Thoughts on NTLite...

Greetings all,

I've been looking at NTLite for a while now as a way to build a completely custom Windows ISO that can install all the software I need along with the OS at one time -- basically a single use solution. I have a large number of software that I use on a nearly daily basis on my system from file compression, video editing, MS Office, streaming apps and so on. On top of that, I do a weekly backup of my Documents folder and other files that I would like to put back where they belong -- mainly app settings (especially for OBS) but it includes other saved files. The last time that I did a complete system re-installation it took many hours over several days.

Has anyone used it to accomplish something like this before? Was it easy to use, to build the ISO, and to test it?

Thanks in advance.....

I don't use NTLite, mainly because I've done OS deployments for so long, I kinda know what I'm doing, usually. Except that one time I didn't. But I have used NTLite just to check it out, and I can say it's quite nice. I wouldn't hesitate to use it for a custom OS deployment.

I have used NTLite and a bit of a learning curve but it does allow you to tune your install pretty well.
I did find though that in the end it was just easier to user Windows X-Lite and the Chris Titus tweak tool to remove the remaining junk and then take an image with Macrium.

Taliseian said:

Was it easy to use, to build the ISO, and to test it?

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It is actually too easy to remove anything you want, but it will not tell you all dependencies, because nobody knows. MS changes them with each update. A game, a driver or an app might stop working, because of something you have removed and it is not easy to find out, why. I used to reinstall Windows twice a week to keep NTlite version working. Do not get me wrong, NTLite is great, once you polish it, you will get a lean and mean Windows, but it will cost you, the time. I prefer to disable rather than to remove, it is reversible

Most non-NTLite users get distracted by the "debloating" or Windows removal features. But you're not required to do any of that, and the free edition can do many tasks:

- Delete unwanted editions from a multi-edition ISO downloaded from MS, or created by MCT.
- Apply Windows Update files (in free edition, you will have to download them yourself from the Monthly Update's catalog links).
- Add app installers and scripts for Post-Setup. You will need to research the unattended (or "silent") flags for a hands-free install.
- Enable Unattended mode to create a Local Account (which bypasses the need for a MS Account), and define other common settings.
- Allow Language Packs to be added to an image.

There is some investment you have to make in learning NTLite, but once you figure it out the program is fairly intuitive.

I remember using the similar application nLite back in Windows XP in order to integrate SP3 in older versions and inject drivers. When Windows Vista came out, almost everybody wanted to downgrade to Window XP. Using the regular CD-ROM in Vista laptops, it wouldn't see the hard disk because it didn't have built-in drivers for the SATA storage controller. Using a USB floppy disk drive didn't work because somewhere in the process it lost access to it due to missing USB drivers. The only way was to use nLite to inject the SATA storage controller drivers in the regular ISO and burn a new disc. As far as I know you could include some applications, but these were installed with the default settings. There was no obvious way to change them. I don't know about the newer NTLite, never used that.

spapakons said:

I remember using the similar application nLite back in Windows XP in order to integrate SP3 in older versions and inject drivers. When Windows Vista came out, almost everybody wanted to downgrade to Window XP. Using the regular CD-ROM in Vista laptops, it wouldn't see the hard disk because it didn't have built-in drivers for the SATA storage controller. Using a USB floppy disk drive didn't work because somewhere in the process it lost access to it due to missing USB drivers. The only way was to use nLite to inject the SATA storage controller drivers in the regular ISO and burn a new disc. As far as I know you could include some applications, but these were installed with the default settings. There was no obvious way to change them. I don't know about the newer NTLite, never used that.

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i used 9x lite in the Windows 9x days then used NTLite for Windows 10 and 11. both of which i have found useful.
but i used them mainly to remove programs and services and change bootloaders.
as an example using the Windows 10 22H2 boot loader on a Windows 24H2 ISO.

best of luck, Steve ..

For a home computer, I find it easier to do this with a script after installing Windows.

If it is necessary to integrate some drivers or updates into the Windows image


and autounattend.xml