Trim down your Windows installation the nLite way

Posted April 8, 2008 at 08:02 PM by Debbie Cook

Section: Computers, Software / Applications

A freeware program recently featured on LifeHacker known as nLite offers great news. Just like we diet to shed pounds our computers can shed the extra weight of features and components that may not be needed. Spending extra RAM, hard drive space and battery power on unnecessary features is – well – unnecessary. Microsoft Windows 2000, XP and Server 2003 can be stripped down. You heard me right. Windows stripped down to what may be called a sportier model. Vista has not been left out but will require vLite instead.

Is there a PC user alive today that would not welcome a peppier version of Microsoft Windows? Or a Mac or Linux user that would not appreciate a virtual Windows experience with a leaner list of features without the bloat of unwanted ones? Powerful computers with mega GB hard drives are now the norm but that has not always been the case. On the other hand some new computers such as the Asus Eee PC and the Van Der Led Jisus are now selling with a mere 4GB SSD (Solid State Drive). Then there are those PCs and laptops relegated to storage because they don’t have what it takes to satisfy any longer – kept just in case. Just in case of what I am not exactly sure unless it is a second chance at a useful life. In all of these cases hope and help is alive and well with nLite. 

You probably already have everything required to burn a new Windows CD the nLite way. The list is short and includes a Windows installation CD, nLite, a PC already running Windows and a CD burner.

At the time of this writing I have not completed the entire process but I have visited the nLite site. It is a great place to find answers to questions you probably have and the forum is full of users discussing issues and successes.  After my visit I am confident that I can do this. Enough talk, let’s get to it. Once at the nLite installation wizard you will be asked to reveal the location of your Windows installation CD. The install files will need a temporary home so create a folder on your hard drive. Click Next to copy the files from your Windows CD disk to your new folder. 

The next window will show you any previous sessions if there are any. If you have one you could reuse those settings but if you don’t a fresh session is started. This is pretty cool. Not only can you can add or remove features - you can also add features that the original Microsoft Windows installation disc lacks. Service Packs, updates and hotfixes are a few examples of something you might want to add.

For anyone that has deleted files and then wish they had not, nLite looks out for you. As you choose components to keep or to discard nLite tells you what the consequences of your actions might be.

Once you are happy with your choices nLite will build a new trimmed down Windows installation CD. Burn the files to a CD and try it out. As in the beginning, this session is saved and can be used again. I am anxious to try nLite to build a new Windows XP install disk for my old PC that now runs Windows 98. It will then be transformed into a machine to test new software. 

Program [nLite] Via [LifeHacker]