modern Windows "Boot Disk" ???

[MircoMars]

I remember the days of the "Boot Disks". I had several for my 486, each having the config.sys and autoexec.bat finetuned for one single [s]game[/s] purpose.
Today I really miss that. all the junk that starts with my win7 really annoys me and eats up lots of precious ram and cpu cycles. I wish I could tell windows exactly what I'm expecting of it and what and how to load and what not...

Is there any possibility to have that kind of bootdisk functionality with a modern windows? without installing multiple OSs , OSes, OSi ....? and yeah, I know that there is something like Linux and it's totally customizable and so on, but something in me wants to use Wind'ohs as long as I can stand it.

[Nibb31]

[url]http://www.howtogeek.com/74523/how-to-disable-startup-programs-in-windows/[/url]

[MircoMars]

[quote name='Nibb31'][url]http://www.howtogeek.com/74523/how-to-disable-startup-programs-in-windows/[/url][/QUOTE]

Thanks, been there and done that, but I'm looking for a more flexible way to change even more stuff...

[Nibb31]

What sort of stuff ?

[MircoMars]

p'n'p drivers, searchindexer, spoolsv, perhaps even network drivers and what else I find
I noticed that in normal mode, my hdds are active for another 2 or 3 minutes after boot-up. in save mode my pc stops rattling shortly after all desktop items are loaded. I'd rather have a save mode + stuff I need than a normal mode in which I have to manually look for background activity...

do I wish for too much or don't see the obvious solution? hach.... I long for simpler times...

[PB666]

[quote name='MircoMars']p'n'p drivers, searchindexer, spoolsv, perhaps even network drivers and what else I find
I noticed that in normal mode, my hdds are active for another 2 or 3 minutes after boot-up. in save mode my pc stops rattling shortly after all desktop items are loaded. I'd rather have a save mode + stuff I need than a normal mode in which I have to manually look for background activity...

do I wish for too much or don't see the obvious solution? hach.... I long for simpler times...[/QUOTE]

Those are prolly antivirus def and rtprot files that are loading.

[cantab]

Chances are just getting rid of the junk will do a lot.

[Nibb31]

I don't think it's healthy to kill too many of the background services. Most of them are designed to take a back seat when higher priority processes are required.
On a modern PC with a multi-core processor, you won't see much of a difference.

[Stone Blue]

I'm right there with ya, MicroMars...

For XP, and my early Win7 installs, I slipstreamed some install disks...

Heres a Google for "Windows slipstreaming":

[url]https://www.google.com/search?q=Windows+slipstreaming&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8[/url]

I used to use RT Se7en mostly, but nLite works nice also...

Instead of taking several hours, of having to wait around and baby-sit a Windows install, then having to customize and tweak the install back to just the way i had it, with a slipstreamed disc, you can just about totally automate the install from the time you hit "ENTER" <to start the install>, to when you can boot your computer, and its setup EXACTLY how you want it...

And its not good to run in SAFE mode...Your computer is VERY vulnerable to outside threats in SAFE mode. ie most anti-virus/firewall software is off in SAFE mode; lots, if not all, built-in network safe guards are off; Windows Updates is off; lots of device drivers are off, especially video, as Windows defaults to basic VGA drivers...I could be wrong, but I think that EVERYTHING has Administrative rights/privaleges ON...

[COLOR="silver"][SIZE=1]- - - Updated - - -[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[quote name='Nibb31']I don't think it's healthy to kill too many of the background services. Most of them are designed to take a back seat when higher priority processes are required.
On a modern PC with a multi-core processor, you won't see much of a difference.[/QUOTE]

Yes, performance gains can STILL be had by killing useless processes... And even if the gains are small, most of them are just cr@pware, malware, junkware, and now, even lots of Microsoft's own stuff is just data-mine-ware... So, yeah, I'd prefer to not have them on my system for that reason alone...

I have used THIS site since Win98 to decide what Windows procceses can be "killed", and to tweak my Service Configuration. What you want are the Service Configuration links under Popular Content:

[url]http://www.blackviper.com/[/url] Edited November 26, 2015 by Stone Blue

[radonek]

At times I've seen windows based bootdisks (for setting up RAID controlers and like) but it was very inflexible stuff, tweaked and hardwired to run factory-tailored piece of software, full stop. It does not make sense anyway - you needed bootdisk (or bootmenu since version 6.2) to tweak DOS because any serious settings (like memory management, drivers, TSR's) could safely be made at boot time only. Modern OSes have no such limitation (with very few hardware related exceptions). And juggling boot disks any time you need to fire up different program is silly idea anyway. You would do better with something like unix* runlevels, but AFAIK windows can't do that.

[Stone Blue]

^^
I see your point for business/commercial entities, but for a home user, how many different computers are you going to have?... AND, when you slipstream a custom Windows install, it all usually fits on one or two discs... NOT like the half-dozen or more you used to get with a new computer, and with every device needing drivers that you would add later...

[Camacha]

When it comes to servers, Microsoft is doing exactly this. Slowly but surely they are removing components, with the upcoming version allowing you to load only the components you need, controlling is all via PowerShell commands. Unfortunately, this is not a logical direction to take the consumer OS. People want more polish, not less, so it is unlikely that Microsoft will streamline you experience in such a fashion.

Just out of curiosity: what exactly are you doing that requires squeezing the last cycle out of your system?

[MircoMars]

[quote name='Nibb31']I don't think it's healthy to kill too many of the background services.(snip)[/QUOTE]

sometimes I take my time to fiddle with the processes in taskmgr. then my modded ksp installs run... betterish. it helps to shovel the ksp load to one core and the rest to the others and raise and lower process priorities.

[quote name='Stone Blue']I'm right there with ya, MicroMars...
(snip)[/QUOTE]

not really, I'm not looking for a hands-free-install, but for different configurations of my one existing install.

[quote name='Camacha']When it comes to servers, Microsoft is doing exactly this. Slowly but surely they are removing components, with the upcoming version allowing you to load only the components you need, controlling is all via PowerShell commands. Unfortunately, this is not a logical direction to take the consumer OS. People want more polish, not less, so it is unlikely that Microsoft will streamline you experience in such a fashion.

Just out of curiosity: what exactly are you doing that requires squeezing the last cycle out of your system?[/QUOTE]

of course they want to raise cpu load with modern OS, after all they are pretty close to the hardware manufacturers. and yes, the general public likes shiny new things.
problem is the old hardware and old systems. mine is getting too old for this[URL="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tl7ca_QL5kY"] shiny stuff [/URL].
of course I want multitasking, security updates, plug&play and all these nice modern computery things, but I also want to tell my pc: "for the next 6 hours you're a single-purpose-machine and your sole job is to calculate my docking maneuvers in green time."

[Stone Blue]

[quote name='MircoMars']
not really, I'm not looking for a hands-free-install, but for different configurations of my one existing install. [/QUOTE]

Hmm...Ok...Its just you were asking about boot disks... Like for future Windows installs... And that is also why I made streamlined disks... I was having to re-install Windows every 6mos-9mos...

For EXISTING installs, look thru the BlackViper site I posted...


[quote name='MircoMars']
of course I want multitasking, security updates, plug&play and all these nice modern computery things, but I also want to tell my pc: "for the next 6 hours you're a single-purpose-machine and your sole job is to calculate my docking maneuvers in green time."[/QUOTE]

For this exact thing, if you do NOT need ANY internet or network connectivity at all during that time, you can unplug Enet, or turn off WiFi, then use the Service Configuration charts listed on BlackViper to turn off all the networking stuff... You could also turn off all your anti-virus/firewall software...

I was doing this to cut my Win7 RAM usage down from 1.1GB to @ 750MB... But after awhile it was a PIA to keep turning all this on/off every time I wanted to play KSP, so I just added a trimmed down, basic Win7 dual-boot, ONLY for playing KSP... Its MUCH easier than messing with your existing Windows install every time you want to play... Just saying...

[cantab]

[quote name='Camacha']When it comes to servers, Microsoft is doing exactly this. Slowly but surely they are removing components, with the upcoming version allowing you to load only the components you need, controlling is all via PowerShell commands. Unfortunately, this is not a logical direction to take the consumer OS. People want more polish, not less, so it is unlikely that Microsoft will streamline you experience in such a fashion.[/QUOTE]MS actually do make Windows fairly streamlined. The problem is the system builders add the shovelware, frequently getting paid to put it on the PCs they sell people.

[MircoMars]

[quote name='Stone Blue']you were asking about boot disks...[/QUOTE]
Bootdisk like in DOS days... to himem or not to... manually loading cd-rom drivers...

[quote name='Stone Blue']
(snip)I just added a trimmed down, basic Win7 dual-boot, ONLY for playing KSP... Its MUCH easier than messing with your existing Windows install every time you want to play... Just saying...[/QUOTE]

guess that's my solution as well then. until 1.1's multithreading saves the day.

[Stone Blue]

[quote name='MircoMars']Bootdisk like in DOS days... to himem or not to... manually loading cd-rom drivers...[/QUOTE]

Ahhh...OK... I came into PC's right at the tail end of DOS, so I missed out on all that...

[quote name='MircoMars']
guess that's my solution as well then. until 1.1's multithreading saves the day.[/QUOTE]

Yup...That was my solution...Until I decided to give KSP a try in Linux...Then I took the next step, and went from 3.5GB of max RAM usage to over 5GB (I only have 6GB installed right now)...
Since switching, I have added a TON more mods to KSP, and have had WAY less crashes... (I actually use Linux as my main OS now, and am slowly ditching Windows...Especially with Windows 10, which i dont think I would like...)

But you are right, with 1.1 coming in the next couple months, hopefully it will open up all new possibilities for those who play on Windows, and heavily modded, and make things simpler with no need of major workarounds...

[Elthy]

Windows isnt eating lots of CPU, when doing nothing on my PC it idles at 0-1% CPU usage.

[Nuke]

boot disks were usually needed to boot a no frills system to run applications that pushed the limits of what the machine can do. these days computers have ridiculous amounts of resources and boot disks are usually unneccisary. you still need them if you want to run other systems like dos, linux, etc. if you need those systems set up permanent its easier to multiboot. for temporary usage, there is always sd cards and netboot.

[Stone Blue]

[quote name='Elthy']Windows isnt eating lots of CPU, when doing nothing on my PC it idles at 0-1% CPU usage.[/QUOTE]

Its not the CPU usage that we're concerned with...Its RAM usage... All those unecessary background processes may not be actively using the CPU, but they still eat up RAM at idle.

Also, since KSP isnt multi-thread, IIRC, background processes can end up using the same core as KSP when they DO activate the CPU, slowing KSP down...They can be forced to selectively run or prioritized on specific cores, NOT shared with KSP, that may help...But if they are unnecessary, why let them sit there in the background at all?...I say KILL THEM ALL!! (<---One of the best rock albums of all time, by the way...lol) Edited November 27, 2015 by Stone Blue