[RUSerious]

Workarounds 4 Absent nLite Features

Absent nLite Feature: No option to generate / use cumulative preset.
Workaround: Rename your largest session (to reflect date, features, etc.) as your main cumulative preset for that particular build. Place a shortcut to ExamDiff.exe in your \nLite\Presets folder. Then select your main cumulative preset along with any other session / preset, drag these 2 presets to your ExamDiff.exe shortcut, and pick & choose from options used so to update your main cumulative preset. Tips for ExamDiff: tick "Treat both files as text files" and untick "Show differences only". http://www.prestosof...dp_examdiff.asp & http://www.prestosof...p_edhistory.asp --Note: Edit the URL if you get a redirect issue (remove "http://redirect.php/?url=" ). And please feel free to suggest a better file compare utility.

Absent nLite Feature: Leave original image untouched (would also allow CD to act as original image). This option, if ticked, would allow user to define separate paths for original & final image. This option might also avoid some copying with the removal of some components
Workaround: Prep your original image as usual with SP and Updates. Then, make a copy this image, rename this copy as needed, and then run nLite and point it to this new copy. Avoids having to redo all of your original prep work (not so obvious to new users).

This post has been edited by RUSerious: 28 September 2008 - 03:24 AM

[MCT]

i dont see the point of the second feature.. normally a "new" user wouldnt choose to slim down their xp without atleast some basic knowledge of their OS..
how hard is it to copy your xp source to a different folder? (most of us do this anyways, to my knowledge) i have various setups going & always have my source in another folder

anyways, the only person who can decide this is nuhi.. im sure if he wants or wanted it in nlite he will/would put it there

[RUSerious]

It's not so obvious to new users that nLite will make irreversible changes to their previous work.
And both of these workarounds will help new users who want to reverse changes / put something back in.
Nuhi & team will do whatever they please.
And I already know how to deal with these nLite quirks, so I don't really care if they add these features or not.
These workarounds were offered to help new users.

[RUSerious]

Added Tip
For fresh build from your latest main cumulative preset, you only need replace your I386 folder with I386 from your updated backup. And if you only need your native language, you can also clear out your updated\I386\LANG folder – will save about 100 MB of copying.

[TranceEnergy]

Nothing of this makes any sense to me. And what you are trying at has already been accomplished by way, way, way better methods. That and there are several other niche guides delivering installation walkthroughs, as update packs, and removal guides.

Everyone with the knowledge to copy over files from cd or make an iso of it, already has a backup of that on their harddrive most likely, unless they are completely new at this, which is unlikely. I wouldnt call that an absent feature, its not like nlite cant make an iso for the user.

Nlite is not supposed to think for the user. One has to realize if one makes nlite images often, it is a good idea to keep a ISO copy on harddrive.

In short, i dont see the point. =(

This post has been edited by TranceEnergy: 15 November 2008 - 11:31 AM

[RUSerious]

The second workaround is about keeping a backup of your updated I386 (before experimenting with component removal) and thus have an easy way to start over with another set of experimental settings / removals (or any one of your many custom cumulative session files).

Yes, if one has a good archiver that can extract their I386 from an ISO, then making an ISO of your updated I386 (before experimenting with component removal) would be a good way to back up your updated I386. Some also use their archiver to zip their updated I386 and have reported that extracting this I386 from zip is faster than copying it.