Reading Windows

So you got regedit downpat, so what? Hehe, you think you're tweak XP is the shit? Wrong again. You've yet to see nLite, a tool that does all the hard stuff involved in making your own custom windows install disc. Yes, custom.

You can remove programs from the install list and disc entirely, thus removing certain security breaches waiting to happen (outlook, certain script kiddy freindly commands, etc). You can also do several things that speed up boot and general system speed. For example, during install it can automajically patch your system for full themability (uxtheme), remove file protection, and even kill prefetching and windows update ( and I mean entirely, no windows update period ). It also offers a few other niceties, like killing alexa (microsoft's spyware...) I took an otherwise 700MB installer disc and produced a working 190MB ISO.

Windows users who know what you're doing: You're welcome.

It has a few issues, and you really need to know what you are doing in order to produce a high quality working disc. Don't go remove happy... Just remember, some things are just plain needed. :)

I should be ashamed of myself.

This post was edited by Aynjell on Jun 17, 2005.

After playing with it for the past few days, I've come to my conclusion:

No hardcore gamer should be without. Just to say a few words on speedup: It used to take windows some 3 or 4 seconds to start up, now it shows the starting screen for less than a second if not only 1, and then throws a desktop at me. This is of course, a very nice fist experience.

If you configure it correctly, you can make the install 100% unnatended. This is pretty nice, mainly because it speeds up install, and while some of us have more than one license and that may prove a hassle (I'm an MSDN-AA member, so I get a lot of free software), but for me, my system restore disc is amazing. Install is now down to less than 15 minutes, and start up is unparralled.

I also, have gotten rid of several spyware's waiting to happen, including microsoft's own, Alexa. Outlook, SFC (file protection), Movie Maker, and in reality, everything but media player (my favourite media app, period), and calculator get removed. Granted, the stuff that makes up the core windows desktop, like explorer, I can't live without. :(

Next up, driver integration. This is really nice if you intend the disc for a single computer. You can install a speedy windows desktop with no cruft and all your drivers in 15 minutes. Yeah, I just went acrossed the line, and you think I'm fibbing, don't you? And no, this isn't on some loud obnoxious small raptor hard drive, but a standard Western Digital 8MB 160GB IDE drive. I've tried both in raid 0 (I have two of the exact same drive), and in a single disc setup. Startup remains too fast to notice any difference.

Lastly, you can implement hotfixes, and service packs if you need them. I for one haven't shown much need for them and in fact, I have even removed windows update and several networking tools that make windows blunder free, but consequintly slower.

There is only one downside so far, and that is that there is so much trial and error. I've toasted several CD's and DVD's looking for the perfect setup, and it's pretty much been to no avail. I am about to burn .03 of AE-XP, and hopefully I will have all of my drivers setup on boot (having trouble getting my audigy 2 ZS drivers to install during setup, unsure as to why).

Anyway, those of you who appreciate speed and teh ability to hack the crap out of your desktop, nlite is worth a look-see. I am enjoying my playtime with it... :)

I should be ashamed of myself.

After learning that driver integration only supported WHQL drivers, I was able to secure some appropriate driver software so that it all worked at boot time. The finished product:

Windows XP Professional SP2 Aynjell Edition:

Removed:

Windows Update (I never use it, so it only gets in the way)
Outlook
Movie Maker
Games
Internet Games
IMAPI
All Generic Drivers
File Protection
Several script kiddie freindly windows features

Added:
Extra Folder containing installers for several installers, games, utilities, and other useful peices of data. Meant for rapid non-internet dependant deployment.

nvRAID support. This is actually kind of cool, because you no longer have to do the floppy raid driver thing. Once you integrate the driver as text mode, it works perfectly and allows for installation onto a raided device, ide, sata, no matter. I have a pair of 1600JD IDE's by western digital that respond well to raiding.

All my drivers. This includes the onboard realtek sound device, my creative audigy 2 ZS, the video card, the chipset and other platform drivers... In short, everything works as expected right at boot. All I have to change is to setup dual monitor. :)

Lastly, as stated before, setup speed is increased, though it's faster on a CD than a DVD, and the unnattended install surely doesn't hurt. :)

Enjoy, and a few tips:

Integrated drivers must be whql certified. It's the only way they actually get installed.
If you want setup speed, use a cd instead of a DVD.
Don't go nuts on removing features, you'll either relize certain promgrams needed it, or you wanted it. :) Make choices based off of experience, and you can't go wrong.

I should be ashamed of myself.