So, why not just delete the offending software subsystems; for example, the browser engine? Microsoft originally asserted that the browsing subsystem couldn't be removed from the operating system without wrecking it, but a developer--Shane Brooks--proved it could be done. His elegant little hack became distributed as the freeware "98 Lite," and is still around today, along with some companion software that lets you add or remove other deeply buried parts of Win98 that otherwise can't readily be changed. (See examples.)
Over the years, Brooks' original tools gained polish and sophistication, growing into a family of "98lite" products. Incredibly, this now includes a tool that can trim Windows 98 down from its normal installation size of around 400 Mbytes to as little as 9 Mbytes! This ultra-lean version of the operating system is highly restricted in what it can do, of course; it's really meant for use in embedded controls and the like. But another version of 98lite can produce a desktop-capable version of Win98 that weighs in at only about 40 Mbytes, or about 1/10th the normal size. The whole 98lite software system works "on-the-fly," letting you select whatever combination of components you want at any given time; and all changes are reversible. (It's all available here, and 98lite costs $25.)
Windows 2000 and XP, with a different genealogy and core structure, were more of a challenge for the developers, but "lite" tools eventually were produced for them as well. (And with the extension of "lite" technology to these operating systems, the company changed its name to the more general "LitePC.")
Just last month, LitePC released a brand-new version of its XPlite software; this being fully SP2-compliant.
Given that XP is a fairly large operating system to begin with--and made even more so by SP2--I wanted to see what the new version of XPlite could do.
Test Driving The New XPlite
I started with a completely standard installation of XP Professional using a retail setup CD that had been "slipstreamed" with all to-date patches, including SP2 (see Save an Hour Or More On XP Installs). I then applied my normal set of tweaks and adjustments so this test installation would closely mimic my real-life, daily-use XP Pro setup. (See System Setup Secrets For Windows XP,
Ten Ways To Make Windows XP Run Better,
and More Ways To Make Windows XP Run Better). I then ran the free CleanXP tool and ended up with a fresh, clean XP Pro installation occupying just under 1.8 Gbytes.
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