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Last post Author Topic: OS Re-install Tips?  (Read 45315 times)

4wd

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Re: OS Re-install Tips?
« Reply #50 on: April 04, 2009, 08:11 PM »
What kind of tweaks?  ;D
well I removed Windows Media Player (you can remove IE as well, but that seems risky to me)

IE is normally removed from my nlite install and has been for at least 2 years.  NOTE: You can generally remove IE but not IE Core.

The only problem I have ever seen by doing this was those programs too stupid to use the default system browser and were hardcoded for IE......those programs don't live long on my system, usually a matter of minutes.

This problem becomes even more exasperated when you don't have a defined default system browser, (eg. I only use Portable Firefox), you soon strike quite few more stupid programs that don't just say to the system, "Here's a URL link, do something with it."

But the number of problems it has bypassed by having no browser as far the system is concerned has made it worthwhile to me.

How can yet another "toolbar" be installed into your browser when you have none?

I really hate the default xp theme so I removed that (I know it wasnt necessary to actually remove it but I enjoyed that :))

I use the LE5 theme in Black Compact by default but sometimes I'll switch to Codename Opus in Dusk Compact.

I set it up so as on start that it would logon directly (probably not secure but ..)

That method is as secure as your house is, so there's nothing wrong with it.  If you don't trust the people in your house then you have a problem.

Attached is the latest nlite session file I've just done, (ie. yesterday), not as drastic as I usually do but still enough to get the XP Pro SP3 install disk down to 333MB.

NOTE: It's designed for a single user system so some functionality regarding multiuser environment has been removed, eg. there is no "Run As" on program context menus.

There are themes integrated that you probably don't have, (including the two mentioned above), so you'll need to go to that section of nlite and remove them.
I'm not into all the Eye Candy animation crap that XP provided, (otherwise known as W@nk Factor :) ), so almost all of that is disabled except for menu/mouse/icon text shadows.

Also, if you're not using XP Pro SP3 as the base then quite a few other components won't apply but it should give a decent basis for what you could do.

It should give an XP that will install and work.
No browser, (since I use Portable Firefox from another partition), still has OE although I usually remove that, (I use Portable Thunderbird), no drivers for hardware other than CPU and basic IDE, (most SATA can be put into IDE mode until drivers are loaded to provide added functionality, ie. AHCI and RAID), since I integrate drivers for my hardware at a later stage.

If you want an install CD that has drivers for just about any hardware you use, then visit DriverPacks and integrate the LAN, WLAN, Mass Storage, Chipset and CPU.  Add in the Graphics and Sound if you really want a "no-post-install-driver-experience" but it will blow out the size of the install CD somewhat.

MilesAhead

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Re: OS Re-install Tips?
« Reply #51 on: April 04, 2009, 08:50 PM »
btw, afa themes go, I do have a few wallpapers free for download.  Most are fractal captures.  I'm trying to find a free fractal generator that can do transparencies for some cooler images, that doesn't take a PHD to use.  Fraqtive that I used to get these is fun to use but I've pretty much mined the more interesting patterns possible.

Still, some go well with themes that might otherwise be too dark if you used the wallpaper included with the theme.

Wallpapers1
Wallpapers2

PhilB66

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Re: OS Re-install Tips?
« Reply #52 on: April 04, 2009, 10:09 PM »
Note: not all systems have the i386 folder.

siouxdax

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Re: OS Re-install Tips?
« Reply #53 on: April 05, 2009, 02:48 PM »
Hello:
Well I re-installed XP and it went quite smoothly; fixed my networking issues as well as other little things that went haywire. The only real annoyance is having to tweak Firefox back to my preferences, but that's a small price to pay. Thank you all for your input!
Kind Regards,
Daniel in Tulsa
AKA siouxdax

Visit my tumblog!

CleverCat

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Re: OS Re-install Tips?
« Reply #54 on: April 07, 2009, 02:13 AM »
I always back up my Firefox profile every day so it's ready to put back after reinstall! Saves hours of work...

4wd I'm having problems transferring my FF profile to the portable one - any tips? Copying it over doesn't seem to work... :(

4wd

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Re: OS Re-install Tips?
« Reply #55 on: April 08, 2009, 03:26 AM »
I always back up my Firefox profile every day so it's ready to put back after reinstall! Saves hours of work...

4wd I'm having problems transferring my FF profile to the portable one - any tips? Copying it over doesn't seem to work... :(

In what way?

Run PortableFirefox once so it can set up the directory structure.

Copy everything in , (I'm going to get this wrong since I haven't used the normal version for well over a year), "x:\Documents and Settings\<user>\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\default.???????" to "<path to>\FirefoxPortable\Data\profile".

So you end up with all the various directories and files in the profile directory as per:

capture_04082009_181507.jpgOS Re-install Tips?

Then delete the file "<path to>\FirefoxPortable\Data\settings\FirefoxPortableSettings.ini" and then run PortableFirefox again.

That should be all.

Also, from the help:
Sometimes, certain profiles will cause the launcher to fail or hang. It's best to give it a few minutes to see if it's just checking compatiblity and adjusting the locations of the extensions before giving up on it. If it fails, it is usually due to an incompatible extension.
« Last Edit: April 08, 2009, 03:40 AM by 4wd »

40hz

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Re: OS Re-install Tips?
« Reply #56 on: April 08, 2009, 03:52 PM »
I always back up my Firefox profile every day so it's ready to put back after reinstall! Saves hours of work...

4wd I'm having problems transferring my FF profile to the portable one - any tips? Copying it over doesn't seem to work... :(

@CleverCat

The easiest way to do it is with the FEBE add-on.

Link: https://addons.mozil...S/firefox/addon/2109

Just install FEBE and set it to backup your full profile. Copy your archived profile to a CD and then use FEBE to restore it on your new installation.

FEBE should be installed on every copy of Firefox. :-*

« Last Edit: April 08, 2009, 05:08 PM by 40hz »

Coeluh

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Re: OS Re-install Tips?
« Reply #57 on: April 18, 2009, 05:15 PM »
Is it difficult to make a windows xp install cd which automatically installs apps like firefox and other stuff?

Shades

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Re: OS Re-install Tips?
« Reply #58 on: April 18, 2009, 06:20 PM »
You could nLite your current XP install CD for an unattended install, including all Microsoft patches/updates/servicepacks.

That alone makes re-installing a system a lot less intrusive to whatever you planned to do in meatspace. However, since you are creating a new install CD...why not make it a new install DVD, including all tools you require/desire in a separate folder structure. That way you can install very quickly.

For the truly lazy, there is software to help with that as well.

CleverCat

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Re: OS Re-install Tips?
« Reply #59 on: April 19, 2009, 02:18 AM »
I always back up my Firefox profile every day so it's ready to put back after reinstall! Saves hours of work...

4wd I'm having problems transferring my FF profile to the portable one - any tips? Copying it over doesn't seem to work... :(

Thanks 4wd - all good now...

Coeluh

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Re: OS Re-install Tips?
« Reply #60 on: April 19, 2009, 02:44 AM »
You could nLite your current XP install CD for an unattended install, including all Microsoft patches/updates/servicepacks.

That alone makes re-installing a system a lot less intrusive to whatever you planned to do in meatspace. However, since you are creating a new install CD...why not make it a new install DVD, including all tools you require/desire in a separate folder structure. That way you can install very quickly.

For the truly lazy, there is software to help with that as well.
CD, DVD, everything is fine. Now reinstalling is a bunch of work, downloading drivers etc... Is that possible to do as well?
What is unattended installation? Without help?

Shades

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Re: OS Re-install Tips?
« Reply #61 on: April 19, 2009, 04:58 AM »
Unattended is providing answers for the questions the installation wizard asks you. It is very convenient to put in an installation CD and do something else while the new system is getting installed and (basically) configured.

You could add the drivers of your hardware to the driver repository on the installation CD. I have never done that myself, but I  know it is possible.

MilesAhead

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Re: OS Re-install Tips?
« Reply #62 on: April 19, 2009, 12:16 PM »
I noticed on the vLite site there was some discussion of an application install automation.  After the OS is on, it runs this script driven engine. Part of the strategy is setting up the installs so as to minimize reboots for apps that require setup to continue after a reboot etc..  Don't recall the name offhand but a search of vLite site should find it easily.

kartal

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Re: OS Re-install Tips?
« Reply #63 on: April 19, 2009, 12:38 PM »
The way i do is that , I never install any application I use under the "program files". That way I know which programs need reinstall or basic copying. Before fresh install I make a copy of all the profiles, windows and program folders.

MilesAhead

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Re: OS Re-install Tips?
« Reply #64 on: April 19, 2009, 05:38 PM »
The way i do is that , I never install any application I use under the "program files". That way I know which programs need reinstall or basic copying. Before fresh install I make a copy of all the profiles, windows and program folders.

Usually stuff that doesn't need the Registry and runs in a self-contained exe or all inside a folder I'll put under a Utils folder.  Even after a Custom install I can run most of them just by dragging shorcuts.  I have Utils in the Path so command line apps I can run right away.