[nuhi is back, post your suggestions here]

Hehe, so if a test version comes out in May we cannot use it on Win7 and Win8.x anymore, which is what it's made for?

[nuhi is back, post your suggestions here]

nuhi, as far as the things I *know* regenerate, the NativeImages_v2 are the only ones. But more can be removed from the assembly subfolders but I don't think those things regenerate. But tests on additional stuff removed were kind of haphazard, as in, 'hey, it looks like stuff still works when I remove this' so it would require your expert eye to determine what is safe and what is not. But the NativeImages_v2 folders definitely can be removed as those fully regenerate. As you say, you could force a ngen post-install, but even if you don't the folder still get regenerated in idle time. It's easy to test in a VM; just take an image and mount it and remove the NativeImages_v2 folders, then save to iso and install in VM. Then let the install sit for a while and you'll see it will regenerate those folders fully. I think when you try to run an app requiring certain .net stuff, it may trigger the ngen also. But either way apps still work, even if the NI_v2 folders haven't regenerated yet. When I make fully updated Win7 images (I use sysprep for that) those NI_V2 folders get rather large. Recently when I removed them they were 600+mb combined on x64 Win7. So for an install.wim that can save 150mb easy, which is huge savings.

[nuhi is back, post your suggestions here]

nuhi, I'm sure you're aware of this but when you remove the 'NativeImages_v2.xxx' folder(s) from Windows\assembly, they will regenerate automatically on any install. So those folders (2 on x64 and 1 on x86) can be removed without any detriment to the integrity of the OS/image. This is about Windows 7.

[nuhi is back, post your suggestions here]

Why dont You just release an alpha for us so we an relax for more 5 years when You will be releasing the tool?

Seriously now. What about an alpha release for this weekend so we can play with it for more months until you release the final version of the tool?

If this thread was an OS I would load up xLite and remove that post

Hmm... xLite?

[nuhi is back, post your suggestions here]

That's great, nuhi. Thanks for letting us know

[nuhi is back, post your suggestions here]

Hi nuhi,

Would you mind giving us an update about progress, if any?

Somewhere in the more recent updates for Win7 there is is definitely something causing vLite to fail. When I switch to an older iso or a non-updated one, it works fine. But when I apply vLite to iso's with all recent updates integrated (including IE11), vLite fails either during preparation phase or the early stages of removal. That's a shame, it means vLite is not viable for reducing updated Win7 images anymore... And using already updated images is the preferred way to go because once the OS is lited, it will be problematic to update it.

If all the work for the new tool is overwhelming, we'll understand. I wouldn't personally have a clue how to go about something like that. But if you've given up on it, please let us know. If you haven't, please let us know too

Thanks...

[nuhi is back, post your suggestions here]

Well, the other day I tried to vLite an updated Win7 image (IE11 integrated, sysprep'd image). I made many such images before but not since I had been including IE10 (and later) to the images. I think vLite is finally not working anymore on images with the newest updates/IE11 included. I thought this might happen and I think it just did I think Win7 is being backported many updates and files from NT6.2/3. It might just be the platform update 2670838 (prerequisite to IE10/11 and having DirectX 11.1 components) or a combination of things.

Please don't forget Win7 nuhi, it is the best recent Windows desktop OS but it never had a good lite-ning tool, only vLite. If you need some images with IE11 integrated, etc., for testing (or want me to test anything) let me know via PM. Thanks

[nuhi is back, post your suggestions here]

, I noticed that too and it started bothering me. I've been busy with the new tool and didn't want to stop in the middle of something.

For nLite I have written down what needs to be done, and will be finished as soon as the current stream of updates for the new one is done.

That is what most of people wanted in the first place, to put focus on the next tool.

I'll reply to this topic properly later.

Great to see you are still working on this tool, nuhi

As for:

trala, thanks for the kind words, I also tried all the tools out there before choosing to proceed with the next one, and yeah... But now you are on my blacklist, I am not allowed to listen to people which agree with me, sorry .

Hehe, that's right, if I'm not nothing but another self that is fine with me. Just remember this particular self does not know how to code, so please make this tool for this, your other agreeable self

[nuhi is back, post your suggestions here]

Yes, I understand what you're referring to when you say vLite 'broke SP1', but like I said there is a way to use it on Win7 SP1 without a problem. Also, with WinSxS removal there is no issue such as you describe.

I mean what I said when I said vLite is leagues above RT7Lite. RT7 was not only unbearably slow, the vLited images always were cleaner and better. People who know how to use vLite on Win7 SP1 will not even bother with RT7; the only thing I heard them use it for was integration of Service Packs but would then do the rest with vLite But once I figured out how to use vLite I never used RT7lite again.

I've used vLite a lot on Win7 SP1 and I was always amazed how well the app was made. It's simple, clean, and fast. I normally install it inside a VM and then give the VM access to a drive on which I've extracted a Win7 SP1 image I wish to liten. The whole process for me (taking out Tablet PC, Speech, Nat. Language, Accessibility, sometimes WinSxS) would take less than 10 minutes on a bad day

EDIT: click this link to go to the vLite MSDN thread where they mention the trick to use vLite on Win7 SP1. It really is about doing an export of a certain image and then using that with vLite.

[nuhi is back, post your suggestions here]

If so, maybe those did not existed in Win 7 time.

2 did

vlite can/could edit 7 RTM

RT 7 lite can/could edit both RTM and later SP1 (when it came out)

vLite can also edit Win7 SP1 if you know how. To be honest, RT7Lite is like a cheap toy compared to vLite. But vLite was not completely compatible with Win7, of course, and there are some differences between Vista and Win7 that caused that. Still vLite was/is leagues above anything I've seen.

So what I'm saying is that there has never been a quality tool such as n/vLite for Win7 expressely. And that is really a shame because Win7 is still very viable and the last true Windows desktop OS for now. I can manage with vLite and have made very good lite images of Win7 with it, but it is not foolproof and it requires mounting the image afterwards and editing some things.

So hopefully nuhi would consider making such a tool (vLite is a great base to start from, I would think). Sure it would be great if it could do Win8.1 too I realize there is a lot of backlog from people using nLite over the years so I hope all the comments and request don't snow him in too much

[Aero Glass for Win8 RC4]

Therefore, there is no "wrong" in this situation. He merely expressed himself in a certain way and I interpreted his word in certain way. It was mutual miscommunication and hence we both apologised and cleared up our misunderstandings. Frankly I believe your little quip at the end about language going downhill to be a bit condescending but that is merely my interpretation of your statement. I'm sure you did not mean to be condescending or at least I hope so.

I partly agree with your view there. It would have convinced me completely were it not for the fact that very fluent or native English speakers can deduct from the use of the language whether someone one is a native or fluent speaker (and thus adjust the way they react). Couple that with the fact that 'approve' was in fact not a miscommunication on his part (it is a valid use) but more so a misunderstanding on your part, and the scale tips a bit out of your favor. But I am always glad when things 'clear up' between people. In that spirit, I have to bow my head a bit and admit there was a seed of condescension in my words to you, of which I am not proud and would like to apologize. Hopefully we will all be 'clear' now

[Aero Glass for Win8 RC4]

You "approve the idea"? Isn't that for bigmuscle to decide? I think we're thinking too far ahead. I'm sure many things remain to be done and this is still just a very early preview.

"To approve" = "to have or express a favorable opinion of"

So going beyond the obvious that this was a translation issue, you are also wrong Good one! Plus, this use of 'approve' is always warranted, anyway, because it does not imply the assumption of decisive power over another person, but rather the issuance of where one stands on a matter. Sigh... language has really gone down hill the last 50 years...

[Aero Glass for Win8 RC4]

If you kill the exe, the suer is logged off

Nice Freudian slip! At least it points to how many of us feel about Microsoft taking out glass!

[Windows 7 "Keep" List]

[...] Vlite cannot be used with 7 it barely works and SP1 means vlite will chew it to pieces since you need a different new version of the waik.

RT7Lite is all we have for now since nuhi is MIA

You can definitely use vLite on Windows 7 successfully. To make vLite play nice you'd have to sysprep a VM install of Win7 SP0 upon which you install SP1. After performing sysprep you can then capture the image via Imagex (I create the VM as a VHD using VirtualBox, so one can directly mount the VHD and do the capture via Imagex). You can then mount the captured image (the install.wim) and remove the SP1 backup files. Then you export the image (basically a re-save) to make it even smaller and you have your Win7 SP1 that can be used with vLite (whereas Win7 SP1 official cannot be used with vLite).

Sure, it may seems a bit of a hassle, but if you're interested in modifying or customizing your Win7 image you really should learn to work with MS's own tools like dism, imagex, sysprep, etc. The resulting Win7 SP1 image you make this way is actually cleaner and smaller than MS's own Win7 SP1 iso, and thus it has become the image of choice for all my personal installs.

Plus, the added bonus of using sysprep is that you can integrate non-integrable (offline) updates (such as KB2533552) with your image.

Now, I don't use vLite in extreme ways, but I successfully use this Session on my images:

; vLite preset file
;
;#Environment:
; vLite v1.2
; Framework 2.0.50727.5420
; Microsoft Windows NT 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1 64-bit
;
;#Target:
; Windows 7 Professional 64-bit Service Pack 1
; Version 6.1 English (United States)
;
[Compatibility]
ACDSee / XnView
DriveimageXML
DVD Treasury
Halo 2
Hauppauge WinTV
KMPlayer
Logitech Setpoint
MediaPortal
Perfect World Client
Zoom Player
Aero Glass
File and printer sharing (Server)
Internet Explorer
Internet Information Services (IIS)
Recommended
Scanners and Cameras
System Restore
Windows Fax and Scan
Windows Update

[CustomHide]

[Components]
;# Accessories #
Accessibility
Speech Support
Welcome Center
;# Drivers #
TV Tuners-ADS Technologies
TV Tuners-ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
TV Tuners-AVerMedia Technologies, Inc.
TV Tuners-Compro Technology Inc.
TV Tuners-Conexant Systems, Inc.
TV Tuners-Creatix
TV Tuners-Hauppauge
TV Tuners-KNC ONE GmbH
TV Tuners-KWorld
TV Tuners-Lumanate, Inc.
TV Tuners-Philips Semiconductors
TV Tuners-Pinnacle Systems
TV Tuners-TerraTec Electronic GmbH
TV Tuners-VidzMedia Pte Ltd.
;# Languages #
Arabic
Brazillian
Bulgarian
Croatian
Czech
Danish
Estonian
Finnish
French
German
Greek
Hebrew
Hungarian
Italian
Korean
Latvian
Lithuanian
Norwegian
Polish
Portuguese
Romanian
Russian
Serbian
Simplified Chinese
Slovak
Slovenian
Spanish
Swedish
Table Driven Text Input Processor
Thai
Traditional Chinese
Turkish
Ukrainian
;# Multimedia #
Media Center
Music and Video samples
Sample Pictures
;# System #
BitLocker Drive Encryption
Natural Language
Parental Controls
Subsystem for UNIX-based Applications (SUA)
Tablet PC
Windows Easy Transfer

[Options]
DEP (Data Execution Prevention) = Default
User Account Control (UAC) = Disabled
AntiSpyware Realtime Protection = Default
AutoPlay = Disabled
Paging Executive = Enabled
Power scheme = High performance
Power button = Default
Sleep button = Default
Control Panel - Classic View = Enabled
Show hidden files and folders = Yes
Show protected operating system files = No
Show extensions for known file types = Yes
IE Phishing Filter = Default
IE Phishing Verification Ballon Tips = Default

[Services]

[Protection]

[Drivers]

[Unattended]

[Hotfixes]

[LanguagePacks]

Using this Session it saves about 900+mb off the ISO -- this coupled with the almost 250mb I save making my own Win7 SP1 image the above-mentioned way, it saves about 1.1gb on the total ISO size. Sure, one can argue the point of cheap mass storage, but personally I find the single-layer DVD form important still (both for making backups and for creating install images for computers that don't play nice for USB installation). So the gained space is used for silent and portable apps that can be installed via an included WPI variant and so there you have an AIO install disc.

There is no limitation to the use of this Win7 image, save if you need Accessibility features, use Speech support (want your computer to talk to you), or want to install it on a Touch device. But of course images are made with a specific purpose in mind, and the purpose of my images is power usage on desktop and laptop environments.

To note: the ONLY manual insertion of files after the above vLite session is that I have to add in the Magnification.dll file, as vLite removes this file along with the removal of a certain component (other than the Snipping Tool, which I kept in -- and it will break the Snipping Tool when this .dll is absent). For some reason, listing this .dll under [Protection] in the session .ini did not prevent it from being deleted by vLite. But this is easy enough to do as you mount the image to make any such changes and/or do some additional registry tweaking by loading the reg hive, etc.

But yes, as I said a much cleaner image results from the above methods. Win7 SP1 from MS, when I unleash my 5 favorite reg cleaners on it, produces over 1500 reg errors... MS did NOT do a good job of cleaning up their image, as they basically used the same sysprep method, just less well With my images, I only get up to 200 reg entries found by these cleaners. That's not a scientific assessment, but I think it speaks volumes nonetheless. Plus, as I said, my images are quite a bit smaller as well, about 250mb for the x64 image -- and that is BEFORE using vLite on it

Anyway, I'm quiet happy being able to use vLite on Win7 SP1, as vLite truly is a great tool, made very well. I do feel sorry Nuhi is no longer working on it, but I guess that is what happens when MS offers you a job; you can't very well keep working on a tool like vLite and expect your bosses not to frown