Customize windows xp installation disk

Also, these days the default drivers that come with XP are often not compatible with newer hardware. This is mainly true for mass storage drivers because you might have to press F6 during install and load the drivers from a floppy.

In actual fact, there are a number of components that can be removed from the XP CD without losing functionality. Thankfully, there is a way to get things like drivers, hotfixes and newer software components onto a standard Windows XP install CD without having to manually edit the files yourself. Add to that, the ability to automatically add a number of common Windows tweaks, or remove parts of Windows altogether.

A little piece of software called nlite can do all that and more basically transforming your ordinary Windows XP disc into something that is fully tailored to your needs.

This might sound quite difficult to achieve. The good thing is the nlite program works and behaves a bit like a wizard style interface that guides you through the process in a number of easy steps. While this software is quite easy to use considering its power, you still need a reasonable amount of knowledge and common sense because over zealous use could cause Windows not to install at all or create problems during its use.

In Windows 7, at least, not many of them are big, obvious efficiencies, but a cleaner system appeals to some users. Items you really shouldn't remove are listed in red, although some items may still cause you problems if Windows wants to use their components down the line.

This is the fun stuff, although 'Customization' is pretty nifty, too. From Tweaks, you can go nuts changing settings you'd normally find deep, deep in the Windows registry. Some are fairly niche, but others—like the default font in Notepad, a preset UXtheme switch for custom styles, and others can be really handy and time-saving.

Customizing the appearance of your Windows installation can be frustrating, because both Windows XP …. Odd spelling, but you get what this section is doing. All the questions and prompts Windows hits you with while installing can be pre-answered, or set to be skipped, in this section and embedded into your installation disc.

That way, you can slide in the disc, set it to start, and then actually do something else. The little things, but they make your system entirely yours.

Change the default wallpaper, logon screen, theme, gadget selections, pre-installed documents, and more aesthetics. Launch the process from the button in the lower-right corner, then grab yourself a drink, or make yourself a sandwich. That's the gist of creating your own Windows installation disc, whether you're just getting up-to-date on patches, or customizing the heck out of your system and saving yourself find-and-click time.

Got questions, tips, or requests for other topics to be covered? Drop them in the comments, and we'll keep working on this guide.

Installing Windows XP to a USB flash drive can be useful in case your hard drive ever crashes or your computer becomes infected with a virus. You cannot simply insert the drive into your computer and begin installing to it Windows XP. Restart your computer and access your BIOS setup screen. Check the USB drive manual, or contact the drive's manufacturer, to make sure the drive is bootable.

Your drive should also be large enough to hold Windows XP. Run the software, then select your USB drive from the list of devices. Select to format to the FAT file system, then click 'Start' to format the drive. Press 'Enter. Click 'Tools,' then 'Folder Options. Click 'OK. Copy 'boot. Paste these files into your USB drive.

Download, install and run PEBuilder to your computer. Write down the set of numbers following 'PEBuilder v,' located on the top of the window. This is PEBuilder's version number. Click the ' Insert your flash drive into your computer. Type 'cd' to go to your PC's root directory, then type 'cd pebuilder pluginpeinst', replacing ' ' with your PEBuilder version.

Type 'peinst', then press 'Enter. Type '1' to access the 'Change source path' option. Type '2', then press 'Enter. Windows XP will be installed to your flash drive. XP users will need nLite to really go to town on your customised installation. Use it to slipstream SP3, integrate post-SP3 updates see below , add additional components and programs, configure an unattended setup and then — after you've investigated DriverPacks below — burn your perfect disc.

Just tick the boxes, let it download and compile the disc. After reinstalling Windows, pop the disc in the drive and double-click UpdateInstaller. AutoPatcher is WSUS Offline Update on steroids: install it on your data partition or drive, then download all the updates you need plus additional components and useful programs such as the.

Post-reinstall, you can restore the lot in one go. Slipstreaming drivers into your customised installation disc is easy thanks to DriverPacks : just download the BasePack file, plus any driver packs you wish to incorporate into your disc, saving you time post-install.

Both XP and Vista users are catered, with Windows 7 to follow soon. Simplify the task of integrating updates and key Windows technologies into your customised installation disc by using Windows Updates Downloader. It uses scripts for different versions of Windows — Vista and XP are covered at the main site, but Windows 7 users should get for the latest scripts — free registration is required to download them. The only way to slipstream applications into your disc using vLite or Se7en Lite is by configuring unattended program installations.