Nlite assistance - tweaking setup

[WyattE]

Does anyone know how to prevent too many user directories from being listed under documents and settings after an Nlite production CD? Or do these have to be only deleted manually via post-install? No matter if I fill in all fields of user & owner - or leave blank and select fully unattended - there is always 6 to 8 directories listed in final install. Everything else is cool....that's my only SMALL issue I wish to fix if possible.

THANKS for your time!

[TranceEnergy]

what directories are u talking about?

There should be administrator (which can be renamed in nlite), all users (renameable too, regthingie), local service, network service, default user.

Default user is deleteable and i've read local can be too. I prefer to just leave them well alone, but i delete any empty directories or crap .ini files etc inside them. But the folders themselves and any .dat files is ok. Just delete all crap inside them.

You should also check for system directory, but i cant remember the path name atm. Its like standard system user. Gah, it also contains files you can delete etc. Im on a temporary vista vlite install atm so i cant check up on the name right now.

[BikinDutchman]

I would not touch any of those for several reasons.

At minimum there is user registry information that should be kept.

Also most are hidden and/or system so why bother.

[WyattE]

I know....its not any big deal as for the O.S. altogether - just wondered if there was any way to maybe have a FEW directories listed after using Nlite & final install, such as Administrator, Default User, and "User" itself - and not so many to manually delete. The few main ones that have registry info, etc are understandable of course (which are always needed)....but there are still several with temp crap.....and just "crap" left listed.

What I have listed is the following - Administrator + Administrator/Computer Name, All Users, Default User, Local Service, Network Service, "User" + User/Computer Name. That is 8 total. Two are always loaded with the 7-zip temps and other temps leftover from the install disk as well.

After the hassle of making a final XP - SP3, with working add-ins, and removed services (as many are familiar).....its those little tweaks afterwards that make it all the more "perfect"...lol - and so as it said - the work is NEVER really over!

Anyway - Thanks for the info! - I will just make sure to keep removing un-needed directories manually I guess.

[Swarvey]

What I have listed is the following - Administrator + Administrator/Computer Name, All Users, Default User, Local Service, Network Service, "User" + User/Computer Name

Sounds to me like your re-installing in an existing windows directory, or at least not from a clean drive. Whenever you run an install for XP and choose to leave the hard drive alone, you're going to get a whole new windows folder, but, when Setup gets to creating the folders for users, seeing as they're allready there, it'll simply duplicate the names, then add ".<computername>" to the end of it. Example "Administrator.HOME3298732".

I've read solutions before that go somewhere along the lines of renaming the "Documents and Settings" folder before the install.... but that would mean somehow getting into an unprotected DOS mode or something, as windows won't allow you to rename the critical folder.

In a nutshell, here's what the Windows Installers' tiny tiny brain is going thru.

Windows Installing -> create Documents and Settings\Administrator -> folder exists, creates folder Documents and Settings\Adminstrator.HOME3298732

*NOTE: .HOME3298732 is a fake name, this would be replaced by the name of your computer*