How to get Windows as lean and robust as possible for HTPC (1 Viewer)

[jcee]

Windows as a base OS for a HTPC seems quite bulky and comes with quite a lot of service and processes running out of a box.

Though they are ok for a PC usage, they might mean a disadvandtage for HTPC use:
E.g.

- use up CPU time, causing stuttering, slowing down system
- use up memory
- unwanted things happening in the background, potential problems..

I wonder if you guys have a list of things to savely disable, to get the system as lean and robust as possible?!

 

[wartbump]

Somewhat related

Hi, there are "Thin" and "Lite" versions of XP out in the Torrent world, not that I would suggest anything illegal of course

Try this site, it isn't particularly new but still quite relevant and interesting :

http://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/servicecfg.htm

 

[mrkaras]

possably some things not to do:
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/SupportCD/XPMyths.html#Optimization

 

[CHli]

Very interesting link thanks mrkaras !

jcee : perhaps you could already read that somewhere but the MP team cannot support any "light" version of windows XP because removing service can lead to unpredictable behavior.

 

[jcee]

CHli

Yes, I did, but on the other hand Windows sometimes decides to hang around waiting for something, or deciding for some background activity that disturbs playback or recording..

I though about what the reason is that satellite-boxes are that robust and reliable and I wonder whether this is because of a "controlled environment": Only what is necessary is running, nothing else interferres..

@all,
thanks for these very valuable links..
Liked it very much ..

 

[EmuMannen]

I know that this is not recommended by the Mediaportal crew but this is what I have done anyway; it might be of interest to someone else building a dedicated Mediaportal system.

Background, I have worked with software and systems development for more than 15 years, mainly within time critical (realtime) domains. I have played around with Windows since NT4 within these domains, it might be far from perfect but it can be optimized for performance and stability. While officially using XP Embedded witch is quite cumbersome to reconfigure I stared to investigate the use of nLite to strip down XP (with the hypothesis that less code base equals less faulty code and an opportunity for improved performance). nLite has proven itself useful and I got a lab computer wit a minimal XP installation at work that has an uptime of more than 2 years!

My Mediaportal installation at home is running as a dedicated process under a stripped down XP. Stripping and tweaking has been done mainly with nLite. I also incorporate additional software on my tweaked bootable XP CD, such as Mediaportal, Skins, Tools, Service Packs, Hot fixes and drivers that I know work. I usually use VMWare to test my custom made XP CDs. It usually takes maybe 10 different configuration before I am satisfied (I have then verified that it works with all required software and hardware). I then install the machine from scratch and all software from the same CD. I also use a minimum set of codecs that I do know works (e.g. FFDshow, PureVideo, DScaler, Haali).

My system is running 24/7 and has done so for more than a month now (since I exchanged my trusty old Dreambox for a PC running Mediaportal). It plays everything I throw at it (even HD material) perfectly (no stuttering etc.). It is running on cheap hardware (abit NF-M2 nView with built in GeForce 6150, AMD X2 4600+ and 1 GB RAM). It is pretty stable (only two crashes in one month, both during heavy user interaction and probably due to minor glitches in the code, maybe related to the skins engine).

I have kept most of XP on this machine but it is amazing how much that can be stripped without affecting .NET or Mediaportal. The machine cold boots in less than 15 seconds (after POST) and is up and running the GUI (responding to user interaction) in less than 5 seconds from S2 (using the remote or the Power Scheduler). My current XP installation takes up about 400 MB disk space (circa 2800 files in less than 200 folders). It is a Corporate XP with slipstreamed SP2. It uses 14 processes after boot (some 190 threads), that is before Mediaportal is started (follow the link below for a picture).

You now got something to compare your own installations with… Take it easy with nLite, with great powers comes great responsibilities, use VMWare for sandboxing if needed, you have been warned!

Link to nLite: http://www.nliteos.com/

Ps. BlackVipers list is quite old, I kept most services but disabled as many as I could (but only the ones I knew wouldn’t have a negative impact on XP or Mediaportal). Automatic updates and other services and processes that might interrupt Mediaportal is either ripped out or disabled. So are security center and the built in firewall. I use a standalone firewall as a perimeter defense and reinstallation of Mediaportal if anyone ever gets to it.

 

[Smickel]

Hi all First post :https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/images/smilies/biggrin.gif
D
EmuMannen could you post what you have removed and disabled from windows.
I have been playing with nLite a little bit but family & work comitments don't allow much time.

I have used a lite version of XP before but it req some additional paks, would be better to make my own if you could help. Updates are good, but not all the time.

Cheers
Smickel

 

[THDBASED]

Isn't there some sort of export options function in nLite so we can see or import how you have created this system.