FDV fileset tweaking

[oao]

I would like to use FDV fileset to remove Win2K components, but leave in:

Internet Explorer

Fax services

Tax Scheduler

Windows Update

Has anybody figured out how to tweak FDV files to leave these in?

With regards to IE I have a question:

Does IE6 SP1 require the installation IE to be there in order to install, or can the latter be removed and

the former slipstreamed? I was thinking of eliminating the baggage and slipstream IE6 from scratch, but I doubt this is possible.

Regards,

FP

[oao]

BTW, having seen older exchanges about plugins and multiple FDV files, perhaps it's possible to have separate files for each major component in the list posted at http://www.vorck.com/2ksp5.html, namely:

Internet Explorer, Outlook Express and Windows Address Book (or leave these in if you like, it's extremely easy), Internet Information Server (IIS), Internet Information Server Debugger, MS FrontPage Extensions, Fax Services, Indexing Service, Kodak built-in Imageviewer, MS PictureIT!, Games, Windows Scripting Host, Task Scheduler (it opens Port 135), DCOM, Internet Connection Wizard (if you're here on this site, you're the type who does this manually. This is like having a Wizard to open a folder. Who needs this?!?), ActiveMovie for IE, NetMeeting, Media Player 2.0 (the Codecs will be installed, though), 16 bit Application Compatability (you will not see an error in your logs), Remote Storage Recall Notification, Windows Help (sorry, can't be helped, it's exploitable, copy MSHTML.DLL to your SYSTEM32 directory if you want it), MS Fake Java for IE (no longer in Windows, removed by MS' Service Packs as part of legal settlement), and Windows Update (don't ask me why, it should be totally obvious that it's IE-dependant.)

Regards,

FP

[tommyp]

oao - FDVs fileset removes IE completely in 2000, so it looks like it's not an option. There is something called hfcleanup, which is listed as a hyperlink on the main thread of this forum. The hfcleanup, although buggy, *may* work for what you want to do. To make life easier, I would suggest using NLITE to reduce your source. It's far easier to remove components, it shows some OS dependencies and IMHO NLITE is mature at this point. Prior to using NLITE, run HFSLIP with all the updates per Tomcat76's list. With TC's list, you'll see what files are required to slipstream IE6 and DX9C. Once you get a successful HFSLIP run, run NLITE on the sourcess folder.

[oao]

I've already looked at HFCLEANUP and it seems quite tricky and requires attention to details I don't much care for. I'll take another look, but I doubt it's for me.

The problem I see with nLite si that it requires .NET; sort of defeats the purpose of bloating my system with this kind of crap in order to produce a streamlined system installation. One possibility is to install .NET just for nLite and uninstalling it after. But that means I will have to do that each time I need to make changes to the installation setup.

It is unfortunate that there is no FDV modular solution, where one could choose individual components to be removed from a menu. Seems like the most logical way to do it.

[tommyp]

Nlite is easier because of its GUI, but needs .net. Hfcleanup has no GUI, but is trickier and doesn't need .net. The goal of HFSLIP is to not use .net, which also means no GUI. Unfortunately, you can't have the best of both worlds. Both nlite and hfcleanup are modular so to speak, so it's all about the level pain you want to deal with and how much time you want to spend by stripping down 2k. FYI, hfcleanup is very buggy with XP, but it works great for me with 2k. I use hfcleanup all the time with my 2k boxes, the iso is about 120 meg with ie6 core, dx9c, all my codecs, all my tweaks and icon swaps. Without codecs/tweaks/icon swaps the iso would be somewhere in the 95 meg vicinity.

[oao]

I understand the tradeoffs -- I am a relatively experienced user, I used to write harware/software articles.

I don't think a real GUI is necessary. It could be just a menu-driven non-graphical interface of the kind we used with DOS. The critical need is to select individual components for removal and HFSLIP/HFCLEANUP would act accordingly in the background.

Otherwise it is difficult to figure out how to customize the files to selectively remove components due to multiple unknown dependencies. It is too demanding and risk prone

[oao]

BTW, you did not reply to my question re IE:

Does IE6 SP1 require the installation IE to be there in order to install, or can the latter be removed and the former slipstreamed?

IOW, can I (a) use the FDV files to remove ie and (b) install IE6 from scratch by applying SP1 and the subsequent fixes? If I cannot do both in one HFSLIP run, can I du (b) manually after (a) is over?

[oao]

I've done a trial run of HFSLIP+nLite combination as you suggested.

1. HFSLIP ran OK except for a complaint that it could not find a AU.IN_ file in \source\I386, after which it continued and created an 342MB ISO file.

2. I then ran nLite on the SOURCESS folder as per your suggestion and reduced the size of that folder by about 134MB.

Now, if I understand it correctly, if I substitute this folder for the initial SOURCE created by HFSLIP, and run HFSLIP again, will it create the ISO from the folder reduced by nLite?

Thanks.

FP

[oao]

Whoops, strike the last question.

I had just completed the streamlining and did not ask nLite to create the ISO.

FP

[tommyp]

I'm not sure if you can use FDV's fileset to remove IE and then install IE6 afterward. I suppose you can try it and see what happens. I would say that you need to make a decision if you want IE5, IE6 or no IE at all. If you do not want IE at all, then use FDVs fileset. If you want to keep IE5 or if you want IE6 slipstreamed instead, then visit Tomcat76's dynamic hotfix list for what file goes where.

[oao]

I was advised that to preserve IE6, I should not remove IE5, but rather let IE6 SP1 upgrade it.

I've also found out that it is possible to HFSLIP the OS without removing anything, then use nLite on SOURCESS to remove whatever I want and create the ISO file.

Thanks.

FP