Is it possible to use Nlite to lighten a VAIO install cd ?

[nagual678]

As some of you may already know, the default VAIO XP install is bloated, full of "bonus" software that renders the computer sluggish, constantly popping up "helpful reminders" from all sorts of pre-installed applications. Yes, a nightmare. The computer is a TX2XP, and could really use less load on the 1ghz processor..

I'd install a fresh regular XP but there are many drivers, etc.. that I need to keep for the VAIO to preserve full functionality. To pursue the goal of a nice fresh and clean install I have two possibilities : slipstream VAIO drivers in regular XP (too complicated for reasons i won't go into, let's just say i want to avoid this) and "hacking off" unwanted pieces of application, etc.. from the install cd. <= this is the better option for me.

Now, you have to create the install cd by burning it from the restore partition there is on the hard drive, which isn't a big deal.

The problem is that Nlite will refuse to work with this install.

Has anyone ever successfully done anything like this ? Is there a work-around ?

[I_Broke_My_MHZ]

Nope, you can't do it.

[legionaire]

Do you see the winbom.ini in your installation source? This file's presence means that Sony used the Windows Preinstallation Environment to build your XP recovery cd. So we're talking about a special kind of installation source which is why you can't get nlite to work on it. The actual setup routine of such a recovery cd is quite complicated as it involves both the restoration of an OS image as well as automated driver/application installations. I've fooled around with a Windows ME recovery CD once and managed to interrupt it at the point where it had completed the restoration of the OS but on the other hand had not yet had the chance to install any bloatware.

Do you have alternative means of activating your Windows XP rather than through the preactivated recovery cd? If so, it's much less of a hassle to extract the drivers from the recovery cd than to modify it. The I386 folder is most likely carrying all the standard XP drivers which you'd have on any other XP cd as well. So what's in the "Sony" folder? What I would do is install a retail version XP on top of your current OEM XP and see if the Device Manager can find any missing drivers from the recovery cd's subfolders. Probably you have to negotiate some sort of compression like *.??_ (cab, opens in Winrar).

Edit: Did you check the Sony website for driver downloads (you have to enter your notebook's serial number to do so)? That's where you're most likely to find the actual drivers minus any fancy compression or "helper" applications.

Edited September 21, 2006 by legionaire

[boooggy]

i did it but i had used an original xpsp2 cd not the sony cd and also i had the driver dvd.....