Tiny version WinXP help on remote island in the Pacific.

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kiwibum

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#249009 19-Apr-2019 11:54

Is anyone here familiar with Windows XP and nLite who would be willing to put together a Tiny version of WinXp that will boot off a USB stick for me?

I'm currently working on Raoul Island for 12 months, use Linux, have limited data access and I have the RC Flight Simulator http://www.aerosimrc.com that I want to use but the dongle only works in Windows. I'm tired of booting this laptop into Windows 10 just to use the simulator, actually I'm not using it because it's a pain to boot into windows each time.

I don't really want to run VirtualBox on this laptop with Windows 10, unfortunately due to the USB dongle, AeroSIM-RC won't run in WINE. I have a second older laptop here with Linux on it too, but no Windows otherwise I would just use that one. My idea is to boot this second laptop off a WinXP USB stick. We are limited on our data access so don't want to download anything that won't work or cause me problems.

A yacht is calling into the island here in May, so an option is having my wife download a USB bootable WinXp version and I can put it on a 4GB USB stick I have here when the software turns up on the boat with the audio books and other things she is sending me.

Can anyone offer any help on this?

Thanks and have a wonderful Easter.
Steve

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#2221122 19-Apr-2019 13:29

>A yacht is calling into the island here in May, so an option is having my wife download a USB bootable WinXp version and I can put it on a 4GB USB stick I have here when the software turns up on the boat with the audio books and other things she is sending me.<

To me that seems the most sensible option, either USB or burn a disk.

Torque

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#2221208 19-Apr-2019 17:15

Just to confirm in my head you want this to be a fully bootable version of WinXP on the USB (i.e load directly into Windows XP OS from the USB) or be able to be installed from USB?

I haven't used Nlite in about 9 years (or Vlite) but that was just to trim down the installation size, not to boot directly into Windows itself.

Lias

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#2221215 19-Apr-2019 17:31

For the love of all that's holy will people please stop using bloody Windows XP?

It's been out of support for 5 years, it's an obsolete, insecure, antique.

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Gurezaemon

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#2221261 19-Apr-2019 19:27

Lias:

For the love of all that's holy will people please stop using bloody Windows XP?

It's been out of support for 5 years, it's an obsolete, insecure, antique.

The OP has stated that it won't be online, and Raoul Island is likely to have very few break-ins looking to steal computer hardware.
Friends still use an airgapped XP install to run a now no-longer supported industrial printer that explicitly wont run on anything after XP, and the computer doesn't even have an Ethernet port. That's the only thing it is used for. No harm in that as far as I can tell.

richms

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#2221262 19-Apr-2019 19:32

Lias:
For the love of all that's holy will people please stop using bloody Windows XP?

It's been out of support for 5 years, it's an obsolete, insecure, antique.

Why does any of that matter if its not used online?

May as well tell people to stop using their playstation 2 or super nintendos since they are not supported and antiques now. XP has plenty of things that will not operate on newer versions of windows and if you need to use the hardware then there is no problems using the OS. Just dont connect it to an untrusted network.

Richard rich.ms

Lias

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#2221286 19-Apr-2019 20:38

richms:
Lias:

For the love of all that's holy will people please stop using bloody Windows XP?

It's been out of support for 5 years, it's an obsolete, insecure, antique.

Why does any of that matter if its not used online? May as well tell people to stop using their playstation 2 or super nintendos since they are not supported and antiques now. XP has plenty of things that will not operate on newer versions of windows and if you need to use the hardware then there is no problems using the OS. Just dont connect it to an untrusted network.

Because people _do_ use it online?

kiwibum

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#2221291 19-Apr-2019 21:21

Torque: Just to confirm in my head you want this to be a fully bootable version of WinXP on the USB (i.e load directly into Windows XP OS from the USB) or be able to be installed from USB? I haven't used Nlite in about 9 years (or Vlite) but that was just to trim down the installation size, not to boot directly into Windows itself.

Yes the idea is a fully bootable WinXP on the USB. As far as I've read this is a two stage process, use Nlite to trim down installation (I only need the base OS plus drivers to use the simulator which should mean less memory and faster to load), then install to USB or install as a image them create an ISO that is then put on a USB. I will have to read up on the putting on a USB again, I stopped when I realised I didn't have a copy of WinXP to work with here.

I've never use Nlite, just read it was required to trim down WinXP to reduce installation size. Had I been aware of it back in the day I would have played with it to improve my WinXp experience, I moved to Linux with Xfce and haven't looked back! I do still have an old computer at home with WinXP on it that I only used for running AeroSIM-RC.

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kiwibum

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#2221292 19-Apr-2019 21:30

Lias:

richms:
Lias:

For the love of all that's holy will people please stop using bloody Windows XP?

It's been out of support for 5 years, it's an obsolete, insecure, antique.

Why does any of that matter if its not used online? May as well tell people to stop using their playstation 2 or super nintendos since they are not supported and antiques now. XP has plenty of things that will not operate on newer versions of windows and if you need to use the hardware then there is no problems using the OS. Just dont connect it to an untrusted network.

Because people _do_ use it online?

As stated originally, it won't be used online and I'm after a trimmed down version, happy to have it without networking since its not required. A trimmed down version of WinXP will work perfectly for my requirement and the air gap between the destined laptop and the Internet is about 500m. For anyone interested it is also about 900km to the nearest mainland!

Thanks for your concern though.

k1w1k1d

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#2221310 19-Apr-2019 22:54

I still have a work laptop running XP, because it has a couple of old diagnostic programs that just won't work properly on anything later.

It is also one of the few laptops we have that still has a serial port for RS232.

bigalow

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#2221344 20-Apr-2019 01:31

with aerosimrc it says on there site

it runs on Windows 10 (32 and 64 bits), Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP.

contact them and see what they say

and for win xp you can try Hiren’s BootCD or Ultimate Boot CD they can boot on a usb stick

dc2daylight

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#2221361 20-Apr-2019 08:21

biggal:
with aerosimrc it says on there site

it runs on Windows 10 (32 and 64 bits), Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP.

contact them and see what they say

and for win xp you can try Hiren’s BootCD or Ultimate Boot CD they can boot on a usb stick

While Hirens is very good, it's also full of buggy and often pirated software, and the Hirens WinXP portable version is heavily customized and likely to not run a windows game requiring full platform libraries and DirectX. They stripped out a bit of functionality and use their own custom file compression system, so yeah it boots fast but will only run limited executables.This will apply to an NLite altered version also...

To the OP: Save yourself the inevitable 'dll-hell' headaches and just run it natively somehow, on full Windows10 or XP.

The other problem with running an airgapped XP is it will still be exploitable to the many unpatched hardware USB exploits around for it without the right patches (that your antivirus may not detect), or a usb firewall like the Armadillo from Globotron.nz which is unique. BadUSB exploits have been in the wild for years now and may be doing the rounds within malware obfuscated code presently as zero-days.

rhy7s

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#2221410 20-Apr-2019 10:28

I'd recommend using Windows 10 for a bootable drive, e.g. https://www.easyuefi.com/wintousb/ (or others https://www.intowindows.com/4-tools-to-create-windows-to-go-usb-of-windows-10/) - otherwise, here's a strategy for XP https://www.rmprepusb.com/tutorials/110XPToGo if you've got time to experiment. It would seem easier to just boot into Windows 10 on your dual boot device as you're doing now.

kiwibum

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#2221570 20-Apr-2019 20:39

rhy7s:

I'd recommend using Windows 10 for a bootable drive, e.g. https://www.easyuefi.com/wintousb/ (or others https://www.intowindows.com/4-tools-to-create-windows-to-go-usb-of-windows-10/) - otherwise, here's a strategy for XP https://www.rmprepusb.com/tutorials/110XPToGo if you've got time to experiment. It would seem easier to just boot into Windows 10 on your dual boot device as you're doing now.

Thank you for these links. The main issue with all these is I need to download the Windows OS ISO installation file, we don't have the bandwidth for that here, also even using NTlite to shrink the installation ISO for Win 7 or 10 they need lots of HDD space. I see with WinToUSB I can move a live Windows 10 to USB, however I don't have a USB big enough here for that. WinXP can be installed and work on 500Mb or less. I really only need a basic Windows OS that will run Aerosim-RC, I don't need Windows for anything else.

rhy7s

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#2221573 20-Apr-2019 21:05

Would you consider shrinking your Linux installation partitions to dual boot or booting the Linux system on your second system from USB instead to be able to boot XP or 10 from the internal drive? You don't have any backup drives with you? Is PXE booting an option?

ANglEAUT

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#2221588 21-Apr-2019 00:44

kiwibum:

Is anyone here familiar with Windows XP and nLite who would be willing to put together a Tiny version of WinXp that will boot off a USB stick for me?

How about a spare laptop instead?

PS It'll help to know the make & model of your other laptop to get some drivers

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