.9.0 Flash ActiveX 10.0.12.36 IE Plugin Flash ActiveX 10.0.12.36 FFox Plugin AC3 Filter 146 AVIcodec 1.2b110 (reads Codecs for media files) THE BEST SMALL PROGRAMS I KNOW ABOUT Visual Task Tips 3.4 (80 Kb) Vista Drive Icon 1.4 (105 Kb) Folder Size 2.4 (219 Kb) uTorrent 1.7.5 (252 Kb) Notepad2 3.0.20 (305 Kb) -- barely used it, but first impression is OEM Notepad is suitable for most users. Folder2MyPC 1.9 (500 Kb) Defraggler 1.04.098 (609 Kb) DeepRipper 1.0 (824 Kb) - Rips CDs directly to MP3, very fast, great program!!! CCleaner 2.13.720 (837 Kb) 7-Zip 4.57 (871 Kb) WinAmp 5.32 Lite (1.5 Mb) -- alternative Foobar 0.9.5.6 (2.69 Mb) probably better, I will use this next time. IrfanView 4.20 + Lite Plugins Pack (2.1 Mb) Media Player Classic 6.4.9.0 (1.8 Mb) Weather Watcher 5.6.37 (2.4 Mb) DeepBurner Free 1.8 (2.7 Mb) -- no support for DVD in Free Edition. Still can't find a <5Mb alternative. SMALL PROGRAMS NO INSTALL (put in folder "$OEM$\$Progs") 1-4a Rename.exe 681kb Abort Shutdown.bat 11bytes AVIPreview.exe 135kb DelEmptyFolders.exe 213kb DotNet VersionCheck Utility.exe 176kb FolderRedirector.exe 18kb HACHA.EXE 68kb hjsplit.exe 178kb IIIDownloader v.2.1.0.exe 630kb Image_Grabber_II.exe 1,5mb inuse.exe 40kb Active Iso-Burner.exe 660kb Magic Jellybean Keyfinder.exe 272kb NoFindInsideZip.exe 10kb pagedfrg.exe 98kb Portable-RegCompact Pro 2.2.exe 323kb Portable-Start Menu Clean 1.51.exe 88kb RefreshEm.exe 24kb Shell Menu Register DLL.reg 723bytes Windows-XP-Prefetch-Clean-And-Control.exe 28kb Registry Jumper 2.0 Portable 58kb CAB-Expand-Compress-via-SHIFT-RIGHT-CLICK 329bytes Sysinternals Process Explorer 532kb (put in folder "$OEM$\$$") WINDOWS EMBEDDED USE FBWF (File-Based Write Filter) Beckhoff FBWF Manager Minlogon OTHER PROGRAMS Firefox 3.0.4 VLC 0.8.6h winRAR 3.80 I removed everything I could.... Still I kept major/large programs such as Windows Media Player 11, Internet Explorer 7, Upgrade Capability, Windows Updates. And kept support for majority of Home Users needs.... Internet Access, Home LAN Network, Audio/Video, PC Optimization Removable Storage, Styles/Themes, Phone/Messaging, Bluetooth Of course this was a Lite installation. A lot of programs I use everyday will have to be installed later. I will continue to write to this Topic.... I would like to get some feedback from other users as to ideas and tips. I will share my advice. It took me many attempts to get an "acceptable" installation CD w/o errors. But this is my first step... I still a looking for more programs, specifically SMALL SIZE. My ultimate goal is to create a Lite Installation for different purposes.... Giving the user the choice DURING installation... 1) General User (Web, Internet, Media, Chat) 2) Gamers Edition 3) Home Media Player 4) Car-puter So Windows installs only required OS components... smallest initial footprint & fastest installation. Instead of integrating Addons immediately, your computer boots to Windows XP Brings up an Options Menu... and lists all the programs available on the CD. Do you want to install Firefox, Opera, Netscape, Chrome? Trillian, Yahoo Chat or MSN Messenger? CCCP Codecs Pack or Vista Codecs Pack? ...... Then do silent installs of each unattended. ...... Also interested in any Registry Tweaks anyone might have to share, post them please. Great program nLite. Great forum msfn.org. I will add to this thread later.