How do you feel about modding Windows 7?

[Muted]

Hello.

By "modding" (modifying) Windows 7, I mean: How do you feel about using an installation image that has pre-installed official Windows updates / security patches / removed features?

I was going to post a tutorial using Rt 7 Lite (as old as it is), but it appears I do not have an adequate post count.

While acquiring posts: I figure I might as well find out what the community's general opinion on it is to begin with!

The tutorial would include topics such as:

• Using the Windows AutoUnattend.xml file
• Working with the Windows BCD (Boot Configuration Data) file for multi-booting Windows OS'
• Working with the GRUB2 Bootloader (an alternative multi-booting tool for any OS)
• Hardening Windows post-automatic-installation (hosts file, Group Policy Settings, settings, NTFS, accounts, etc)
• Hardening the web browser (Google Chrome and Firefox) under Windows

This is not an all inclusive list! It will be added to further and/or reduced from. It depends on the sort of replies.

The majority of these tasks (somewhere around 100%) can be completely automated. You literally plug in your USB/CD-ROM/<insert medium source> and walk away from the machine and come back to a fully configured and cleanly installed Windows 7 (any flavor) OS!

My end configuration with Windows 7: Professional 64-bit looks a bit like this:
- 3.5GB of HDD space consumed (Windows 7 SP1, SP2, MSVC 2005 - 2019 (x86 and x64), .NET Framework 4.7.2 and .NET Framework 4.8 Preview
- 350MB of RAM used (post-boot sitting on desktop idle)
- 158MB RAM of kernel page
- 22MB RAM of non-paged kernel
- Total power off time: 6 seconds
- Total power on time (cold boot): 15 seconds (5400 RPM HDD; no hibernation / sleep)
- ~2GHz quad-core Intel CPU
- 4GB of RAM (3.4GB accessible after internal onboard GPU); 1.8GB free (1.6GB consumed total; 512MB allocated by the BIOS)

This is on a UEFI/GPT disk installation set up (because having 128 partitions is always worth it to me (without the hassles of using MBR)).

What do y'all think?

 

[RoWin7]

"because having 128 partitions"

you have 128 partitions? Didn't you run out of letters?

I got lost at "The tutorial would include topics such as..."
I would love you to make the CD for me, but that's what you're offering.LOL

 

[Paul Black]

Hi Muted,

By "modding" (modifying) Windows 7, I mean: How do you feel about using an installation image that has pre-installed official Windows updates / security patches / removed features?

I was going to post a tutorial using Rt 7 Lite (as old as it is), but it appears I do not have an adequate post count.

I, and many others I am sure, would be interested in seeing your tutorial. I have used vLite [for Vista] and RT7Lite & Win Toolkit [for Win 7] to customise installations in the past.

Perhaps you could private message one of the Moderators and see what they say!