Temp drive and user specific temp folder with nlite

[Zorglubsh]

Hello everyone and each of you,

I am trying to have nlite place the temp files onto my D:\ drive and I would like to make the default path user specific.

In the "Options" step of nlite, for the "Temporary Folder" variable, instead of the default "%UserProfile%\Local Settings", I set the following string : "D:\%UserName%\Temporary Files".

Apparently, this causes the installation to fail at the end when Windows creates and opens the Administrator's profile for the first time. I get a blue screen and when I check the content of the D:\ drive, I find that the installation indeed created a temporary folder , but did not replace the "%UserName%" variable with the actual User's name, in this case, "Administrator". It simply created a "%UserName%" folder at the root with a "Temporary Files" folder in it.

1) Does one of you see where the problem might come from? Is it a matter of spelling (should I use capital letters for the variables, like %USERNAME%)?

2) Has anyone managed to have nlite automatically create such a temp folder on a different partition as the %HomeDrive% - the drive containing the Documents and Settings folder ?

3) Has anyone managed to make it user specific by using environment variables? What if I create a "Temporary Files" folder at the root of the D:\ drive and set user specific folders inside, as in "D:\Temporary Files\%UserName%?

Thank you, in advance for your attention and the help you might grant me on this matter.

[nuhi]

Interesting.

Going to check it, I hope it is not a Windows issue.

[Zorglubsh]

Thank you!

[nuhi]

Ok the Environment entry is correct after install, issue is like you said that variable wasn't replaced with the real name in directory.

So rename the %Username% folder manually and I will try to fix this, going to send you a test version today or tomorrow.

Thanks.

[mitsukai]

why are you doing this? and why dont u put the whole profile section in D , like i do

[Zorglubsh]

> Mitsukai

It is my understanding that Temp folders get easily fragmented - correct me if I am wrong. By gathering all Temp folders onto a specific partition, I am trying to prevent other partitions from getting fragmented too quickly, thus improving the overall performance of the system. The profile folders will be placed on an E: drive containing all my documents. That way, I can backup all the important stuff including desktop files, Outlook pst files, etc. in one shot by making an image of the E: partition, without the unnecessary temp files.

Again, it may be a received idea on my part. I did some research on the web and reached this conclusion.

[mitsukai]

or u can use a program like CCleaner regularly, and before backing up

[Zorglubsh]

>Mitsukai

You are right. I am using Jv16 PowerTools, which is, I think, pretty similar to the very popular Ccleaner, in terms of features. To tell you the truth, I even use Diskeeper, another good automatic defrag utility. I may be overly cautious on this matter but would like to try having a Temp partition: I think it should not harm the system's performance. And Nlite may well enable me to do that - and I will be trying Nuhi's updated built these two days and will post a feedback.

Thanks for the suggestion.

[Zorglubsh]

> Nuhi

I prepared four versions of the Windows XP installation CD using the updated nlite you emailed me.

1. Win XP SP3 without the subsequent security updates and addons issues by Microsoft since SP3; the temp folder was set as follow: D:\%UserName%\Temporary Files
   
2. Win XP SP3 with the subsequent security updates and addons issues by Microsoft since SP3; the temp folder was set as follow: D:\%UserName%\Temporary Files
   
3. Win XP SP3 without the subsequent security updates issues by Microsoft since SP3; the temp folder was set as follow: D:\Temporary Files\%UserName%
   
4. Win XP SP3 with the subsequent security updates and addons issues by Microsoft since SP3; the temp folder was set as follow: D:\Temporary Files\%UserName%
   

The two versions with the temp folder set in D:\%UserName%\Temporary Files failed to install. The temp folder is not even created. I get a blue screen with a "bad pool caller" error before the logon takes place at the end of the installation process. What puzzles me is that the other two versions, those with the temp folder set in D:\Temporary Files\%UserName%, both installed properly and seem to be working well - I haven't tested them thoroughly though.

You may test and double check on your computer if you have time. I was hoping to set the temp folder with the %UserName% at the root but putting it in a subfolder is acceptable too.

Let me know if you can easily find the cause of this inconsistent behaviour of nlite.

[Zorglubsh]

Problem solved thanks to Nuhi's efforts at improving nLite and correcting its bugs. Download the version 1.4.9 and above to install the temp folders on a specific partition.

Great Job, Nuhi! Thank you.