How to Make Your Own Windows XP Lite CD Installer with nLite

Review:

This tutorial will make a modified windows XP CD installer.

• Fast, install time can faster, just approx 10 minutes and system ready

• Automatic, everything can run automatically, no annoying a CD-key or other dialog again, just sit and see your installer works.

• Lite, now Windows XP CD installer can just 185 MB (with some tweak in customizing)!!

• Custom, everything can customized (SP, hot-fix, driver, some tweak, etc)

• I just warn to read carefully descriptions of every features, because we don’t want the installer goes wrong :p

A little review about nLite program:

1. nLite allows you to customize your installation of Windows XP, Windows 2000, or Windows 2003. You can integrate service packs and hot fixes from Microsoft directly into your windows distribution files without having to re-download and install them every time you need to re-install windows.

2. There is also the option to remove unwanted components from within windows. Many applications are automatically included every time windows is installed. Not every person needs or even wants all of these applications which Microsoft considers to be necessary. By removing these unwanted components you can free up space within your setup and ultimately save space on your hard drive after installation.

3. nLite also provides a way to customize your installation by allowing numerous tweaks to the way windows looks and operates after it has been installed. You can even bypass Microsoft’s bulky unattended setup instructions and do it the easy way. The nLite way! . . .

(From nLite’s home page)

The tutorial:

We’ll download and install a program named nLite, go to download home

and download a latest nLite *.exe installer.

Before you can install nLite, you have to .NET Framework 2.0 installed on your windows system, download here.

First we have to copy an installation directory from your original XP CD (no matter XP type, 32 bit, 64 bit, Starter, Home or Professional Edition, SP 1 or SP2 or SP3). Just copy all file and folder in CD to your drive, for example D:/customxp, don’t forget a remaining space, because we’ll start everything from here.

Now launch your nLite via your shortcut. Select Next.

Browse your Windows installation copied before. I use F:\customxp (disk space problem :p), Select OK and nLite’ll scanning your original XP properties.

I use Windows XP Professional (32 bit) with Service Pack Edition

Next, skip the Presets dialog, because we don’t have a saved preset before

Select All Task, so we can customize it well. Press Next

I’ve Service Pack 3 installer to be integrated in. Just browse where the SP3 installer, it will splitstreamed and integrated well. When finish press OK and Next.

Do the same, for Hotfixes, Add-ons and Update Packs and Driver dialog. Press Next

Choose your compability belong to your need. Optional you might choose preset > load > lite or you just customize a components, what will be added or no. Read carefully a short description at right, so you can customize safely. Press Next

Now is unattended session, here is the list of setting that we have to change:

General

Unattended Mode: Fully automated

Product Key

RunOnce, nothing

Users, nothing

Owner and Network ID, fill out Computer Name and Workgroup (or Domain, if you have a network domain), Full Name and Organization.

Regional, select your preferred Language and Regional settings.

Network settings, you may skip for automatic networking.

Desktop Themes, you may Insert local if you want to add all your installed themes on your system. Choose your Default theme.

Automatic Updates, nothing.

Display, depend on your needs. Press Next.

Components, General Tab, nothing. Patches Tab, Enable the Unsigned Themes Support, so your custom theme will be enabled.

Press Next

On the Tweaks session you can tweak everything (include Services) that you want, don’t forget to read description at bottom of dialog. Press Next. Press Yes and you just wait a few minutes.

When the all done, you could burn directly (change Mode to Burn) or you just burn ISO images, press Make ISO button, When ISO have burned. Press Next and Finish . .

Congratulation! Now you have your own custom Windows XP CD Installer “created” by you :p

Thanks, question and comment are welcome.

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