Lazy8

And you didn't get pied, either? Looks like we're working the bugs out of the system at last.

I'm not sure how client versions of these hotfixes differ from their fullfile counterparts. Try to obtain the full one, instead. You may have to make your request directly to Microsoft--hotfixes in your language edition may not be accessible to a direct download. They should issud them to users who need to perform their updates without their Office 2003 installation CD available. One other thing that usually works for me, is to use Office Update to automatically apply the hotfix. The .MSP can be found in WINDOWS\Software Distribution\Download, the temp folder for these updates. As long as this topic has resurfaced, I guess I'll conclude my original question. My best guess is that the slipstreaming process was performed successfully. The patches that never stuck were fixes for Office components I did not install. Problem solved by checking 'hide' for each fix in Microsoft Update.

Simple typos are the nemesis of the first time unattender. Put your backslash here, where you designate your variable... ...or in each installation path--but not both. You can test the script afterward by executing your RunOnceEx command, and reviewing regedit to verify the settings have been properly placed. This short a list of programs might make it worth your while to restart afterwards (avoiding boot from CD), to test programs independent of Windows installation.

You probably disabled lsass & smss with those svchost kills. Manual shutdown of services through Task Manager and shutdown abort are inconveniences you probably wouldn't want to repeat for each logon, especially with so much onboard RAM. 40MB commit charge is a resource use most Windows XP users never enjoy. I'm glad you had success.

The number one rule for Office Shrinker (and probably the one least taken seriously) is to run it on virtual PC or clean install of Windows. Have as little installed on the system as you can get away with, especially your Office program. If Office Shrinker fails due to programs already installed, even their removal won't improve its operation, in my experience. I have sucessfully shrunk two out of about six attempts. The OfficeShrinking operation will even corrupt the next run in sequence--making the VPC the more convenient of the two production methods.

That joke is older than any one of us, and it still cracks people up. All the signs of a classic.

You can certainly get away with removing it. Doublecheck the ComPlus Applications folder in your Program Files directory, to be sure. Descriptions and configuration hints are provided in these locations, among others: http://www.theeldergeek.com/services_guide.htm http://www.beemerworld.com/tips/servicesxp.htm http://forums.extremeoverclocking.com/blkv.../servicecfg.htm

There is no performance difference between a disabled and a removed service. nLite users will gleefully remove an unnecessary service for the satisfaction of freeing up the hard drive storage. Nothing against that--most of them won't miss a thing, and have better uses for those MBs. Just be sure they are ones you won't miss later on. Services are interdependent. Programs often rely on them, and spotting their dependencies is often a matter of guesswork. Your specific complement of software and the unique ways you use your PC make it difficult to give advice relevant to your needs. Yzöwl and gdogg represent widely disparate views, and each is equally satisfied with their own results. You'll have to test at least some of your guesses on your own, possibly by selectively disabling them (a good simulation of a removed service).

In control panel Sounds properties, are any of the controls (such as the volume slider) greyed out? Have you checked to see whether regedit showed them enabled? Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\AppEvents\Schemes] @=".default" If the value is ".none", try importing this before going through the trouble of recreating a user profile.

It's a competition, then...will I get credit for the dares I performed on my own?

If you ever tire of beating your computer into submission, this will help with the boredom.

Does this help? Download Internet Explorer Resource Kit (also included as default installation option of ORKTools). Customize IE6 installation, including large & small animated logo bitmaps. Add resulting files to $OEM$, rebranding initiated through WINNT.SIF.

The folder that maps to user profiles is $Docs--might save you a few moments of cleanup.

visualfx.regI do not know, but didn't take any chances with it anyway. I checked all available tweaks in nLite, recorded remaining manual changes with Regshot, and elininated redundant entries. The resulting .REG rarely misses a box in the column, though it still happens for unknown reasons.

I had the same result with nLite's older versions, when attempting to make a bootable ISO. Since then I preferred to extract the bootsector from each Windows source for reuse, and use CDIMAGE for ISO creation. Could be the makeiso.exe utility provided by nLite that is the cause.

"Brussels police department, how may I assist you?" "Uh.. yes.. I just got hit in the face with a cream pie." "Okay, sir. Have you called the Brussels police department before?" "No" "Well, let me get a little information about you for our records. Your name?" "Bill Gates" "Country?" "The USA" "Native language?" "English" "Okay, sir. Your police department ID number is BP31415927. Please use this number the next time you call. Now, you say you were hit in the face with a pie?" "Yes, I was just about to meet with the Belgian Prime Minister. One person distracted me while another hit me with a cream pie." "We've had other customers report that they were hit in the face with a custard pie. Are you sure it was a cream pie?" "Well, I have white stuff all over my face and I don't see any custard, so I really don't think it was a custard pie." "Have you visited the Prime Minister before?" "Yes" "Were you hit in the face with a pie then?" "No" "Hmm... have you visited any other Prime Ministers in the past month?" "Yes" "Any pies then?" "No" "Okay, well.. let's try something. Go outside the building and come in again. I'll wait." "Just a minute.." "Okay, I'm back." "Did you get hit by another pie?" "Of course not" "Well sir, I don't know what could have caused the first pie, but it looks like things are working fine now. I'll make a note of the problem, though. If it happens again, please note the exact details of the situation and call us again. Thank you for calling the Brussels Police Department."

30 Self-Affirmations I Must Repeat to Assure Myself of My Sanity: 1. As I let go of my feelings of guilt, I am in touch with my inner sociopath. 2. I have the power to channel my imagination into ever-soaring levels of suspicion and paranoia. 3. I assume full responsibility for my actions, except the ones that are someone else's fault. 4. I no longer need to punish, deceive, or compromise myself, unless I want to stay employed. 5. In some cultures what I do would be considered normal. 6. Having control over myself is almost as good as having control over others. 7. My intuition nearly makes up for my lack of self-judgment. 8. I honor my personality flaws for without them I would have no personality at all. 9. Joan of Arc heard voices, too. 10. I am grateful that I am not as judgmental as all those censorious, self-righteous people around me. 11. I need not suffer in silence while I can still moan, whimper, and complain. 12. As I learn the innermost secrets of people around me, they reward me in many ways to keep me quiet. 13. When someone hurts me, I know that forgiveness is cheaper than a lawsuit, but not nearly as gratifying. 14. The first step is to say nice things about myself. The second, to do nice things for myself. The third, to find someone to buy me nice things. 15. As I learn to trust the universe, I no longer need to carry a gun. 16. All of me is beautiful, even the ugly, stupid, and disgusting parts. 17. I am at one with my duality. 18. Blessed are the flexible, for they can tie themselves into knots. 19. Only a lack of imagination saves me from immobilizing myself with imaginary fears. 20. I will strive to live each day as if it were my 50th birthday. 21. Today I will gladly share my experience and advice, for there are no sweeter words than "I told you so!" 22. False hope is better than no hope at all. 23. A good scapegoat is almost as good as a solution. 24. Who can I blame for my problems? Just give me a minute.... I'll find someone. 25. Why should I waste my time reliving the past when I can spend it worrying about the future? 26. The complete lack of evidence is the surest sign that the conspiracy is working. 27. Becoming aware of my character defects leads me naturally to the next step of blaming my parents. 28. To have a successful relationship, I must learn to make it look like I'm giving as much as I'm getting. 29. I am willing to make the mistakes if someone else is willing to learn from them. 30. Before I criticize a man, I walk a mile in his shoes. That way, if he gets angry, he's a mile away and barefoot.

(...by way of explanation) Thank you for voting--looks like you helped elect the pr0n star!

You will need something other than command line switches for Open Office silent install. User FAQ, plus study materials for creating a Response File: http://user-faq.openoffice.org/ http://installation.openoffice.org/01RESPO..._final_rev2.pdf Unattended Guide has complete instructions and links to helpful resources. Really, its faster than waiting for one of us to post a reply to each question.

Temporary reduction of speed is small sacrifice for troubleshooting purposes, especially if the RAM in question is otherwise warranteed. No problem with an occasional hardware tweak, as long as our self-admitted n00bs are advised of potential risks to their system. Since this is one mod I have not yet made, I'll be the one to guess: System clock speed is major factor determining voltage requirements of RAM & CPU--supply voltage must be proportional to frequency. Insufficient voltage causes partial or total failure--unstable performance, various Windows stop errors, or behavior mimicking Everlast746's computer--but little risk of permanent damage. Overvoltage will allow RAM to meet increased demand of overclocking, with overheat risk (or even burnout). Are my guesses fairly accurate? If too much voltage is applied, is possible harm limited to the RAM bank itself?

Understood, tedly. Folder Properties are most critical while copying Windows source from CD to local directory, prior to use by nLite. You copy only the files you can select.

The installed OS of your notebook has an extracted set of drivers--why not use an app to back them up for integration? This one does a generally good job (though I've known it to miss an important file once in a while), is absurdly easy to use, and it's free.

Happy Birthday Comrade_Tux! Isnt the sex shop the ideal place to size up the candidates? I thought you were headed there just to combine errands.

If overvolting and underclocking can serve the same purpose, which one is a better diagnostic aid? Is the risk of hardware damage between overvolting and underclocking methods meaningfully different?