How To: nLite XP Config for Aspire One

I've put many different operating systems on my aspire one and even more variations of XP. I finally created a config that I consider to be fairly robust as my last one would BSOD occasionally. This configuration uses about 600MB, has about 18 processes running, and uses under 80MB of page file usage after initial install.

I read through the nLite configuration for the EEE PC, customizing it to meet my needs for the aspire. I've put pictures of my nLite configuration up on my website. Pretty much the only thing I didn't tweak in nLite was services because I wasn't sure if that was what was causing BSOD's before. They are pretty easy to config once you are up and running, however.

You can view the tutorial here: http://tylermilner.com/?p=18

Edit: Updated my blog link, I shortened my url.

 

That sounds real Awesome man

 

very nice and detailed guide!

How much space do you save if you use this version as compared to a full version? How much space does a full install take?
Does nliting improve performance too, or is it purely a space issue?

 

Sorry for the late reply on this, I was hoping that this thread would email me when responses were posted.

Anyway, a stock install is somewhere around 900MB - 1.1GB if I recall correctly. Been a while since I've actually done a completely stock (but updated) XP install, lol. A full install with my config (SP3 + updates to 12/18 [updates to 1/18 are out now]) took about 600MB. So you save somewhere between 300MB - 500MB, maybe more, by doing my nLite config.

As far as improved performance is concerned, I would say that yes, doing this config improves performance as the amount of services and process running in the background is lower. I have tried many times to get the service and process count as low as possible on a "stock SP3" install disc but still can't get close to the amount of services and processes that are cut out by default by nLite'ing an XP install. My pagefile usage (which is disabled, yet windows thinks it's there) is under 80MB at first login vs. the ~120MB (if I remember correctly) that you get from a fresh "stock SP3" xp install disc.

Even if performance is only improved marginally if you have the 1.5GB like I do, why not keep everything down to a min? You especially will want to if you have the SSD version like I do and aren't using EWF on it (EWF completely bricked my XP install w/ BSOD's twice now).

As I mentioned above, I didn't remove or disable any services with my nLite config so I'm working on a tutorial on what services to cut down so that you get a super-minimal XP install with minimal background services/processes running.

 

If you have tried SP2, is there any difference in SP3? Or maybe I should say benefit?

I never use Windows Update. Haha, I think it's the stupidest thing ever, because...It takes forever. I don't see any different in SP3 performance vs. SP2. And also, SP3 has the stupid WGA thing doesn't it? SP2 doesn't. =P