Win Toolkit + RT7 Lite + RT7-Booster

[Dim-Trij]

What are you experience with using these three programs together Win Toolkit + RT7 Lite + RT7-Booster especially in sense of removing Windows components and cutting down the size of ISO? How combine these three program togerher if do that at all...?

-I have first integrated SoLoR updates with RT7 Lite.

-Then I have removed most of the components by Win Toolkit - because I had feeling that many of these removable components (packages respectively) are not available in RT7 Lite.

-After that I have removed components which were availiable the RT7 Lite.

-Finally polishing with RT7-Booster followed.

But I have to say that such ISO mostly failed during installation in WM. But the process was done with Win Toolkit 1.3 beta a early version of RT7-Booster.

Do you have anything to share?

Follow some interesting citation of posts from the forum at www.rtwincustomize.net

Vaganus

Using WinToolkit (from wincert), RT7-Lite and RT7-Booster frequently often makes my system lock-up due to mounting problems. Even when monitoring the %temp% files and/or relocating the mount/extraction folders to a RAMdisk (where it can be fully formatted while having files currently accessed files) it still acts up irregularly.

And does anyone know the best (if possible) order of using those(WinToolkit/RT7-Lite/RT7-Booster) programs in conjunction? I've gotten WinToolkit's .WA add-ons to install along with some silent installers after using RT7-Lite but some problems still surfaced. I'm going to re-install and start fresh but It'd be nice if someone knows of the top of their head so it can save me a good 30-60 minutes.

Winterstorm 2050

@Vaganus : do not use at the same time these soft because it will cause troubles (lego warned users about that sometimes ago) : you need to mount/unmount wim after using each soft, simply because the registry is used in differents ways.

I have no really idea for the best soft order, but if you only use wintoolkit to integrate WA addons, maybe you could try to use it the last : RT7 --> Booster --> Wintoolkit. Maybe, but not sure...

Vaganus

I know not to use them simultaneously. By using [RT7-Lite -> RT7-Booster -> WinToolkit] I got everything to work as it should. Can't seem to get it to work any other way. I installed all the Windows Updates with RT7-Lite and then cleaned everything with RT7-Booster and then I mounted it with WinToolkit after a restart and formatting of the RAMdisk. From there I installed the .WAs, switchless installers, and applied more registry tweaks than available in either of the RT programs. Booted up and everything worked perfectly. Installing .Net, all the C++ Redists, .7z, VLC x64, Flash, and Java it increased the total size program wise by 1gb and it increased the Winsxs folder by an additional 1gb bringing the .ISO from 7.1gb installed to 9.2gb.

Edited July 25, 2012 by Dim-Trij

[Kelsenellenelvian]

rt7lite is extremly brutish and hasn't been updated in a long long time.

The methods these programs use are totaly alien to each other.

Its just not going to work out.

[oguz]

Unnecessary and very bad ideas...

[pawtycat]

Been there, done that.

I've made around 40 fully working images (I test them on virtual machine frequently) with this combination of programs. Personally I dont like to have not-used components in my system (saves space on SSD, also personal preference), so I've decided to get rid of them.

"Why RT7Lite? its in beta, very brutal and made by some Indian programmer.." you ask. Simple: its the most versatile program for removing components out there. Yes - I hated using it. It's a complete disaster, but I finally succeed. Same goes with RT7-Booster; extremely slow, GUI is a mess (for developers; please keep GUIs genuine), but still - it cleans some stuff and lets me remove some components RT7-lite doesnt.

Finally I discovered actually GOOD and USER-FRIENDLY software to customize Windows - Win Toolkit. I enjoy using it to include and tweak stuff, really slick piece of software.

Anyway, heres how I've done it;

First brace yourself - you WILL experience crashes, long perioids of waiting and not-working images. Open RT7Lite and try remove all components you dont want (if you want to remove as much as possible, there is a good configuration file made by WinterStorm 2050) and test the image on WM. Personally I dont use this for anything else. There is a post about what is safe to remove on rtcustomization forums.

Once you've done that, open RT7-Booster, load the ISO you made with RT7Lite and remove undesired stuff.

And finally you can use Win Toolkit to include drivers/software/updates/tweaks/files or whatever

Works for me atleast, I apologize for spelling mistakes and stuff, Im on a laptop in middle-of-nowhere^^, just wanted to share my thoughts.

[Legolash2o]

I don't use RT7Lite and never even heard of RT7-Booster, what is it?

I can't comment on this apart from it's not the best idea to use multiple programs.

[pawtycat]

I don't use RT7Lite and never even heard of RT7-Booster, what is it?

I can't comment on this apart from it's not the best idea to use multiple programs.

RT7-Booster is just a complement for RT7Lite, you can use it to remove components that couldnt be removed with RT7Lite.

[Dim-Trij]

Thank you for your information.

I am still not sure about one thing. As Legolash2o answered my question about the way of integration of updates into the ISO this:

"About updates, Win Toolkit passes them to DISM (DISM.exe /Image:[MountPath] /Add-Package /PackagePath:[FileName] and then lets DISM handle them, it will most likely use something close to method B and install the updates during Windows installation."

I have to ask myself what really happens in case described below. It is probably more question about update mechanism of Windows than function of Win Toolkit because Win Toolkit only calls defined functions.

The case

I have some updates (SoLoR :-) which I want to integrate into my Windows 7 Ultimate x86 SP1 ISO. I want also remove some redundant components of this version of Windows.

1) So first I integrate updates only. Win Toolkit calls the dism function and new files are added to the ISO and prepared to be installed during installation of OS. So an updated ISO is created.

2) Then I run Win Toolkit again to remove some components. Win Toolkit calls dism again to instant remove of the files belong to removed components. But this dism function is so powerful that also checks whether are there some integrated updates related to components whis is not availaible (I removed them by Win Toolkit)?

Basic example

I remove "Sticky notes" component. Among updates which I want to integrate is an update for "Sticky notes". There will be no problem with integration of such update even the component was removed? What then happens during installation of OS. Some function finds out that there is no "Sticky notes" component so update will not be applied or it will be installed anyway? But in any case I am adding unnecessary files to my custom ISO. It is true?

Edited August 1, 2012 by Dim-Trij

[Legolash2o]

DISM marks updates as 'Install Pending' which means they will be dealt with during Windows installation. When you remove a component, it will also remove the update and no updates will be shown for it via Windows Update either.

I'm assuming when an update is going to be installed it will check whether 'Sticky Notes' has been marked as removed or not.

I didn't develop DISM so i can't fully say how it works, but it works

[Dim-Trij]

Thank you Legolash2o. From what you have written it seems to me than nothing is actually removed from the ISO, just disabled and not installed, therefore size of ISO do not change whatever is removed. I always thought that the components are completely deleted from the ISO. But this agrees with my experience that size of the output ISO from the Win Toolkit does not change much...

[Legolash2o]

Thank you Legolash2o. From what you have written it seems to me than nothing is actually removed from the ISO, just disabled and not installed, therefore size of ISO do not change whatever is removed. I always thought that the components are completely deleted from the ISO. But this agrees with my experience that size of the output ISO from the Win Toolkit does not change much...

Depends, some items such as Speech and Natural Languages are physically removed using the vLite method and does reduce ISO size.

[Dim-Trij]

Aha...

And do you plan Legolash2o any expansion in components remove capability of Win Toolkit? vLite was brilliant piece of software unlike RT7 Lite. When I look at your work I think you could do great things in this area...

Edited August 2, 2012 by Dim-Trij

[Legolash2o]

Yes i plan to do add more removals but after i've fixed bugs

[Dim-Trij]

Sounds interesting...

By the way you have probaly much more experience with Win 8... Do you think it will be possible to cut out the "metro plugin" and get stable improved Win 7 :-)? Sooner or later somebody will do it.

[Legolash2o]

I wish there was a way to remove Metro, someone will probably come up with a way to remove it.

[steve30x]

I wish there was a way to remove Metro, someone will probably come up with a way to remove it.

Somebody did come up with a way to remove Metro UI. http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/157302-windows-7-explorer-for-windows-8/

[billybully]

Long story short: I made a 0.987 GB Windows 7 x64 WIM file using RT 7 Lite. This pretty much says which one's the best software.

[Kelsenellenelvian]

... Sure if your choice is to use a sledge hammer and dynamite, when a scalpel is needed.

rt7lite, while doing its job is a very brutish, hackerish p.o.s. Especially when it comes to integratging WMP, IE or a SP...

... (Kinda like saying Hitler was good at crowd control)

Besides development stopped 2+ years ago and has been complelty discontinued...!

[bphlpt]

Long story short: ... This pretty much says which one's the best software.

"Better", maybe, in one particular metric, one that has not been a focus of Win Toolkit to this point.

Cheers and Regards

[billybully]

No, no, don't worry. The image I told you about (0.987 GB) is fully stable and runs all my apps. Made with RT 7 Lite and RT7 Booster.

[Kelsenellenelvian]

Have a crapload of fun when sp2 comes out, it will not install on that system.

[billybully]

Have a crapload of fun when sp2 comes out, it will not install on that system.

I can't wait for the SP2, y'know. That way I could make a new ISO with it and install it. You idiot.

[myselfidem]

It was about RT 7 Lite with RT booster integrating SP2 on the image!

Cheers

[Kelsenellenelvian]

I can't wait for the SP2, y'know. That way I could make a new ISO with it and install it. You idiot.

Ummm yeah NOW your age truly shows.

[billybully]

Ummm yeah NOW your age truly shows.

I think I'm getting burned here. Let me be clear. I mean: downloading a whole new ISO, Windows 7 Ulimate N SP2 x64 English if you want, and then, creating a new ISO with RT7-Lite and RT7-Booster. Idiot.

[Kelsenellenelvian]

I already gave you one warning for the idiot thing. Do it one more time and I will ban you...