WinReducer 8.1 (Old discussion)

@mrpotter2510: please try with coming beta 7, and let me know ... if it will not work, we will find a solution. thanks.

BETA 7 (Temporary Changelog) wrote:

WinReducer 8.1 – v0.97 (2013.11.17)

* KNOWN BUGS
- “Open – Tools – USB” : wrong characters appear under certain circumstances
- "Features – Windows Search" : when trying to disable or remove it, it doesn’t completly work. Tried with an original fresh installation without WinReducer customizations, and got same result. Maybe this is a Windows 8.1 bug and not a WinReducer bug
- "Services – Homegroup Listener and Provider Services" : break “Advanced Sharing” in “Network and Sharing Center” control panel
- "Services – Internet Connection Sharing" : break all “MetroUI Apps”
- "Services – Windows Update Service" : break “Net Framework 3.5” installation and Windows Store
- “Tweaks – Logon - Disable Shutdown Power Menu Icon” : seems to not work correctly
- “Tweaks – Sound – Disable all Sounds” : seems to not work correctly (Sound scheme is always windows default one)

* NEW
- “Presets – Automatic Removing Process” : Add a website link, as a dedicated page will be available with WinReducer 8.1 Final (Complete List will be available soon)
- “Remove – Accessories - Control Panel - Ease of Access (Files)”
- “Remove – Accessories - Help and Support”
- “Remove – Accessories - ModernUI - VPN Plugins”
- “Remove – Tweaks - Explorer - Disable User Tracking”
- “Unattended - Background - Picture Password”
- “Remove - Optimizations – Clean Boot Wim” : Activate cleanup for Boot Drivers

* UPDATED
- “Known Bugs” : Add, in the list, trouble with “Logon Shutdown Menu Icon” and Windows Update breaks Windows Store
- “msvcr120.dll” to lastest version
- English language file to v0.97
- “OPEN” window : remove uneeded 2nd Open icon
- “Options - WinReducer GUI Theme” window : change new themes download link to point to the website, as a dedicated page will be available with WinReducer 8.1 Final
- “Presets – Automatic Removing Process” : Improve removing engine
- “Features - Work Folders” : Improve Remove cleanup
- “Remove - Drivers – Storage – Adaptec SAS Controller” : Improve Remove cleanup
- “Remove - Drivers - Storage - LSI RAID Controller” : Improve Remove cleanup
- “Remove - Languages - China (S)” : Improve Remove cleanup
- “Remove - Languages - China (T)” : Improve Remove cleanup
- “Remove - Languages - Czech Republic” : Improve Remove cleanup
- “Remove - Languages - Denmark” : Improve Remove cleanup
- “Remove - Languages - Finland” : Improve Remove cleanup
- “Remove - Languages - Germany” : Improve Remove cleanup
- “Remove - Languages - Greece” : Improve Remove cleanup
- “Remove - Languages - Hungary” : Improve Remove cleanup
- “Remove - Languages - Japan” : Improve Remove cleanup
- “Remove - Languages - Netherlands” : Improve Remove cleanup
- “Remove - Languages - Poland” : Improve Remove cleanup
- “Remove - Languages - Russia” : Improve Remove cleanup
- “Remove - Languages - Saudi Arabia” : Improve Remove cleanup
- “Remove - Languages - Thailand” : Improve Remove cleanup
- “Remove - Languages - Turkey” : Improve Remove cleanup
- “Remove - Languages - United Kingdom” : Improve Remove cleanup
- “Unattended – Serial Number” : Improved support to enable auto-activation during Windows Setup
- Many GUI appearance improvements

* FIXED
- Removing process window size reduction : Didn’t work properly
- "Appearance - Open Files Click" : Didn’t work properly
- “Remove – Tweaks” : Some helps tips didn’t work properly
- “Remove – Tweaks - Explorer - Disable Recently Opened Programs List” : Didn’t work properly
- “Remove – Tweaks - Explorer - Explorer - Recent Document History (Do Not Save)” : Didn’t work properly
- “Remove – Optimizations - Delete Uneeded Windows ISO Editions" : Didn’t work properly
- “Service – Telnet Service” : Didn’t work properly
- “Unattended – Text Size (DPI)” : Didn’t work properly in Windows 8.1
- Solved some WinReducer window focus trouble
- Progress bar while removing components

* As you could see many improvements have been done, it should be stable enough to be release Sunday ...

* Some bugs will be fixed in Beta 8 especially for Windows x64 Editions.

* And I need to delay "System" tab with Updates, Drivers, WinReducer Post Installation (it will possible to associate different methods (oem folder method, old winreducer method) to beta 8 ....  

Cheers.

EDIT : add : "Appearance - Open Files Click" : Didn’t work properly

Hello, I have a news about my 'black screen after login' problem. Today I tried to reduce iso again and the black screen appeared right after drivers and antivirus installation (no system updates installed) and restart. 

Ok i have just created a 8.1 virtual machine for try the reducer but i think to waiting the 0.97. Thanks.

winterstorm2050 wrote:

Hello guys,

@inallsorts: Please explain more this option "skip the language selection" ? I suppose you speak about the setup boot.

Sorry, I should've elaborated more clearly.

Yes, that's what I'm referring to, the actual language selection during the Initial Installation process. Once you've selected the language of choice (via Winreducer), It'll be great If there's a "skip language selection" (or some variant) that can be applied with Winreducer.

Then when Installing Windows 8.1, you will not be prompted to Input the language details etc, It will simply be bypassed, just like the "skip Windows Image selection".

Hello,

@Karolina: I'm digging for this, but I experienced some instability during installation with Windows 8.1 x64 version. So I'll keep you in touch ... But in the meantime, you could try to create a new ISO without removing drivers. It should be great if you let me know. Thanks !  

@inallsorts: It should be automatically done, if you select your unattended language and your keyboard. So you need to choose both, and it should pass the language selection window. Let me know ...

Hey Guy i've tested My ISO worked whit 0.96 and initially i had a problem White the unattended section because enabled but whitout serial. So i have disabled the unattended section. And The ISO work fine.

zumoc wrote:

Hey Guy i've tested My ISO worked whit 0.96 and initially i had a problem White the unattended section because enabled but whitout serial.  So i have disabled the unattended section.  And The ISO work fine.

If you have downloaded the upgrade ISO, you can use the serial specified here in your autounnatend.xml file, and then activate with your proper serial.
Windows 8.1 wont install with your Win 8 key...

Yes, is no problem . I've just said that the first try i don't give me nobody error ...this is nice

The OS istalled is about 6,6/7gb od space...

Thanks for great tool, it'll serve a lot of people. I expect the final version 8.1 forward. Good luck

winterstorm2050: I tried to make a new iso without removing drivers and the black screen still appears. It's weird. Never happened to me with previous versions of windows.

winterstorm2050 wrote:

Hello,

@inallsorts: It should be automatically done, if you select your unattended language and your keyboard. So you need to choose both, and it should pass the language selection window. Let me know ...

Hi Winter,

I've actually done just that, and It's still prompted the selection. I shall try It on another edition of Windows, and see what happens.
I will advise of the outcome.

Hey guys,

The beta 7 will be available in few hours, I've fixed so many bugs and add so many improvements to improve windows users experience. So I will not add the changelog (too long), you will need to read it, because there are many important informations on it.

Just few examples of fix :
1. Solved blank desktop icon left when you remove "Services - Offline Files" (take me sooooo many times, but finally fix it ...  )
2. Boot Drivers cleanup has been activated if you select "Optimizations - Clean Boot.wim"

See you soon ... 

Some Windows ISOs and installation size tests I've made :
- x86: ISO =   945 Mo  //  Installation =  2.30 Go
- x64: ISO = 1380 Mo  //  Installation =  3.45 Go

winterstorm2050 wrote:

Hey guys,

The beta 7 will be available in few hours, I've fixed so many bugs and add so many improvements to improve windows users experience. So I will not add the changelog (too long), you will need to read it, because there are many important informations on it.

Just few examples of fix :
1. Solved blank desktop icon left when you remove "Services - Offline Files" (take me sooooo many times, but finally fix it ...  )
2. Boot Drivers cleanup has been activated if you select "Optimizations - Clean Boot.wim"

See you soon ... 

Some Windows ISOs and installation size tests I've made :
- x86: ISO =   945 Mo  //  Installation =  2.30 Go
- x64: ISO = 1380 Mo  //  Installation =  3.45 Go

Hmm, seems like we're going to have a long night ahead of us

Hey guys,

Here we go with WinReducer 8.1 - v0.97 (beta 7) is available for all members, follow the short Skydrive link below to download it :

http://sdrv.ms/I007qK

FOR THIS BETA 7, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO FOLLOW THESE INFORMATIONS :

* YOU NEED TO UPDATE THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE FILE AND THE OFFICIAL THEME. FOR THIS YOU NEED TO DELETE "English.xml" (in Languages folder) and WinReducer81 folder (in Themes folder) TO REPLACE THEM USING THE HOWTO FILE PROVIDED WITH THE ZIP PACKAGE.

So if you'll discover a bug, please let me know in this thread.

Enough talking, go test this new WinReducer 8.1 build ...

@Karolina: I found this discussion maybe this could help you :
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/539217e5-34fd-4976-b094-35056839434c/windows-81-upgraded-then-login-and-black-screen?forum=w8itprogeneral

My problems with iso size seems to have solved themselves, i have no idé what i was doing wrong but now it seems to be working fine. Made an iso just now that was only 1.76 gb.

Thanks for your help.

Winter: Yes, that is exactly my problem. The only difference is that I don't use upgrades from previous versions (I always reinstall system from original .iso) and the black screen appears only after .iso reduction. My original installation works without black screens. But the forum you posted gave me an idea. I will try some things and will let you know if it helped. Thanks:)

KrX wrote:

when i select something here :



all icons disapear from my desktop ( i need to activate it again)
it doesnt matter what i select it happens with all 3 options (tested)

the tweaks itself are working like it should

this tweaks works now good.

KrX wrote:

hey winterstorm

i found something. i was testing and testing a lot because somethin was breaking my windows installation:



and after hours i found it was this option:




...............

also i cant remove this 2 things:

but this 2 things are still the same (error at installation  AND this 2  links at control panel which arent working)

............................................................

another thing. if i select an iso and mount it the new windows apears in which START is "selected" but the windows is empty (below), when i click at Start again it looks like this where i can load or save my wccf



wouldnt it be better if the windows shows from beginning the load save buttons ?

...........................................

it would be also nice if a tweak to set size of pagefile.sys would be available

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms912851%28WinEmbedded.5%29.aspx


Data: C:\pagefile.sys 150 500

150 is minimum
500 is maximum


because my windows is always setting the file to 32Gb....

winterstorm2050 wrote:

Hey guys,

Here we go with WinReducer 8.1 - v0.97 (beta 7) is available for all members, follow the short Skydrive link below to download it :

http://sdrv.ms/I007qK

FOR THIS BETA 7, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO FOLLOW THESE INFORMATIONS :

* YOU NEED TO UPDATE THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE FILE AND THE OFFICIAL THEME. FOR THIS YOU NEED TO DELETE "English.xml" (in Languages folder) and WinReducer81 folder (in Themes folder) TO REPLACE THEM USING THE HOWTO FILE PROVIDED WITH THE ZIP PACKAGE.

So if you'll discover a bug, please let me know in this thread.

Enough talking, go test this new WinReducer 8.1 build ...

What can I say? You're certainly keeping me busy.

Very much appreciated, thank you

@aydentist86: That's a great news !  

@Karolina: OK !  

@inallsorts: You're welcome !  

@KrX: I will activate the START tab from the beginning in the beta 8. And I added the pagesize tweak in the ToDo list ...

@winterstorm2050: i still get net framework error with my pro n x64 image when use 0.97 version. That error appear right after mounting process complete. If i click "Quit", winreducer will close immediatelly, and if i click "Continue", winreducer will still running but there'll be no more components, all tabs are empty 

i think beta 7 has problem with virtual box(virtual box protect not work)

Updated to beta 7 today, with the resulting iso i'm still unable to install language packs using the 'add language' option from the configuration panel. It shows the available language pack, i can click and install it, it starts to download, then initialize, then install, after a few minutes it shows 'the following updates were not installed'.

the original windows install does work with the language pack.

I am trying beta7 this with Windows 8.1 Pro VL ISO but unable to even start with. If I select the extracted folder, it always show "This Folder is incorrect". If i try with ISO, after extraction it shows a error at mounting attached below. Any help appreciated, although good work as always winterstorm2050. I even installed a clean and complete windows 8.1 Pro version on physical harddisk to start this with, still no success. Running Reducer as admin as well.

~BSOD~ wrote:

I am trying beta7 this with Windows 8.1 Pro VL ISO but unable to even start with. If I select the extracted folder, it always show "This Folder is incorrect". If i try with ISO, after extraction it shows a error at mounting attached below. Any help appreciated, although good work as always winterstorm2050. I even installed a clean and complete windows 8.1 Pro version on physical harddisk to start this with, still no success. Running Reducer as admin as well.

you didn't install the language file right, aren't you? 

I didnt get that update language part in the instruction for winreducer. When I downloaded the beta7 pack, it already had English.xml in the zip file and that xml file is in extracted directory as well.

~BSOD~ wrote:

I didnt get that update language part in the instruction for winreducer. When I downloaded the beta7 pack, it already had English.xml in the zip file and that xml file is in extracted directory as well.

copy the English.xml to HOME\LANGUAGES (if needed override existing English.xml)

updated English.xml in Home\Language Directory...still the same.

~BSOD~ wrote:

updated English.xml in Home\Language Directory...still the same.

upload your WinReducer81.log [the second file from bottom of your picture]