Windows Fundamentals

[twonth]

I thought I would collect some info on installing Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs (Windows FLP). This is a light-weight version of Windows XP (intended as a thin client OS) optimized for older hardware; see

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Fundamentals_for_Legacy_PCs

For most purposes, it seems a really nice OS for the UX series. I'm using it on a UX380N with a slow SSD, and am reasonably happy with the results. (To tame the slow SSD, I use Flashfire, but that's a subject for another post.)

Plus-es:

• Low memory footprint (comparable to a clean install of XP Pro)
• Low disk footprint (< 700 MB for a clean install)
• Compatibility with almost all XP software
• Almost all the UX hardware works, after installing the XP drivers (see below for exceptions)

Minus-es

• No support for the UX camera!
• The touchscreen works fine, but tpsound.exe throws up an error. To prevent this happening on every boot, I renamed tpsound.exe to something else and all is now well.
• No hibernation.

Installation requirements:

1. Windows FLP ISO and a valid VLK (volume license key);
   the instructions below assume you are using an ISO with SP2 slipstreamed.
2. XP drivers for the UX, such as collected by Sull at
   http://www.micropctalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2319
3. to install the XP drivers, you will need up-to-date versions of
   Windows Installer Service
   http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=8483
   and Microsoft XML 6.0
   http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=3988
4. to download Windows updates, you will need to upgrade to SP3, which can be found at
   http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=3740

How to install:

• Download PeToUSB and use it to create a bootable USB drive from the WinFLP iso; for more detailed instructions, see http://redhead-it.com/blog/2008/05/installing_windows_fundamentals_winflp_on_asus_eee_pc/
  
• Boot from the USB and follow the on-screen directions. I recommend installing "Local Management Support," if only so that you have the "Task Manager" built in.
  
• To log-in, use the username "Administrator" (without the quotes) and the password you chose during set-up.
  
• Install the Windows Installer Service and Microsoft XML 6.0, then the XP drivers, and then SP3. (There's probably some leeway in terms of which order you do these in.)

Final note: My opinion is that stock XP now looks rather dated. You can spruce things up with tools like

• Rainmeter
• custom visual styles
• icon patchers (e.g., Tango Patcher 2600 is pretty neat)

A screenshot of Windows FLP in action (with the Rainmeter Omnimo skin and a custom visual syle):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/39951841@N04/6842487703/in/photostream/

[denialniel]

Hey dude thanks for sharing this information. Right now I am using Linux as my operating system and wanna be install windows as my OS. Through this post , I have clear many doubt regarding installing windows.

[harryfokker]

How many RAM is free at the startup?? Did you intall Office 2010 or 2007 on it?? i wanna try this lightweight system to

[ceehoppy1st]

Do you specifically need an XP vlk? (I ain't got a volume license key in my pocket right now).

[twonth]

I'm traveling and away from my UX's at the moment, so I can't look up the amount of free RAM. But I remember that on startup it was pretty impressive (vs. Windows 7): a few hundred megabytes more, maybe?

You *do* need an XP VLK key. I was able to find one with a bit of searching around the MyDigitalLife forums.

[harryfokker]

I'm traveling and away from my UX's at the moment, so I can't look up the amount of free RAM. But I remember that on startup it was pretty impressive (vs. Windows 7): a few hundred megabytes more, maybe?

You *do* need an XP VLK key. I was able to find one with a bit of searching around the MyDigitalLife forums.

Please check it when you can, you that on a 1gb system, the free RAM is everything to run a pretty bunch lof software. Thanks

[ceehoppy1st]

Well I tried fundamentals: as noted there isn't that much difference from a clean xp install. WinFLP SP3 with Sony utilities, IE & media player uses 200-220MB ram at idle, & under 2GB on the hdd with a small 200MB pagefile(It would be less if you "strip it to the bone"). XPpro SP3 with all that & .NET 3.5 idles at 260MB ram & can be trimmed down to under 4GB on hdd.

[harryfokker]

Many thanks ceehoppy1st , if you tell thats no many diference with XP so im not really interested anymore, im still on W8 ; im start reading many websites which talks about make Custom Windows OS, im thinking of making my own Windows XP UX Edition, a Windows XP Pro SP3 with all updates, and controllers for the Vaio UX and some personalizations like Sony Icons and things like that, for now is not a project is just an idea, im still cant take a decisition if do this with XP or W7 : for now W8 is still a test OS and i'll wait to a Hacker or someoneg who can make a patch or something to run all Apps and Metro capabiliters on 1024 x 600 Res, i know the Regedit Res Hack and im using it but i really preffer the Native Resolution.

[ceehoppy1st]

Not a huge difference- you could probably trim XP leaner with nLite, but at some point you lose too much functionality, unless you're only looking for a specific minimum capability for a certain task.

It's like the claims that you could "run" Win7 on a P-III with 128MB ram- but to do so requires cutting so much out of the os that you can't really call it win7 anymore at all.