First shot at nlite

[HydraHeaded]

I've been looking for a really slim XP; I saw that people have cut down the XP installation like anything and have only about a 100 MB installation, that installs as about 500 MB on the hard disk. What I wanted was an XP that really works fast. I am a total noob as far as all those services of Windows and such stuff is concerned, but I still went ahead and tried to make my own XP. My XP at present is: XP Pro SP2, Build 2600. I downloaded the updates for my present XP manually; I used the app "Windows Updates Downloader", and it downloaded a whole lot of updates, some 92 files in the Critical Updates folder (the ones that go KBxxxxxx), and also the .NET framework and other stuff. I also got SP3 from the microsoft site.

I ran Nlite, and first slipstreamed the SP3; then I pointed to the folder where all those updates are kept. At a later stage I reached a point where it asks which all services I want, and I didn't know anything about what to keep and what not to, so I just ran "services.msc" on the present XP and saw which ones were there, and set it that way. The only thing that I did know that I could safely remove was stuff like "Briefcase" and "Windows Tour". Anyway, in the end, when it was making the installation, it started giving a hell lot of errors when it was adding those updates/hotfixes. I made a few screenshots at this time, which I've attached here, along with the last session ini.

Now, I have an installation that is a 445 MB .iso, and it has all my motherboard, graphics card, and sound card drivers in it, compared to the earlier one which was something like 650 MB (without the drivers), so it's good, though I haven't installed it yet. But still, its not exactly what I wanted. What I wanted was something that would be really light and would boot and work fast, and would have all the clutter programs removed since I want to use it only for typing documents and for checking mails, so I think only MSPaint and Notepad would be really necessary. But I didnt know about what to remove and what not to, and now I have ended up with a very large installation.

So to use the OS for only those two things (typing and checking mails), what all things can I remove from the installation. Specifically, what things are there which, if removed, would kill the internet connection? (I have an ADSL modem - PPPOE).

Thanks.

LAST_SESSION.INI

[mara-]

You probably used hotfixes older than SP3 pack.

- First screen shoot: old hotfix 100%

- Second screen shot: Probably one more old hotfix, for which Direct Integration is not supported, it safe to answer yes there.

- Third screen shot: Windows Installer is not supported for direct integration by nLite

- Fourth screen shot: Net Framework is not supported for integration by nLite.

Now, my recommendation. Integrate only SP3 and pack from here. It contains all hotfixes you need after SP3, including latest Windows Installer. Also, if you want to integrate .Net Framework you need to search for addon of it on this forum or forum where I pointed that pack is.

Cheers

[icy]

Hey HydraHeaded

i obtaained a source of +- 155 Mb , mediaplayer 11 included

There are new updates out, so i have to redo mine one off these days

if you take your time and work hard, you will get a source under 200 Mb

icy

[tym]

Be real careful with this. Try it in virtual machine first. You could remove something you may want or need later. Just take your time. It takes time to learn it. Once you do it forsure makes future installs tons easier. I have my fresh install xp with programs and updates and tweaked and ready to use down to just under a hour and a half.

I really recomend to get sp3 into it first. Then Tweak it the way you want. Once all that is done, Burn it to cd so you will have for future uses.

I myself have xp down to just a shade over 300 mb. Like 312mb. Works fine, Updates great, and everything works as it should. Hopefully that will give you a number to shoot for.

Nlite itself when tweaking will help you remove some stuff, and tell you not to remove other stuff. I forsure would leave the service tab tweaks alone.

[mara-]

Also, there is one more great pack, which will solve all you needs. So, integrate SP3 and pack here. This pack contain post SP3 updates, IE7, WMP11 and related updates for it. It will make your XP CD fully updated.

Cheers

[HydraHeaded]

Alright, I ran the installation again; this time with just SP 3, my necessary drivers, and this update given by a member, which is post SP3:

OnePiece_Windows_XP_Post-SP3_UpdatePack_v1.7.0_ENU.7z

From: http://www.ryanvm.net/forum/viewtopic.php?...&highlight=

Again, I didnt have much info on all the later options that it asked, but I just clicked along; I didnt tinker with the services tab this time; the installation I got this time was 471 MB. I don't know how you people can get down to less than 200 MBs. Is there a sort of automation for nlite, so that I download a file from you which tells nlite what to do, and then I just run it and it gives me a 200 MB XP?

I have a question here; this 471 MB installation of mine, when it installs, roughly how large will it be? Above 1 GB?

Now I am thinking of tinkering with X64 now; there's something available here:

http://www.ryanvm.net/forum/viewtopic.php?...ghlight=windows

(The file "5er_UpdatePack_XPx64SP2_2008-10_2.7z")

[mooms]

Hello HydraHeaded !

I think you are relatively new to all these nLiting things, so the best advice is maybe: read the forums here and try !

If you want to reduce the size of your disc and/or your installation, you can safely remove:

all the the language (huge!)

sound samples

Media Center

voice support

Windows Movie Maker

Help and Support (huge!)

search assistant (useless)

Internet Games

Pinball

IExpress wizard

Desktop cleaning wizard

Assistant Transfert de fichiers et de paramètres (don't know the name in english)

Security center

Dr Watson

Manual install and upgrade (only if your always install XP with a bootable cd)

.NET Framework (because you will install newer versions anyway)

MS XML 2.0

disk cleanup

Windows tour

Netware clients

Web folders

FrontPage Extensions

Internet Information Services (IIS)

MSN Explorer

Peer-to-Peer

-------------------------

For the services, one recommandation: don't remove any, but configure them !

The install size will remain the same, but the memory footprint will be much smaller !

You can find guides with recommended state for the service, here is one example

You can also do this by regfile (so it can be done on an already installed XP)

if you want, you can try my preset (just replace your "[services2]" section by the one i have pasted below in your last_session.ini ,save it and then load it with nLite)

remember: it is only configuration, nothing is irreversible.

[Services2]
RemoteRegistry,4
HidServ,4
StiSvc,3
Messenger,4
LMHosts,4
Alerter,4
ScardSvr,4
VSS,4
TrkWks,4
WebClient,4
FastUserSwitchingCompatibility,4
Dot3svc,4
seclogon,4
Netman,3
MSDTC,3
NetDDE,4
NetDDEdsdm,4
Browser,3
Wmi,3
SwPrv,3
RDSessMgr,4
ClipSrv,4
W32Time,4
upnphost,4
SysmonLog,4
RpcLocator,3
wuauserv,4
SENS,4
UPS,3
NetLogon,3
mnmsrvc,4
RSVP,4
RemoteAccess,4
LanmanServer,4
ImapiService,4
WmdmPmSN,4
ERSvc,4
BITS,4
CiSvc,4
PolicyAgent,4
TermService,4
SSDPSRV,4
NtmsSvc,3
srservice,4
EventSystem,3
TapiSrv,3
TlntSvr,4

One very important thing: don't nLite a already nLited cd.

Edited October 31, 2008 by mooms

[HydraHeaded]

I've already made an iso. So what I have to do now is go to the folder where the installation has been made by nlite, open the last_session.ini file and replace whatever I have set with what you have given here, and then run the setup or make another iso and run the setup?

Thanks for the information on the services.

[HydraHeaded]

Hi,

I finally made an installation, with SP 3 and all the hotfixes in it; the total installation size is 330 MB for the iso. Now the thing is that when I installed it, the total installation size on the partition became 2.2 GB, and after I had installed the drivers and all, it is at present 4.13 GB. I was hoping I would be able to keep the installation on the hard disk to less than 1 GB.

Anyway, the computer runs faster than the previous untinkered version.

I have a question as well: Maybe sometime during the settings I clicked it this way, but now what happens is that when I click in the browser to save an image or a page, the dialog box opens, and it has the following options at the extreme left: My Computer, C, D, E, F; generally I put everything in the My Documents folder, so is there any method to put a My Documents icon as well there; also, the last drive (not the CD, the partition) is G:, but that is also not displayed. I'm attaching an image.

[GrofLuigi]

I have a question as well: Maybe sometime during the settings I clicked it this way, but now what happens is that when I click in the browser to save an image or a page, the dialog box opens, and it has the following options at the extreme left: My Computer, C, D, E, F; generally I put everything in the My Documents folder, so is there any method to put a My Documents icon as well there; also, the last drive (not the CD, the partition) is G:, but that is also not displayed. I'm attaching an image.

It's called the places bar. You can modify individual items now (on already installed windows) with TweakUI from Microsoft.

GL

[HydraHeaded]

Thanks, will try it out.

[TranceEnergy]

As always, just about anything can be tweaked manually, here's myplacesbar.reg from my unattended setup.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\ComDlg32]

"NoBackButton"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\ComDlg32\Placesbar]

"Place0"=dword:00000000

"Place1"=dword:00000011

"Place2"=dword:00000012

"Place3"=dword:00000005

"Place4"="c:\\exampletest"

place 0 is desktop, place 1 is my computer, 2 is network places 3 is my documents and 4 is a hardpath as you can see.

[LeveL]

Remove all this:

Manual Install and Upgrade (44Mb)

Tour (17Mb)

MSN Explorer (18Mb)

Chinese, Japanese, Korean (100Mb?)

You've saved about 180Mb there just with those 4 things.

Unless you're Chinese, Japanese or Korean, or you do those pointless "Upgrade" installs (total mess!) then you arn't gonna miss anything of those 4 things above, that take up space for no reason.

[Kelsenellenelvian]

On the other side you can delete these folder from the root of your disk also:

DOCS

DOTNETFX

CMPNENTS

SUPPORT

VALUEADD

That alone clears up 85-ish megs of wasted space. NONE of this is used unless you MANUALLY install\activate it.

Now go into your I386 folder and delete these files manually:

SP1.cab

SP2.cab

WINNTBBU.DL_

WINNTBBA.DLL

WINNT32A.DLL

(Note not ALL of these files may exist, But nLite somehow misses this simple reduction section.)

Edited November 11, 2008 by Kelsenellenelvian