Windows Server 2008 + Aero + Desktop Experience

[als3]

After 36 VMWARE installations, I've founded a compact configuration that keep working the possibility to add some features like Desktop Experience (includes Aero), Wireless LAN, .Net Framework 3.0 (for Visual Studio 2008). The image shows my configuration:

Works only on 32bit version

I hope that could help.

Edited June 6, 2008 by als3

[anarkhy]

After 36 VMWARE installations, I've founded a compact configuration that keep working the possibility to add some features like Desktop Experience (includes Aero), Wireless LAN, .Net Framework 3.0 (for Visual Studio 2008). The image shows my configuration:

Works only on 32bit version

I hope that could help.

Did you removed the winsxs directory too?

[oskingen]

You have 12 hidden components, it's better to show your last session ini file

[aviv00]

use waik to pre-install them [with permanence="permanent">]

and then u could remove tablet pc too and help comps and more to get it to 2.5giga [install size]

do updating after installation and then remove winsxs dir like vlite remove

then u could get it 1.6giga with updates and aero and more stuff u wanna

my server 64bit is 3giga and winsxs is 400mb [was 2.5-3giga]

but i cant logitech setpoint to work that a shame [lol]

check my topics if u looking fore more info

Edited June 6, 2008 by aviv00

[als3]

use waik to pre-install them [with permanence="permanent">]

and then u could remove tablet pc too and help comps and more to get it to 2.5giga [install size]

do updating after installation and then remove winsxs dir like vlite remove

then u could get it 1.6giga with updates and aero and more stuff u wanna

my server 64bit is 3giga and winsxs is 400mb [was 2.5-3giga]

but i cant logitech setpoint to work that a shame [lol]

check my topics if u looking fore more info

I gonna try, thanks =).

[als3]

You have 12 hidden components, it's better to show your last session ini file

Hum, thats true, i will resend. Thanks.

Edited June 6, 2008 by als3

[Grope For Luna]

I just finished a dozen Virtualbox installs looking for a combo that would work. The components I had to leave in to add the Desktop Experience were the following:

Help

Routing & Remote Access

Distributed File System

Windows Mail

Windows Media Codecs

DRM

MSMQ

This is with my particular setup. If you try to delete anything else, you'll discover more.

(There might be an issue with Sysinfo or MS Agent as well but I didn't feel like making another installation to find out)

ISO=705MB

Installation size=2.7GB

; vLite preset file
;
;#Environment:
; vLite v1.2 RC
; Framework 2.0.50727.1434
; Microsoft Windows NT 6.0.6001 Service Pack 1 32-bit
;
;#Target:
; Windows Longhorn SERVERENTERPRISE 32-bit Service Pack 1
; Version 6.0.6001.18000 English (United States)
;
[Compatibility]
KMPlayer

[CustomHide]

[Components]
;# Accessories #
Accessibility
Paint
Speech Support
System Information
;# Drivers #
Display adapters-Ati
Display adapters-Intel
Display adapters-NVIDIA
Display adapters-S3
Display adapters-SiS
Diva Server
Ethernet network adapters
Modems
Printers-Apollo
Printers-Canon
Printers-Citizen
Printers-Dell
Printers-Diconix
Printers-Epson
Printers-Fuji Xerox
Printers-Fujitsu
Printers-Generic printer
Printers-Gestetner
Printers-HP
Printers-IBM
Printers-Infotec
Printers-Konica
Printers-Konica Minolta
Printers-Kyocera Mita
Printers-Lanier
Printers-Lexmark
Printers-Minolta
Printers-Minolta-QMS
Printers-NEC
Printers-NRG
Printers-Oce
Printers-Oki
Printers-Okidata
Printers-Olivetti
Printers-Panasonic
Printers-QMS
Printers-Ricoh
Printers-Samsung
Printers-Savin
Printers-Seikosha
Printers-Sharp
Printers-Sony
Printers-Star
Printers-Tally
Printers-Tektronix
Printers-Wipro ePeripherals
Printers-Xerox
QLogic Fibre Channel Adapter
Sound controllers
Storage controllers-Adaptec
Storage controllers-Elxstor
Storage controllers-Hewlett-Packard
Storage controllers-IBM ServeRAID
Storage controllers-ICP vortex
Storage controllers-Intel (Matrix)
Storage controllers-ITE
Storage controllers-LSI Logic
Storage controllers-MegaRAID
Storage controllers-nVidia
Storage controllers-Promise
Storage controllers-SiS
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.
TV Tuners-ViXS Systems Inc.
;# Hardware Support #
Infrared Support
Internet Small Computer System Interface (iSCSI)
Microsoft Multi-Path Bus
Modem Support
Smartcards
Windows Mobile Device Center
XBOX 360 Controller
;# Languages #
Arabic
Brazillian
Bulgarian
Croatian
Czech
Danish
Dutch
Estonian
Finnish
French
German
Greek
Hebrew
Hungarian
Italian
Japanese
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 #
Music and Video samples
Sample Pictures
Wallpapers
;# Network #
Internet Information Services (IIS)
Remote Desktop and Assistance
TFTP Client
;# Services #
Error Reporting
IPsec Policy Agent
Offline Files
Windows Remote Management
;# System #
Jet Database Engine
Manual Install (Setup.exe)
Natural Language
Windows Easy Transfer

[Options]
DEP (Data Execution Prevention) = Disabled (AlwaysOff)
User Account Control (UAC) = Disabled
AntiSpyware Realtime Protection = Default
Memory requirement = Default
AutoPlay = Enabled
Paging Executive = Enabled
Power scheme = Balanced
Power button = Shutdown
Sleep button = Sleep
Hibernation = Off
Control Panel - Classic View = Default
Show hidden files and folders = Yes
Show protected operating system files = Yes
Show extensions for known file types = Yes
IE Phishing Filter = Disabled
IE Phishing Verification Ballon Tips = Default

[Services]
BFE = Manual
BITS = Manual
IKEEXT = Manual
IPHLPSVC = Manual
LANMANWORKSTATION = Manual
LMHOSTS = Manual
MPSSVC = Manual
POLICYAGENT = Manual
PROTECTEDSTORAGE = Automatic
TBS = Manual
WUAUSERV = Manual

[Protection]
windows\system32\wer.dll
windows\system32\faultrep.dll

[Drivers]

[Unattended]
SpecRegional
AcceptEULA
SkipAutoActivation
NetworkLoc = 1
ProtectPC = 3

[Hotfixes]

[LanguagePacks]

Edited August 15, 2008 by Grope For Luna

[Sull]

I don't see a last session file posted ?

[weEvil]

What about for BitLocker as well?

[nuhi]

It is true that more than half can be removed but I still don't see why would anyone use a server instead of vista sp1 for a client pc.

Don't give me benchmarks, first setup both the same and test for yourself. That means remove from Vista what Server doesn't have from the start and setup caching and priorities the same, whatever there is.

[Kralik]

It is true that more than half can be removed but I still don't see why would anyone use a server instead of vista sp1 for a client pc.

Don't give me benchmarks, first setup both the same and test for yourself. That means remove from Vista what Server doesn't have from the start and setup caching and priorities the same, whatever there is.

My thoughts:

Many people are enjoying trying out Server 2008 since Microsoft is giving 8 months of free evaluation. There were a bunch of blogs and benchmarks that seemed to say that Server was better than Vista, but IMO you can't make a direct comparison because the base installs of each are very different. Different services, and so on. Since they have the same kernel, they arguably would perform similarly.

As for me, I have applications and drivers that are not 64-bit compatible... along with 4GB of memory. Vista 32-bit only gives something like 3.3GB available even with PAE enabled. Server, on the other hand, allows me to use all 4GB. There may be others in my situation as well. It's some sort of limitation that Microsoft put in... their Server OS's can support well over 4GB, but their Home OS's cannot. Makes me think of the 15-connection limit for Network/Printer Sharing in Windows XP... introduced in SP1, IIRC? "If you want more, upgrade to Server!"

[Grope For Luna]

If you want to use Aero with Windows Web Server 2008, you also have to leave in Internet Information Services (IIS) or it will fail.