Thanks that was great. It must have taken you a long time to sort that out.
Install a lightweight version of Windows XP on the Asus Eee PC using nLite
If you’re not happy with using the heavily customised version of Linux that Asus and Acer use on some of their Eee PC and Aspire One netbooks, there’s nothing to stop you installing Windows XP instead. Actually, that’s not strictly true – with just a 4Gb SSD drive, the low-end Asus Eee PCs and Acer Aspire One models won’t be much use once there’s all 3.8Gb of a fully patched Windows XP installation on it.
Unfortunately, even if you opt not to install any of Windows XP’s extraneous components, you won’t make much of a dent in its disk footprint – much of the bloat is installed whether you want it or not. The solution is to create a customised Windows XP installation CD that just installs the files you need. All you need is a free download, a Windows XP CD and a little know how…
The free download is called nLite and it lets you create a custom Windows XP install CD that only includes the components you need. You’ll need to install and run it on a Windows PC to create the CD in the first place, so if all you have is the Eee PC, you’re out of luck.
You also need a Windows XP install CD – a restore disc won’t work – and an external CD drive for installing Windows on the Eee PC.
Incidentally, you can use nLite to create a Windows Vista slipstreamed install disc, but the Eee PC really isn’t up to running Vista in all its glory (*ahem*), so it’s advisable to stick with Windows XP.
Update: If you lack a driver CD, you can now download Windows XP drivers for the Asus Eee PC and Acer Aspire One.
Step 1
Create a new folder on your Windows PC called Eee PC (or Aspire – it doesn't matter) and copy the entire contents of your Windows XP install CD into it. Unless it’s already part of your Windows XP install CD, you’ll also need the full Windows XP Service Pack 2 download. Put this in the Eee PC folder too.
Update: Microsoft released Windows XP Service Pack 3 through Windows Update on 7 May, but you'll need to download the entire update (316.4Mb) separately to use it with nLite. Simply copy the downloaded file it into your Eee PC folder instead of SP2 (it doesn't matter if you're using a Windows XP SP2 install CD).
Step 2
Download nLite (v1.4.1 is the latest version – 2.42Mb) and unless you already have it installed, download .NET version 2 from the same page too (22Mb). Install .NET first, then nLite.
Step 3
Start nLite, click the Next button on the first screen and then click the Browse button to direct it to the folder that contains your Windows XP files. nLite will automatically detect which version of XP the files are for and show Service Pack is included, if any (we’ll be adding SP2 or Service Pack 3 later, if it’s not part of your install CD). Click Next, then Next again to skip the Presets screen.
Step 4
If you need to add Service Pack 2 or Service Pack 3 to the install CD, click the Service Pack button. Also click the Components, Unattended, Options, Tweaks and Bootable ISO buttons. Click Next.
Step 5
If you chose to add a Service Pack, browse to the location of the SP2 or SP3 file you downloaded in step 1 and click Next when you’re done. Don’t select any options on the Compatibility dialog box that pops up – just click OK to close it.
Step 6
The Components screen lets you select the Windows components you want to remove from the Windows installation, in 10 different categories. Rather than try to explain which components to remove, we’ll just show screenshots showing the selections for each category. Don’t be tempted to remove options other than the ones we show – these are already the bare minimum of components you need for the Eee PC.
| Applications We’re not installing any of Windows' built-in applications, but feel free to add any you think may be useful to you – just remember that they all take up disk space... |
Drivers Asus supplies a Windows XP driver CD with the Eee PC, so we |
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Hardware support |
Keyboards |
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Languages |
Multimedia |
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Network |
Operating System Options |
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Step 7
Click Next to continue to the Unattended install screen. You can enter your Windows XP Product Key on the General tab to save entering every time you use this install CD. Tick the box for Turn off Hibernate – there isn’t enough space on the SSD to devote to it (note for Eee PC 900 users: if you're installing Windows XP on the Linux model with 20Gb SSD, you can leave this option enabled) .
Step 8
Click the Owner and Network ID tab and enter the Computer Name, Workgroup and Full Name. You can always enter this information later during the install process, but it’s simpler to add it here.
Step 9
Click the Regional tab and select your relevant language and locations options. Click the Desktop themes tab and select Windows Class as the Default theme – unless you opted to include Luna and want to use it. Select the Classic Start menu option too.
Step 10
Click the Display tab and select a Color Depth of 32-bit. Click the Custom button for Screen resolution and create a resolution of 800 x 480. Set the Refresh Rate to 60Hz. Click Next.
Step 11
Ignore the General tab and click the Patches tab. Select Disabled from the drop-down list for SFC (Windows File Protection). Click Next.
Step 12
The General tab of the Tweaks screen lets you make various tweaks to the way Windows works – this is all completely subjective, so select the options you want. Or you can just copy our selections for the least fuss. Ignore the Services tab and click Next when you’re done.
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Step 13
Click Yes on the dialog box that appears and nLite will start to create your customised Windows XP install CD. You won’t need a blank CD just yet and you can’t click Next until the process has finished. This step takes a while.
Step 14
This configuration has reduced the Windows XP installation by 429Mb.
Step 15
Click Next and the Bootable ISO screen appears. Here you can create an ISO image to later burning to CD, or burn the disc directly from nLite – your call. If you want to add the Windows drivers from the Asus-supplied CD to this disc, click the Explore button to open the folder that nLite will use to create the image or disc. Just copy the Asus drivers to this folder (perhaps to a subfolder called Asus Drivers) before you create the image.
Originally published on www.mobilecomputermag.co.uk, now incorporated into Broadband Genie
© Dennis Publishing
© Dennis Publishing
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Comments
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Wow you are awsome... I cant wait to try this
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A word of caution.I tried this with nLite v1.41, WinXP Pro and d/l SP2.nLite kept on crashing with "driver.cab".Tried with a version of WinXP Pro with SP2, crashed on sp2.cab.Not to be deterred, I tried nLite 1.35.It has a few slightly different options, but produced a .iso without a hitch.Tried to install to the ASUS (4gb, 2gb RAM) and it failed to install ole32.dll.(Made additional copies of .iso - in case of dodgy disc), no luck.Then found myself in a recurring loop of windows trying to setup and run, and crashing due to ole32.dll missing.Now re-installing original linux image from DVD(remember BIOS OS installation to "START", and press "TAB" at the boot screen to choose device to install from, else windows goes around in circles).I would still like a reduced version of XP on my ASUS.Has anyone had success with the above ?Anyone have similar woes ?
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I have read the article on installing W_XPon a eee pc, and half way through began to wonder whether it would not be more sensible to install W_98. Any views, anyone tried it?
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[quote=peertwo]A word of caution.I tried this with nLite v1.41, WinXP Pro and d/l SP2.nLite kept on crashing with "driver.cab".Tried with a version of WinXP Pro with SP2, crashed on sp2.cab.Not to be deterred, I tried nLite 1.35.It has a few slightly different options, but produced a .iso without a hitch.Tried to install to the ASUS (4gb, 2gb RAM) and it failed to install ole32.dll.(Made additional copies of .iso - in case of dodgy disc), no luck.Then found myself in a recurring loop of windows trying to setup and run, and crashing due to ole32.dll missing.Now re-installing original linux image from DVD(remember BIOS OS installation to "START", and press "TAB" at the boot screen to choose device to install from, else windows goes around in circles).I would still like a reduced version of XP on my ASUS.Has anyone had success with the above ?Anyone have similar woes ?[/quote]Had a similar problem a while back slipstreaming a setup for a Mac. I believe it was the installer version on the original windows CD not being current enough. I did it with windows SP3 which contains everything you need. OR you could download he installer update from MS Windows update site. Might work for you either way.
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Don't remove the standard Windows camera drivers, the Eee uses these for it's webcam...as we found out the first time we did this!
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[quote=ian]I have read the article on installing W_XPon a eee pc, and half way through began to wonder whether it would not be more sensible to install W_98. Any views, anyone tried it?[/quote]Suggest that sensible and W_95/98 should never be used in the same sentence.XP is an operating system (NT 5); W_95/98 is a set of pictures on top of DOS!
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someone has put a lot of work in to this step by step, and it has worked as described so far. I now have an nLiteXP install CD but am unsure how to complete project. Do I have to remove initial full XP installation from my 900? If so, how? Or does fresh OS installation simply overwrite it? I'd be grateful if someone could help me complete this. Then I can tell if it really works.
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Editor - Julian ProkazaPeter, if you already have Windows XP installed, you're better off deleting it before reinstalling your slipstreamed version. You can do this during the new installation - when you're asked where you want to install Windows, just delete the current C: partition (where Windows is currently installed), then create a new partition for the slipstreamed Windows XP. Just be warned that this will obviously wipe everything on the laptop, so backup anything you want to keep before you start.
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Thanks Julian. It seems to have worked. The installation is an astonishing 1.84GB which makes the 3.73GB C: drive useable again. (I had been shocked to receive 'disk full' message 4 days after buying Asus with factory set up!)The only problem I have now is that Internet Explorer seems to be missing or incomplete - it will not open. Any thoughts? Did I miss a 'tick' when preparing the nLite install disk? Also, should screen resolution for Asus 900 be set to 1024x600 rather than 800x480 as shown in step-by-step?I'm very grateful for your help on this.
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Can I use Asus DVD System Disk that originally came with Eee PC 900 XP to install XP in a Linux Eee PC 900?
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Jules, The little green book that comes with the Eee PC now has a chapter of replacing Xandros Linux with XP. You need a USB DVD drive (of course) and it must be XP - SP2 or higher. The Eee now has 1Gb ram, so I imagine it will all fit. I havent tried it yet - but I'm going to
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I've made a slipstreamed disk to install on my 701 4gb (upgreaded with 2gb ram) it boots from the cd fine, but when it comes to choosing where to install WinXP it shows 4 partitions a 1.4gb, a 2.3gb and 2 8mb ones. One of the first two would be the obvious choice but it says that these drives don't have any disks in! Do I remove all the partitions and create a new one? If I did that, would I be able to restore linux from the cd at a later date if I wanted? Should I leave the smaller partitions in place?Thanks
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Does anyone know if this'll work on a 901?
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Really helpful article - thanks (even more thanks if I manage to do it right!)
2 questions though:
1. In nLite, is it possible to create the new installation files on a hard drive rather than a CD - and then
2. is it possible to install onto the eee from a USB hard drive rather than CD?
Would be grateful if anyone knows - because sitting here i have an external hard drive available but not a USB CD.
Thanks
Mike -
I've done all these things, so now i've got the iso file, but i do not have an external cd-rom, so i copyed the iso to a pendrive ( i made it bootable), but is doesn't work. Please help me! ThanxBeZ
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Have managed to follow these instructions and then got a problem installing the Asus ACPI driver. Too much of a novice to know what that does, except bring up endless loops of error messages. This was on the 901.
After a bit a searching i found a forum with the answer. When you are nliting for the 901, you need to include the multiprocessor option in the hardware section. I changed this, and it works a treat.
Thanks
Mike -
Sensible?? uhhh NO!
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Hi, please has somebody got the original recovery dvd for Xp that came with the Asus EEE PC 901 and is able to make me a copy. I can send you a blank dvd and a self addressed and pre-paid envelope. Please contact me at juansanto7 at hotmail dot co dot uk. Thanks
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I've created and burnt the ISO, installed it, which worked just fine and then after rebooting...it asked me for a password, i guess this was my own fault, unticking the password boxes somewhere, i'll give it another try though ;)
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thank you for your guide; and some additions
Small (nlite) and USB bootable XP for Asus EEE PC 4gb SSD
Prepare nlite XP : http://www.broadbandgenie.co.uk/blog/20080128280/install-a-lightweight-version-of-windows-xp-on-the-asus-eee-pc-using-nlite ;)
Use Deamon Tools etc, and unmount the winlite.iso file
Use WinSetUpFromUSB to prepare usb bootable nlite Xp
Problems and solutions
1-WinSetupFromUSB cannot copy files to usb drive
Use nlite 1.4 ,1.4.0 and keep the Manual Install And Upgrade under Operating System Options
2- USB XP Setup Hal.dll error
under Bios > Advanced > Ide Configuration > Ide Slave > Type > Not Installed
and delete all partitions in your hard disks
3- During Setup ,Nlite XP CD Key not working / wrong
Do not put Service Pack 3 by nlite or /integrate
4- Cannot find/detect wireless networks
Keep the DHCP functionality (Ethernet and WiFi) under Compatibility -
I had to make sure I read it right and upto yet its doing fine. I've remembered something old and learnt something new. Its a great little project, I think aimed at the enthusieast level.
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