Add option to backup removed components such they can be re-added

  • Thread starter Thread starter TraxXavier
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TraxXavier

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Hi,

I'm using ntlite at work for half a year now and encountered the following issue.
Sometimes I'm to eager to remove all seemingly unneeded components and later on something is needed. -> re install, not good
So I wanted to request a Feature for the live system removal, that would backup the removed components and allow to restore them if one of them becomes required for something.

Cheers
Trax
 
Kinda like how CCleaner stores what you removed from the Registry so that you can restore it if it broke something. Clever idea if it can be done in NTLite. (The ironic thing is that such a feature will make us even more aggressive in what we remove, since we'll figure "If I break something, i can always get it back.")
 
TraxXavier said:
Sometimes I'm to eager to remove all seemingly unneeded components and later on something is needed. -> re install, not good
So I wanted to request a Feature for the live system removal, that would backup the removed components and allow to restore them if one of them becomes required for something.
Click to expand...
Windows Backup doesn't work?
Win 10 is more like an update, not a "reinstall everything".

You can make a backup with Acronis or Northon Ghost before runing NTLite..
 
Yes, I make images before running NTLite. (My recommendation is Image for Windows. I can make an image of a runnjng Windows from within Windows!) But the problem with that is that you might not know that a component you removed six months ago using NTLite is causing a problem today. If you restore your image, you've lost six months of Windows mods. (Maybe installed programs, customizations to your desktop, etc.) It would be more convient if I could use NTLite to reinstall what it removed instead.
 
Exactly, first you do after install ist throw away all the junk you think is obsolete or even a threat to your privacy,
than you install other software, tools, etc...
And if you are unlucky one of this large software packages you need fails to install because you removed some obscure component that even is not needed for the parts of the software package you need to use, but unfortunately without it the setup aborts early...
A backup does not help you here, you have to start over anyways.
The requested feature would allow us to restore the things and continue with setting up the machine.

Ofcause an even more annoying scenario is when you have to install said exemplary software package a year after you've setup and cleaned up the machine.
 
You can test the software you have today(its current version) but what about tomorrows update that needs X which you removed, or the software you buy tomorrow that also needs X Y and possibly Z. Thats the only downside with this shrinking lark. Hey ho.
 
Trax, i think you will be better served long time using something similar to my w7 lite preset. Load it up even if you dont use w7, get an idea of what i mean. Add privacy tweaks as needed. You could disable services to help.
 
With the Host Refresh wizard, or should I say Windows built-in refresh mechanism, at least in Win10, you can return components as you like, without the pain of reinstalling everything manually.
Let me know if it's unclear.
Btw I do not recommend to go lite->full->lite with this method, can leave junk in the registry as full->lite migration could copy more than needed.
But for returning components, or solving update issues with the same preset, it's golden.
 
But what about us Win7 users? Could NTLite look at the DSIM log and offer to add back some of what it took out?
 
Removal is quite explicit that removal is one way in that case.
It's also about delicate registry entries (not just add or remove, but sometimes edit and fit into place), then permissions for files and registry, and Updates.
Imagine you remove something, then update the system, skipping removed parts, then return unpatched component.
Anyway, it was much simpler to use some kind of backup and revert back to it, and this is not a backup tool.
 
As Clanger pointed out earlier, the problem with restoring an image is that the image might be a year old. So then, in order to get a removed component restored, one would have to restore a one year old image, then reinstall all their software, all their updates, remake their changes, etc.

But you make a valid point about a restored component not getting patched. (Although rerunning the Offline WSUS software would fix that.)

And I didn't realize that delicate changes to the registry were being made by NTLite.

Yes, that is a big problem. Not even the Registry Monitor programs handle incremental "restore to one year ago" well.

Nevertheless, I would bet that you could figure it out. But since Win7 is a dying OS, and since Win10 makes provisions for doing a refresh, it seems like it's not worth your time to work on this clever feature.
 
Personally i prefer a clean fresh install, rather than a repair or refresh.
 
Host refresh starts Windows Refresh, like running setup.exe on the already installed Windows.
That reinstalls Windows and it automatically restores/migrates all (99.9%) of your settings and (100%) of apps.
That is made a bit easier with the wizard. Don't forget to remove (and keep) the components you want, and use full ISO with latest updates is best.
 
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