prathapml

I agree. Suitable option when time and mental bandwidth exist. If not making your own, DO NOT download pre-built "Lite" builds and just run the proper/official one, to prevent issues. Yep, agree. Unless it is a project for fun. There was the Tiny11 guy (NTDEV) who pushes limits by finding ways to run newer Windows on VERY old hardware.

My lite is the only right one, that's what they all say But an app with 4 paid subscription tiers, an almost-empty forum, a website that talks on and on about how good the app is (instead of just showing its features upfront)... Why would somebody pick that over NTlite, for example?

That command is one of the ways to bypass the hardware check, if it works for the Win11 build you chose. But I looked up what spec typically ships with the hp 15-ba014nr laptop of 2015, and it is quite old today. One of the laptops here is similar, even a newer Win10 consumer edition is unbearable on it, let alone Win11. Even enhancing the RAM to 16GB and changing to SSD, will still result in a poor Win11 experience. I would probably want to consider WHY I'm doing this OS upgrade, on a laptop you already feel is "incompatible". (although force-fitting a newer OS and then cursing MS is an attractive option... ) Even the Win11 Entp IoT (unless you custom build) will feel slow compared to Win10. Alternatively, using a stripped down Win11-lite (for speed) could leave you with unexplained issues all over, in an already-buggy OS. As for drivers, Win10 x64 drivers usually work just fine on 11. If doing a clean install of 11, I find DriverBackup a good choice to export/save the specific drivers already installed on 10. If the requirement is continued security updates, Windows 10 IoT Entp LTSC 2021 exists, with support uptil 2032. For specific apps that dropped support for Win10, consider that the newer versions of such apps might be too heavy for this laptop anyway.

Indeed has @xper , a long while, and yet it feels like that world was yesterday! Always nice to see you, hope you are feeling well? Glad the forum is running (with lots of effort from you I'm sure). I browse anonymously once in a while, some familiar usernames have changed, some are silent since years. I received an automated mail (that went to Spam), about Invision upgrade and inactive member pruning. Wanted to ensure my account stays active, lol. sorry to OP, for hijacking this thread? I'm sure you would have wanted this to be a DM... Mine is too full at present and not sure how to export or print/PDF lots of messages (with formatting/timestamps) at once. Trying to keep the memory and not delete them, until I find out how.

True. But if you wanted to prevent the boot/recovery partitions from being made, and run with just a single C: drive for the OS, it is still possible even today on Win11. The price of doing so is: 1. Ensure MBR partition table (sub-4TB OS drive, sub-2.2TB partition, no GPT hence no EFI hence no secureBoot) 2. Keep in mind, NVMe drives and some laptops insist on GPT partition structure and EFIboot. 3. Make the partitions manually, before Windows Setup (or directly in Setup using shift+F10, diskpart commands, and then refresh partitions in the GUI).

Update: The folder preview issue was partly solved by MS itself. Since a few months, the betas of what is set to become win11 22h2 have brought back that feature. Though the previews are still awful, at least it is better than none at all.

If some colour is all we're losing, I'd be fine. The app may need to follow the track MS is taking because: maybe some relevant functions are being dropped from DLLs in 22h2, and to keep compatibility/stability. Then count me a sycophant, lol ? Your recommendation of Classic Shell was no good, for my needs. Other offerings in the space didn't help me either. Sure, you can argue that SAB is basically a collection of mods. And I'm fine by that, the dev is actively maintaining and updating it, instead of suggesting forum links for a disparate collection of mods that may not play well together as versions keep changing. I don't know what "harsh criticism" you are talking about. Is it from the same "experts" who propose migrating to Mac/Linux every few weeks? Is it from the same experts who suggest deep system tweaks and service removals, and then cry when that results in a buggy experience? What i do know, is that SAB is the ONE tool that made Windows 11 tolerable. It was worth the simple $5 license, and I think discouraging the developer with such posts is wrong. Quoting below, my post from back when I found this near-miracle of an app! It is still awesome and will be required, as even win11 23h2 does not seem to have any intention of fixing the dumbed-down UI.

It is indeed, solves a major problem for me, I am your fan now! In case my testimony helps: Even as MS kept dumbing down different parts of the OS, I was glad to find ways to adjust and adapt. Though the changes in 11 have been... %#^%#^%@#@! If the issue was only about Start Menu, I'd have used Open-Shell and been just fine. But force-combined taskbar buttons and removal of custom toolbars broke my workflow. No other _actively maintained_ app (including Start11) addresses this important part for me. StartAllBack has single-handedly made Win11 tolerable, preventing me from running back to win10. I did the easy part - buying. Hoping enough people do that, to motivate you to keep up with the constant UI-style breakages that win11 will surely throw at us all. One thought though, for when I will format and reinstall. I see that some of the settings (not all) reside in the registry at HKCU\Software\StartIsBack. There is no inbuilt way to backup/restore settings. What would I need to do, to manually backup/restore all settings myself?

I'm glad to note that a beta build of StartIsBack solves the first problem that i had mentioned. See this screenshot! So now the only annoying thing left is folder previews.

So Windows 11 has not been... the best. But I've adjusted to the changes, to the point where only two real issues remain. 1. Taskbar replacement completely (not tweak) Application windows are now grouped in the taskbar. Yes, it feels like pre-win95 days. But that behaviour won't change. So is there a 3rd party taskbar replacement, to show open windows? (just like there is a 3rd party app for Start Menu.) 2. File Manager folder thumbnail previews Movies/photos/PDFs/etc within a folder aren't visible as a preview anymore, when browsing through a folder of folders. I hoped it would get fixed before release, but again, this looks like a permanent change as well. Is there any way to go back to the old folder previews? Or any 3rd party file manager app, which works just like Windows Explorer of win10 days? (light-enough, reliable, uncluttered, has folder previews in 256x256 icon size) Every file manager i tried so far, has depended on Windows Explorer itself, to show file and folder previews. So when win11 removed this feature, the same got reflected in 3rd party file managers as well.

I think i'm going to bang my head against this wall, next up, thank you Escorpiom and maxXPsoft. This info should set me sailing, if not i will come back to report what happens...

Hi all, I suddenly noticed that the games built into Windows 7 by default, do not get installed in my unattended installs. I have my AutoUnattend.xml at the root of the DVD. The portions that created problems are commented out (in the normal way as is done for XML files, using tags like <!-- xyz -->). And the configuration settings that are NOT commented, are implemented just fine by the installer from what I see (in other words, everything is just fine, except for the games being exempted). Currently need help with the Professional edition, x64, Windows 7 SP1 (integrated image downloaded from MSDN). No changes (vLite/etc) made to the source WIM files whatsoever, except for deleting "ei.cfg" from the "sources" folder. Below is my xml file, please tell me where am I going wrong? <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend"> <servicing> <package action="configure"> <assemblyIdentity name="Microsoft-Windows-ProfessionalEdition" version="6.1.7601.17514" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="" /> <selection name="Microsoft-Windows-Anytime-Upgrade-Package" state="false" /> </package> </servicing> <!-- commented out for later use and reference- 7 Configuration Passes Sequence as below windowsPE offlineServicing specialize generalize auditSystem auditUser oobeSystem <servicing> <package action="configure"> <assemblyIdentity name="Microsoft-Windows-ProfessionalEdition" version="6.1.7601.17514" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="" /> <selection name="Microsoft-Hyper-V-Common-Drivers" state="true" /> <selection name="Microsoft-Hyper-V-Guest-Integration-Drivers" state="true" /> <selection name="Microsoft-Windows-Anytime-Upgrade-Package" state="false" /> <selection name="Microsoft-Windows-MediaPlayer-Package" state="true" /> <selection name="Microsoft-Windows-NetFx3-OC-Package" state="true" /> <selection name="Microsoft-Windows-Printing-XPSServices-Package" state="true" /> <selection name="TabletPCOC" state="true" /> <selection name="InboxGames" state="true" /> <selection name="Printing-XPSServices-Features" state="true" /> <selection name="Xps-Foundation-Xps-Viewer" state="true" /> <selection name="Internet-Explorer-Optional-amd64" state="true" /> <selection name="WindowsGadgetPlatform" state="true" /> <selection name="MediaPlayback" state="true" /> <selection name="OpticalMediaDisc" state="true" /> <selection name="Internet Games" state="true" /> <selection name="Hearts" state="true" /> <selection name="FreeCell" state="true" /> <selection name="Chess" state="true" /> <selection name="Minesweeper" state="true" /> <selection name="More Games" state="true" /> <selection name="PurblePlace" state="true" /> </package> </servicing> <package action="configure"> <assemblyIdentity name="Microsoft-Windows-Foundation-Package" version="6.1.7601.17514" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="" /> </package> --> <settings pass="offlineServicing"> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-LUA-Settings" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <EnableLUA>true</EnableLUA> </component> </settings> <settings pass="windowsPE"> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="NonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <SetupUILanguage> <UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage> <WillShowUI>Never</WillShowUI> </SetupUILanguage> <InputLocale>0409:00000409</InputLocale> <UserLocale>en-IN</UserLocale> <UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage> <SystemLocale>en-IN</SystemLocale> <UILanguageFallback>en-US</UILanguageFallback> </component> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <Diagnostics> <OptIn>false</OptIn> </Diagnostics> <DiskConfiguration> <WillShowUI>Always</WillShowUI> </DiskConfiguration> <ComplianceCheck> <DisplayReport>Never</DisplayReport> </ComplianceCheck> <DynamicUpdate> <Enable>false</Enable> </DynamicUpdate> <LogPath>%SystemRoot%\temp</LogPath> <UseConfigurationSet>false</UseConfigurationSet> <ImageInstall> <OSImage> <InstallFrom> <MetaData wcm:action="add"> <Key>/IMAGE/NAME</Key> <Value>Windows 7 PROFESSIONAL</Value> </MetaData> </InstallFrom> <InstallToAvailablePartition>false</InstallToAvailablePartition> <WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI> </OSImage> </ImageInstall> <UserData> <ProductKey> <WillShowUI>Never</WillShowUI> <Key>BLAH</Key> </ProductKey> <AcceptEula>true</AcceptEula> <FullName>BLAH-NOTREAL</FullName> <Organization>BLAHBLAH</Organization> </UserData> <!-- <RunAsynchronous> <RunAsynchronousCommand wcm:action="add"> <Description>desc</Description> <Order>1</Order> <Path>D:\drv.exe</Path> </RunAsynchronousCommand> </RunAsynchronous> --> </component> </settings> <settings pass="specialize"> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Deployment" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <RunSynchronous> <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add"> <Description>setting DVD drive-letter</Description> <Order>10</Order> <Path>cmd.exe /C "FOR %i IN (C D E F G H I J K L N M O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z) DO IF EXIST %i:\Autounattend.xml SETX AppsRoot %i: -m"</Path> </RunSynchronousCommand> <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add"> <Order>20</Order> <Path>cmd /c "ECHO specialize pass carried out on %date% at %time% with %AppsRoot% >> %SystemRoot%\temp\uArun.log"</Path> </RunSynchronousCommand> </RunSynchronous> <!-- Async command also possible here --> </component> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Printing-Spooler-Core" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <RemoveMXDW>0</RemoveMXDW> </component> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-ehome-reg-inf" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <DisableExpressSetup>false</DisableExpressSetup> </component> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-ErrorReportingCore" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <DefaultConsent>1</DefaultConsent> <DisableWER>1</DisableWER> </component> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-IE-InternetExplorer" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <DisableFirstRunWizard>true</DisableFirstRunWizard> <DisableAccelerators>true</DisableAccelerators> <DisableOOBAccelerators>true</DisableOOBAccelerators> <SuggestedSitesEnabled>false</SuggestedSitesEnabled> <PrivacyAdvisorMode>2</PrivacyAdvisorMode> <DisableWelcomePage>false</DisableWelcomePage> <IEWelcomeMsg>true</IEWelcomeMsg> <FilterLevel>Medium</FilterLevel> <BlockPopups>yes</BlockPopups> <AllSitesCompatibilityMode>false</AllSitesCompatibilityMode> <ShowCompatibilityViewButton>true</ShowCompatibilityViewButton> <MSCompatibilityMode>true</MSCompatibilityMode> <ShowMenuBar>false</ShowMenuBar> <EnableLinksBar>false</EnableLinksBar> <ShowLeftAddressToolbar>true</ShowLeftAddressToolbar> <ShowCommandBar>true</ShowCommandBar> <ShowStatusBar>true</ShowStatusBar> <ShowInformationBar>true</ShowInformationBar> <Home_Page>about:blank</Home_Page> <Help_Page>http://www.google.com</Help_Page> <FavoritesDelete>false</FavoritesDelete> <SearchScopes> <Scope wcm:action="add"> <ScopeDefault>true</ScopeDefault> <ScopeDisplayName>Google</ScopeDisplayName> <ScopeKey>SearchProvider1</ScopeKey> <ScopeUrl>http://www.google.com/search?q={searchTerms}</ScopeUrl> </Scope> </SearchScopes> <QuickLinkList> <QuickLinkItem> <QLID>0</QLID> <QuickLinkUrl>http://www.google.com</QuickLinkUrl> <QuickLinkName>Google Search</QuickLinkName> </QuickLinkItem> </QuickLinkList> </component> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Wlansvc" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <RadioLocation>To activate the wireless LAN capability, use the switch, usually found on the front or side of the computer, or by using a function-key combination.</RadioLocation> </component> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-powercpl" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <PreferredPlan>381b4222-f694-41f0-9685-ff5bb260df2e</PreferredPlan> </component> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-RemoteAssistance-Exe" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <fAllowToGetHelp>false</fAllowToGetHelp> <fAllowFullControl>false</fAllowFullControl> </component> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Security-SPP-UX" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <SkipAutoActivation>true</SkipAutoActivation> </component> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <AutoLogon> <Password> <Value>BLAH</Value> <PlainText>true</PlainText> </Password> <Enabled>true</Enabled> <LogonCount>1</LogonCount> <Username>BLAH</Username> </AutoLogon> <!-- <Display> <ColorDepth>32</ColorDepth> <DPI>96</DPI> <HorizontalResolution>1024</HorizontalResolution> <RefreshRate>75</RefreshRate> <VerticalResolution>768</VerticalResolution> </Display> <OEMWelcomeCenterLinks> <Link0>C:\</Link0> <Link1>http://google.com</Link1> </OEMWelcomeCenterLinks> --> <OEMInformation> <Logo>C:\Windows\System32\oemlogo.bmp</Logo> <Manufacturer>BLAH Co.</Manufacturer> <HelpCustomized>false</HelpCustomized> <SupportHours>24/7*365 self</SupportHours> <SupportPhone>1-800-Vendor</SupportPhone> <SupportURL>http://www.google.com</SupportURL> </OEMInformation> <Themes> <DefaultThemesOff>false</DefaultThemesOff> <CustomDefaultThemeFile>%SystemRoot%\Resources\Themes\mine.theme</CustomDefaultThemeFile> <ThemeName>Fabrikam Theme</ThemeName> <DesktopBackground>%WINDIR%\web\wallpaper\fabrikam.jpg</DesktopBackground> <ScreenSaver>Mystify.scr</ScreenSaver> <WindowColor>Sky</WindowColor> </Themes> <WindowsFeatures> <ShowInternetExplorer>true</ShowInternetExplorer> <ShowMediaCenter>true</ShowMediaCenter> <ShowWindowsMail>true</ShowWindowsMail> <ShowWindowsMediaPlayer>true</ShowWindowsMediaPlayer> </WindowsFeatures> <BluetoothTaskbarIconEnabled>true</BluetoothTaskbarIconEnabled> <DoNotCleanTaskBar>false</DoNotCleanTaskBar> <ComputerName>Computer</ComputerName> <RegisteredOwner>BLAH-EH</RegisteredOwner> <RegisteredOrganization>BLAHBLAH</RegisteredOrganization> <!-- <ShowWindowsLive>true</ShowWindowsLive> --> <CopyProfile>true</CopyProfile> <TimeZone>India Standard Time</TimeZone> <!-- <StartPanelOff>false</StartPanelOff> --> </component> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-SQMApi" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <CEIPEnabled>0</CEIPEnabled> </component> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-SystemRestore-Main" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <DisableSR>1</DisableSR> </component> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-TapiSetup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <TapiUnattendLocation> <AreaCode>080</AreaCode> </TapiUnattendLocation> </component> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-TerminalServices-LocalSessionManager" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <fDenyTSConnections>false</fDenyTSConnections> </component> <component name="Security-Malware-Windows-Defender" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <DisableAntiSpyware>false</DisableAntiSpyware> </component> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-UnattendedJoin" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <Identification> <JoinWorkgroup>LAN</JoinWorkgroup> </Identification> </component> <!-- <component name="Networking-MPSSVC-Svc" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <FirewallGroups /> <DomainProfile_EnableFirewall>true</DomainProfile_EnableFirewall> <PrivateProfile_EnableFirewall>true</PrivateProfile_EnableFirewall> <PublicProfile_EnableFirewall>true</PublicProfile_EnableFirewall> <PrivateProfile_DisableNotifications>false</PrivateProfile_DisableNotifications> </component> --> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-ehome-reg-inf" processorArchitecture="wow64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <DisableExpressSetup>false</DisableExpressSetup> </component> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-IE-InternetExplorer" processorArchitecture="wow64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <DisableFirstRunWizard>true</DisableFirstRunWizard> <DisableAccelerators>true</DisableAccelerators> <DisableOOBAccelerators>true</DisableOOBAccelerators> <SuggestedSitesEnabled>false</SuggestedSitesEnabled> <PrivacyAdvisorMode>2</PrivacyAdvisorMode> <DisableWelcomePage>false</DisableWelcomePage> <IEWelcomeMsg>true</IEWelcomeMsg> <FilterLevel>Medium</FilterLevel> <BlockPopups>yes</BlockPopups> <AllSitesCompatibilityMode>false</AllSitesCompatibilityMode> <ShowCompatibilityViewButton>true</ShowCompatibilityViewButton> <MSCompatibilityMode>true</MSCompatibilityMode> <ShowMenuBar>false</ShowMenuBar> <EnableLinksBar>false</EnableLinksBar> <ShowLeftAddressToolbar>true</ShowLeftAddressToolbar> <ShowCommandBar>true</ShowCommandBar> <ShowStatusBar>true</ShowStatusBar> <ShowInformationBar>true</ShowInformationBar> <Home_Page>about:blank</Home_Page> <Help_Page>http://www.google.com</Help_Page> <FavoritesDelete>false</FavoritesDelete> <SearchScopes> <Scope wcm:action="add"> <ScopeDefault>true</ScopeDefault> <ScopeDisplayName>Google</ScopeDisplayName> <ScopeKey>SearchProvider1</ScopeKey> <ScopeUrl>http://www.google.com/search?q={searchTerms}</ScopeUrl> </Scope> </SearchScopes> <QuickLinkList> <QuickLinkItem> <QLID>0</QLID> <QuickLinkUrl>http://www.google.com</QuickLinkUrl> <QuickLinkName>Google Search</QuickLinkName> </QuickLinkItem> </QuickLinkList> </component> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-SystemRestore-Main" processorArchitecture="wow64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <DisableSR>1</DisableSR> </component> </settings> <settings pass="generalize"> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Security-Licensing-SLC" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <SkipRearm>1</SkipRearm> </component> <!-- <component name="Microsoft-Windows-PnpSysprep" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <PersistAllDeviceInstalls>false</PersistAllDeviceInstalls> </component> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-SharedAccess" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <EnableICS>false</EnableICS> </component> --> </settings> <settings pass="auditSystem"> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-PerfCenterCPL" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <WindowsExperienceIndexOemInfo> <Logo>C:\windows\performance\winsat\fabrikam_logo.bmp</Logo> <HardwareUpgradeURL>http://www.fabrikam.com/windows7upgrade/upgrade.htm</HardwareUpgradeURL> </WindowsExperienceIndexOemInfo> </component> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Deployment" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <AuditComputerName> <Name>Computer</Name> </AuditComputerName> </component> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-PnpCustomizationsNonWinPE" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <DriverPaths> <PathAndCredentials wcm:keyValue="10" wcm:action="add"> <Path>%AppsRoot%\$OEM$\PnPdrvrs</Path> </PathAndCredentials> </DriverPaths> </component> </settings> <settings pass="auditUser"> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Deployment" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <RunSynchronous> <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add"> <Description>command1</Description> <Order>10</Order> <Path>cmd /C %SystemDrive%\install\one.cmd</Path> <WillReboot>Never</WillReboot> </RunSynchronousCommand> <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add"> <Description>command2</Description> <Order>20</Order> <Path>cmd /C %SystemDrive%\install\cmdlines.cmd</Path> </RunSynchronousCommand> <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add"> <Description>command2</Description> <Order>30</Order> <Path>cmd /c "ECHO audituser pass carried out on %date% at %time% >> %SystemRoot%\temp\uArun.log"</Path> </RunSynchronousCommand> </RunSynchronous> </component> </settings> <settings pass="oobeSystem"> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-ehome-reg-inf" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <WorkOffline>false</WorkOffline> </component> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-WinRE-RecoveryAgent" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <UninstallWindowsRE>false</UninstallWindowsRE> </component> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="NonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <InputLocale>0409:00000409</InputLocale> <UserLocale>en-IN</UserLocale> <UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage> <SystemLocale>en-IN</SystemLocale> </component> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <!-- <FolderLocations> <ProfilesDirectory>D:\Users</ProfilesDirectory> <ProgramData>D:\ProgramData</ProgramData> </FolderLocations> --> <UserAccounts> <LocalAccounts> <LocalAccount wcm:action="add"> <Password> <Value>BLAH</Value> <PlainText>true</PlainText> </Password> <Description>the PC admin</Description> <DisplayName>BLAH</DisplayName> <Group>Administrators</Group> <Name>BLAH</Name> </LocalAccount> <LocalAccount wcm:action="add"> <Description>everyday use</Description> <DisplayName>BLAH1</DisplayName> <Group>Users</Group> <Name>BLAH1</Name> </LocalAccount> </LocalAccounts> <AdministratorPassword> <Value>BLAH</Value> <PlainText>true</PlainText> </AdministratorPassword> </UserAccounts> <AutoLogon> <Password> <Value>BLAH</Value> <PlainText>true</PlainText> </Password> <Username>BLAH</Username> <Enabled>true</Enabled> <LogonCount>1</LogonCount> </AutoLogon> <FirstLogonCommands> <SynchronousCommand wcm:action="add"> <CommandLine>cmd.exe /c "ECHO oobeSystem pass carried out on %date% at %time% >> %SystemRoot%\temp\uArun.log"</CommandLine> <Description>knowing the sequence</Description> <Order>10</Order> <RequiresUserInput>false</RequiresUserInput> </SynchronousCommand> <SynchronousCommand wcm:action="add"> <CommandLine>cmd.exe /C "%AppsRoot%\$OEM$\$1\install\GUIrunOnce.cmd"</CommandLine> <Description>please wait</Description> <Order>20</Order> </SynchronousCommand> <SynchronousCommand wcm:action="add"> <CommandLine>%AppsRoot%\$OEM$\$1\install\XPlode45\autoInst.exe /xml:"#XPLODE#\XPlode-SelectInstall.xml" /log:"%SystemRoot%\temp\XPlode.log"</CommandLine> <Description>installs programs and customizes them with settings</Description> <Order>30</Order> </SynchronousCommand> </FirstLogonCommands> <LogonCommands> <AsynchronousCommand wcm:action="add"> <CommandLine>line.cmd</CommandLine> <Description>desc</Description> <Order>1</Order> <RequiresUserInput>false</RequiresUserInput> </AsynchronousCommand> </LogonCommands> <OEMInformation> <Logo>%SystemRoot%\System32\oobe\oemlogo.bmp</Logo> <Manufacturer>Alienware</Manufacturer> <Model>top-of-the-line model</Model> <SupportURL>http://www.google.com</SupportURL> </OEMInformation> <OOBE> <HideEULAPage>true</HideEULAPage> <HideWirelessSetupInOOBE>true</HideWirelessSetupInOOBE> <NetworkLocation>Work</NetworkLocation> <SkipMachineOOBE>true</SkipMachineOOBE> <SkipUserOOBE>true</SkipUserOOBE> <ProtectYourPC>1</ProtectYourPC> <!-- 3 = disable automatic protection. 1= recommended level of protection (full). This will enable Windows Updates and recommended updates. Also drivers download and 'display enhanced info from internet' from device installation settings --> </OOBE> <VisualEffects> <FontSmoothing>ClearType</FontSmoothing> </VisualEffects> </component> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Sidebar" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <Gadget1>%PROGRAMFILES(x86)%\Windows Sidebar\Gadgets\Clock.Gadget</Gadget1> <Gadget2>%PROGRAMFILES(x86)%\Windows Sidebar\Gadgets\Calendar.Gadget</Gadget2> <LayoutPosition>Default</LayoutPosition> </component> </settings> <cpi:offlineImage cpi:source="wim:k:/sources/install.wim#Windows 7 PROFESSIONAL" xmlns:cpi="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:cpi" /> </unattend>

Under the conditions you describe, the first thing I might do is to NOT use the Office Integrator, put the MSP files for SP2 and the hotfixes in the Update folder, then test the install. See if it then accepts your SP2 as having been installed already. If it does, then the problem is with the Office Integrator.

SLC drives (not only Intel, but also other brands like OCZ) are indeed faster. Think of SATA3 if you'll be getting one of those. Yep. Especially since most content is small files (example, 10 saved webpages with associated files, totaling up to 2 MB with 600 files in all, or file operations in a different context like a browser's cache folder). On a normal HDD (Seagate 7200.12 1TB) sweetspot, speed for writing small files drops from (for example) 130 MBps to 104 MBps. The same write operation on an SSD (in a best case scenario of the best SSD) can drop from 140 MBps to 2 MBps. Note the single digit number, and decide for yourself, how noticeable it is.Admittedly newer drives are covering this weakness and working out a solution, plus you'll rarely reach such an extreme situation. But it is worth considering. If you do buy an SSD, get one which is relatively well-covered and is sufficiently better than a HDD (those 30-40GB "boot drives" suck with write speeds of 30 MBps under normal conditions). The Kingston V+ drive mentioned earlier is a great buy, try to get hold of the 128GB version or higher.

The "SATA2 is not enough" thing applies to only the costliest drives with amazing read speeds, so you can safely ignore that for now (unless you want to gladly spend a few thousands of dollars on "fast storage").