For about a month after a new version of Windows is released, it supports just about any hardware you’re likely to throw at it. And after that, you’re on your own to find drivers for stuff. I stumbled across Driverpacks back in March, and I’ve finally had a chance to spend some serious time working [...]
All posts tagged nlite
Dreaming of a Windows XP CD that recognizes almost all known hardware?
Posted by Dave Farquhar on June 28, 2011
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2011/06/dreaming-of-a-windows-xp-cd-that-recognizes-almost-all-known-hardware/
How to use Sticky Keys to change/unlock a forgotten password
This isn’t a particularly new trick, nor did I invent it. But it’s a good trick for breaking into a Windows system when you don’t have a lot of tools at your disposal, and have legitimate reason to do so–like a lost or forgotten local administrator password. I’ve talked about some of those reasons before. [...]
Posted by Dave Farquhar on May 15, 2011
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2011/05/how-to-use-sticky-keys-to-changeunlock-a-forgotten-password/
Slimming down Windows XP for SSDs and nettops
I found a very long and comprehensive guide for using Nlite to reduce the size of a Windows installation.
The guide is geared towards an Asus Eee. But it should work well on pretty much anything that has an Intel CPU in it.
Posted by Dave Farquhar on September 12, 2009
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2009/09/slimming-down-windows-xp-for-ssds-and-nettops/
Installing Windows off USB
I sure wish I’d seen Wintoflash a few weeks ago.
It’s simple. Insert a Windows CD or DVD (anything from XP to Windows 7). Plug in a blank USB flash drive (or one you don’t mind erasing). Answer a couple of questions, and after a few minutes, you have a bootable USB stick that installs Windows. It will be much faster than CD or DVD because flash media has much faster seek times.
So what could be better? Well, slipstreamed and customized Windows of course.
Posted by Dave Farquhar on August 31, 2009
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2009/08/installing-windows-off-usb/
A serious case of one-downmanship
While researching nLite (I’m thinking about rebuilding a PC), I found a page about two Germans exploring the true minimum system requirements of Windows XP.
I won’t spoil the ending, but one of them managed to accidentally discover the world’s slowest Pentium.
Posted by Dave Farquhar on July 23, 2009
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2009/07/a-serious-case-of-one-downmanship/
Second impressions: Intel D945GCLF2, aka the dual-core Atom desktop board
I finally got Windows XP installed on what’s going to be my mother in law’s dual-core Intel Atom computer. I’ve spent some more time with it, and it’s a good board, as long as you’re willing to live with its limitations.
Posted by Dave Farquhar on December 21, 2008
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2008/12/second-impressions-intel-d945gclf2-aka-the-dual-core-atom-desktop-board/
A big time test for Nlite
I saw an XP Myths page this weekend, and although I don’t agree with its assessment of XP’s security, most of it seemed credible. It said XP can do fine on as little as a 233 MHz Pentium with 128 MB of RAM.
I whipped out a P2-266 with 192 MB of RAM to see.
Posted by Dave Farquhar on February 1, 2008
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2008/02/a-big-time-test-for-nlite/
The Nlite-d Compaq revisited
I installed antivirus software on the Compaq today. As expected, it weighed things down–boot time doubled, to 40 seconds, and memory usage approximately doubled, to 212 MB.
I can’t do much about the memory usage. But half the system memory is still available for apps, which should be fine. Upgrading the memory is always an option for the future. The boot time was fixable.
Posted by Dave Farquhar on January 31, 2008
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2008/01/the-nlite-d-compaq-revisited/
Nlite and Windows XP
Well, I had my first major experience with Nlite and Windows XP tonight. I installed a new 160 GB Seagate hard drive into Mom’s Compaq Evo 510 and I used Nlite to slipstream SP2 into Windows XP, since SP2 is necessary to properly use a drive that big.
The resulting image was far too big to fit on a CD, so I started pulling stuff out.
Posted by Dave Farquhar on January 29, 2008
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2008/01/nlite-and-windows-xp/