Minimal Win2k/XP Install - Not using Embedded XP

Hi, we have been doing a lot of work with normal XP/2000 installs.
Ideally we want to ditch harddisks and run off flash disks... so we
have bought some x86 embedded boards with Embedded XP images, however
we have asked our supplier to make changes (such as add certain device
drivers for 802.11 wireless etc) but they are charging a small fortune
each time.

It would be nice to have a smaller 'vanilla windows' install, getting
rid of the things like internet explorer, media player etc, but
maintain the ability to add device drivers easily through windows
itself (rather than going through this build process).

I have seen 'xp lite' software which claims you can get windows 2000
down to 200MB which would be ideal (thats not much bigger than our
current XP embedded images!).

Anyone played around with 'xp lite' or can point me to some more
manual instructions on trimming the fat from windows? I am running
windows 2000 without a swap file (with a registry key to remove the
warning at startup!), if i could get down to ~200MB i would be really
happy, or below 512MB would be absolutely brilliant!

Cheers,

Chris

> Hi, we have been doing a lot of work with normal XP/2000 installs.
> Ideally we want to ditch harddisks and run off flash disks... so we
> have bought some x86 embedded boards with Embedded XP images, however
> we have asked our supplier to make changes (such as add certain device
> drivers for 802.11 wireless etc) but they are charging a small fortune
> each time.

Have you taken a look at 
http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/programs/sa/support/winpe.mspx or a 
similar (non-MS) project at http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/?

Regards,
Andras Tantos

On 1 Sep 2004 09:18:43 -0700, g18c@hotmail.com (Chris) wrote in
comp.arch.embedded:

> Hi, we have been doing a lot of work with normal XP/2000 installs.
> Ideally we want to ditch harddisks and run off flash disks... so we
> have bought some x86 embedded boards with Embedded XP images, however
> we have asked our supplier to make changes (such as add certain device
> drivers for 802.11 wireless etc) but they are charging a small fortune
> each time.
> 
> It would be nice to have a smaller 'vanilla windows' install, getting
> rid of the things like internet explorer, media player etc, but
> maintain the ability to add device drivers easily through windows
> itself (rather than going through this build process).
> 
> I have seen 'xp lite' software which claims you can get windows 2000
> down to 200MB which would be ideal (thats not much bigger than our
> current XP embedded images!).
> 
> Anyone played around with 'xp lite' or can point me to some more
> manual instructions on trimming the fat from windows? I am running
> windows 2000 without a swap file (with a registry key to remove the
> warning at startup!), if i could get down to ~200MB i would be really
> happy, or below 512MB would be absolutely brilliant!
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Chris

I paid for and registered XP Lite and find it very useful for
maintaining a Windows system the way I want it.  You can get rid of
all sorts of things that are not essential to the system, or are even
outright security risks, like Outlook Express, the Windows Address
Book, Windows Messenger, and many others, that Windows will not let
you remove.

I have never tried using it in an embedded system, and don't know how
well it might function that way, but it does indeed work extremely
well and exactly as claimed on desktop Windows systems.

I would suggest contacting them to see if they have any experience
with its use for your type of application.

-- 
Jack Klein
Home: http://JK-Technology.Com
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