Use nLite to customize your Windows installation
A reader mentioned nLite ages ago, back when I was still tinkering with a "virgin" XP install. I
didn't need it then, since I really wanted whatever gets installed by default with a new XP installation. But now I'm in
a situation where I need to install XP, but don't need certain components. More importantly, I need to install a couple
of things right off the bat, and I'd really like to do all this unattended. You know, waiting around just to click Next
a dozen times is no fun. I've seen students around here use it, and nLite is very cool. Especially for those of you who
need to reinstall XP on a regular basis (you know who you are). If you could set it up correctly, nLite could be run on
a yearly basis, wrapping all the security updates and patches into one big ball. Just keep your data and settings on
another drive, and use nLite to reinstall freshness periodically. The app goes beyond this, allowing you to uninstall
components, and tweak the OS as it is installed. All you need is .NET and you're good to go.
