Filed under: OS, Portables, Switchers
Slimming down Windows for virtualization or Boot Camp
What madness is this, a post about installing Windows? Well, actually, the folks over at VMware's Team Fusion link to this handy Lifehacker guide to trimming down Windows XP to the bare essentials. Obviously this is of interest to anybody running Windows on a Mac, particularly on a portable with limited hard drive space. So if you should find yourself needing to tread on the dark side (whether in Boot Camp, Parallels or Fusion), it's worth a look. Besides, as I always say, the less Windows the better. It's just a shame you have to build it yourself on a machine running Windows with the Windows utility nLite and can't simply download a pre-built virtual machine.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Brock said 12:38PM on 4-09-2008
In the seedier parts of the internet, one can download pre-slimmed, customized versions of Windows. But since we don't condone piracy round here, let's not mention it again...
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Omar McFarlane said 1:09PM on 4-09-2008
Perhaps better would be a post about how exactly you can minimize it specifically for Macs. Something akin to this: http://deepcalm.com/writing/tiny-macxp-for-web-developers-2-configuration/
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Zeromaru said 1:55PM on 4-09-2008
Hrm. When running nLite on my XP SP2 disc Avast Anti-Virus picks up on a virus :S
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doc said 1:59PM on 4-09-2008
There is also a great little app called nlite that I have used a few times in the past. It works very well, is free and automates the whole slim down process:)
For Vista there is Vlite:
http://www.vlite.net/
And for XP (XP is much better!) there is nlite:
http://www.nliteos.com/
have fun
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Tom said 2:49PM on 4-09-2008
Big secret: even without clicking through you can see the article is talking about using nLite! That app you suggested as an "alternative" is ACTUALLY WHAT THEY ARE RECOMMENDING. HOW STRANGE. Almost like you didn't read it AT ALL.
pjcabrera said 3:29PM on 4-09-2008
Tom, please. Don't turn it into another Slashdot.
David Owens said 2:11PM on 4-09-2008
I recently tried installing XP on my iMac via Bootcamp. The initial windows install worked, but the reboot froze and my aluminum keyboard would not allow restart with option. I had to take it to Apple genius who fixed it. So, no more windows or bootcamp for me.
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christapher said 4:08PM on 4-09-2008
ive got vista on vmware on my mbp... dont really use it, i just use it to run doubleTwist. whats really crappy is that you cant remove the applications that come with windows like the movie editor or windows media player. i will never edit a video in vista, so why should it take up 4 gigs of space on my computer?
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NNTPgrip said 4:09PM on 4-09-2008
Quick Tip, as I just figured this out, and figured it may be of use to windows users new to mac that are using parallels:
Verizon Wireless aircards that don't have drivers built-in to mac (i'm using the USB727)
Install the VZAccess software for the mac(This installs the drivers and their crap)
Get connected with VZAccess and make sure it works on your mac.
You will notice that you can't share it with parallels and VZAcccess installs another "location". Get out of parallels. Physically Remove Modem
Drag the VZAccess app to the trash, and remove the Nationalaccess/Broadband Access location in OSX Network Preferences.
Insert Modem
Goto OSX Network Preferences
In the regular "Automatic" Location, hit the +
Select Novatel CDMA
Hit advanced once added
Select Novatel as the vendor, and click OK.
Create a configuration, and put in something for the username and password (I used my mobile # and 777 as the password, which is completely wrong, but it didn't seem to matter)
Click connect.
Once connected, you can now use parallels as well and it will share it.
Only problem with this is it doesn't report signal strength of anything to OSX and you don't get nice menus for it in the menu bar.
Alternatively you could leave all the VZAccess stuff as installed and I guess just figure out how to add Parallels NAT and Parallels Guest to the NationalAccess/BroadbandAccess location (but I didn't get that far in reading on the net, and I just did it my way)
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mingistech said 4:48PM on 4-09-2008
Search the torrent sites for "TinyXP". It's a Win install with a 200MB footprint. It's small and fast... perfect for parallels.
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Ray said 10:19AM on 4-10-2008
There's a little known version of Windows XP, called "Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PC's" or WinFLP. It's ideal for virtualization, or to run that one Windows app that you must have. It was designed to provide XP class benefits on old Win 95 capable machines and uses very little resources, it runs in 64mb of memory. It does have some limitations but it's great for occasional use. I use it on a G4 Quicksilver and VirtualPC with no problems. Unfortunately it was only ever released to corporate customers, but it may be possible to pick a copy up from ebay or... somewhere.
More info on Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Fundamentals_for_Legacy_PCs
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MacNewb said 10:35AM on 4-10-2008
Here at The Mac Newb Tube, we also needed Windows to be available, but didn't want to go full partition/bootcamping. We did a Fusion with XP and Vista. Turned out great!
http://macnewbtube.wordpress.com/2008/03/21/vimac-aka-vista-on-the-imac/
The best experience (stability, lack of crashes) of Windows in years, and all in a Mac! That couldn't be said two years ago, right?
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truman said 11:07PM on 4-10-2008
sooo... can someone apply this to the iPhone?? hmm?
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