nLite wireless issue

[grpprod]

Hi all,

I have come across a strange situation. I have created a nLite minimal installation, which works fine, except for the wireless part. Here is some info:

1. The wireless adapter is a Linksys WMP54GS

2. nLite CD is created with WLAN and DHCP support.

3. Wired LAN works fine. DHCP works fine.

4. I have tried with another WLAN adapter (LevelOne WNC-0301USB), and it connects fine (it connects properly even when using WPA or WPA2).

5. The exact same adapter on this machine used to connect fine to my AP before installing nLited XP.

6. I have tried without integrating the Linksys driver, and following Linksys' instructions (they mention that their software+driver should be installed before plugging in the adapter). No luck.

I attach my INI file. Any help would be appreciated.

Edited August 24, 2006 by grpprod

[Falcon4]

First huge note: your TCP/IP patch is set way too high! Way!! Too high! Holy crap! 20 or 30 is OK. 16 million? Let's see who crashes first...

Looks like you pretty much completely misused nLite and created a "bastard Windows". Something so jumbled and unusable... you're not typing it on there now, are you? =\

Word to the wise... nLite is not a user-friendly tool. It's very capable of creating very, very unusable, unreasonable setups if you simply check all the options you see. You didn't remove any components and you applied pretty much all the tweaks that had a checkbox. Most of those tweaks are for specialized applications, like me, who used nLite to create a streamlined, stripped server version of Windows XP Pro. They would do no good for a day-to-day system.

When you run nLite, clear your schedule. DO NOT rush it. You can NOT undo changes later, you have to start all over if you messed something up. Look at each option, each checkbox, understand what it means, and decide if you want to use it or not. It's not like a program where it puts the checkboxes there "just to show what it can do", but to give you the chance to choose what you really want.

Of extremely notable interest are these tweaks I singled out, which are probably responsible for a majority of any problems you may be experiencing... not all related to your network but to your user-experience as a whole. IMO these "tweaks" should be all either marked as "Advanced" or completely removed.

Boot and Shutdown-Auto-End tasks immediately
Boot and Shutdown-Auto-Kill hung applications immediately
Boot and Shutdown-Auto-Kill hung services immediately
File Open/Save Dialog-Disable File MRU-List
File Open/Save Dialog-Preset Places Bar to: C: D: E: DESKTOP LAN
File Open/Save Dialog-Remove Back Button
Network-Set TCP/IP Priority to 1
Privacy-Disable Last accessed Timestamp on files
Privacy-Disable Tracking of most used programs
Security-Ctrl-Alt-Del is required at Classic Logon
Security-Disable Windows Script Host (WSH)

Take a look at that last line. Disable Windows Script Host? So many driver installations rely on that component - as far as I know- that it's no surprise things aren't working at all. The two "Privacy" entries really have nothing to do with privacy and just prevent you from using Windows XP to its full potential. They have no performance impact. The file open/save tweaks are also a huge step backward in UI innovation, IMO. And the three boot/shutdown options listed will cause you to lose data on a regular basis. I do have to give you an attaboy for not checking "Disable balloon popups".

So basically, start with another copy of Windows, and a clean slate, and this time, integrate Boooggy's WUZero Update Pack (I think you can search that here), remove some components (reading and thinking about each one), apply patches in moderation (I use 20 or 30 for my patch, Enabled theme patch, Disabled SFC), and apply tweaks in moderation as well. Know what each does, and what the consequences of each are, before using it.

Good luck on your next build - and if you do have any questions about a step of the nLitening process, please don't hesitate to ask!

[grpprod]

At first, thanks for the response and for the time you spent writing so detailed comments...I appreciate it.

However, I am terribly sorry for I think I posted the WRONG INI file.... I am attaching the proper one now. Sorry about that.

In any case, I have to mention I am not a novice user. I completely understand what I am doing/selecting. I am thoroughly testing the nLite's I create, and I am completely happy about them.

I would expect a comment on the original problem of my first post, though.

Thanks anyway

PROPER_INI.ini

Edited August 24, 2006 by grpprod

[Falcon4]

*rewinds*

Yeep! *squeek toy* Ding!

Oooh, well, that puts things in a completely different perspective. Tweaks still aren't that hot but the components and patches are. I'll have a look around and evaluate yourself as a novice user as soon as I... well... wake up.

[jmbattle]

Well, I'm not going to give you a lecture on how to use nLite, however as a fellow wireless + nLite user, I can confirm that two components you must keep are Event Log and Wireless Zero Config.

Everything else can be stripped away (assuming you have the drivers to your wirless card).

Good luck,

James

x

[grpprod]

Guys,

I have worked things out. The solution was FAR more surprising than expected. I am posting this for everyone's information, perhaps nLite developers should examine this further.

The machine has a Logitech QuickCam Communicate USB camera. Whilst its driver was integrated, it did not install properly (although it seemed to do so inside a test VMware guest). Anyway, as I previously mentioned, the WLAN was inactive (a red X icon). At some point, I decided to remove the USB camera for another reason. THE MOMENT i removed it, VOILA!!!! Wireless LAN connected, DHCP negotiation started (I remind you, the camera is NOT properly installed at this point)

I repeated this several times. When I plug the camera in, WLAN gets disconnected. When I remove it, it comes back. Amazing, isn't it?

I still haven't tried to install the camera and then see what happens with WLAN, I will post again any new findings.