Windows 9X STREWTH! to 40MB

NewsFactory · Mar 17, 2003, 10:34 PM

A guy over @ PC Advisor's Forum has strip down windows 9X to just 40MB! wow

Yes, it's that man again, and yes, it's yet another operating system, but this time I'm really going to blow your mind! Don't believe me? Try these few facts, and I think you'll agree that the name I've given it, Strewth!, is no exaggeration.

Total size of the operating system and it's programs, 74.6 mb, and that decimal point IS in the right place. Number of files total, programs and system, 1339. The equivalent 98SE uses 9318.

Time to back up the entire system to another partition on the hard drive, 5 seconds.
Time to restore the entire system from that backup to it's own partition, 4 seconds.
Time to defragment the system's hard drive in normal mode, 4 seconds.
Time to do the same defragmentation of the hard drive with the system running in RAM, impossible to judge, but well under 1.5 seconds.

For more info your going to need to register at PC Advisor's Forum.

garfield · Mar 17, 2003, 11:45 PM

It sounds good on paper but after reading the article, It seems that he has cut out all 32 bit functions from the operating system and made it 16bit only. This would mean that only software that do not use 32 bit functionally will run on it.

eyeguy616 · Mar 18, 2003, 04:51 AM

How does this measure up to litepc.com's 98micro: http://www.litepc.com/98micro.html ?
They almost seem to be after the same goal, only you have to pay for 98micro and it's been around much longer.

__from litepc.com__
98micro completely removes all traces of the MS HTML engine (shdocvw.dll, and mshtml.dll). You will not have access to any of the proprietary Microsoft compressed help files, and you will not be able to run programs that rely on the MS HTML rendering engine, but many other stand-alone applications will perform better than ever. For example, you can not run Outlook Express, FrontPage, and MS Money. But a system with Netscape, Opera, Pegasus Mail, Gravity, Agent will just fine! Even Microsoft Office97 will install and run beautifully under 98micro! So who's going to be the first to run a self contained windows application from a zip disk?!

Windows Dir:
-46,470,686 bytes
-777 files, 28 folders
Registry:
-System.dat 335,904 bytes
-User.dat 16,512 bytes
Swap File:
-win386.swp 8,388,608 bytes
Program Files Dir:
-0 bytes
-0 files, 0 Folders
Total C:\ Drive:
-57,346,564 bytes
Bootup Time:
-19 seconds
____

Just a thought....
~eyeguy616

nieves · Mar 18, 2003, 09:17 AM

Impressive in a way, but what's the use? Why would I want to be able to run fewer programs on my computer? This stripped OS could be installed on lower end machines, too. But who uses them, anyway? I know I'd want win32 on my machine, even if it's a pentium 150Mhz (just an example),

Impulse · Mar 18, 2003, 01:10 PM

Quote:

It sounds good on paper but after reading the article, It seems that he has cut out all 32 bit functions from the operating system and made it 16bit only. This would mean that only software that do not use 32 bit functionally will run on it.

That sucks then. No 32-bit, and only a 16-bit from this tweak. I'd rather use 98Lite...

FuNsTeR · Mar 18, 2003, 01:27 PM

is 98lite capable of clean installs without a windows boot disk ?? ie self bootable ??

eyeguy616 · Mar 18, 2003, 08:46 PM

I'd like to see how far Win XP/2k can be downsized. They currently install about a gig of stuff.... wonder how much is actually needed.....

FuNsTeR1970 - it should be self bootable as I think you make a bootdisk to do the clean installs, though I haven't used it in a long time. Try it out if you still have Win9X installed.
~eyeguy616

Mar 17, 2003, 10:34 PM	#1
NewsFactory News Guru Join Date: May 2002 Location: UK Posts: 1,400 Rep Power: 0	Windows 9X STREWTH! to 40MB A guy over @ PC Advisor's Forum has strip down windows 9X to just 40MB! wow Yes, it's that man again, and yes, it's yet another operating system, but this time I'm really going to blow your mind! Don't believe me? Try these few facts, and I think you'll agree that the name I've given it, Strewth!, is no exaggeration. Total size of the operating system and it's programs, 74.6 mb, and that decimal point IS in the right place. Number of files total, programs and system, 1339. The equivalent 98SE uses 9318. Time to back up the entire system to another partition on the hard drive, 5 seconds. Time to restore the entire system from that backup to it's own partition, 4 seconds. Time to defragment the system's hard drive in normal mode, 4 seconds. Time to do the same defragmentation of the hard drive with the system running in RAM, impossible to judge, but well under 1.5 seconds. For more info your going to need to register at PC Advisor's Forum.

Mar 17, 2003, 11:45 PM	#2
garfield DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 35 Rep Power: 0	It sounds good on paper but after reading the article, It seems that he has cut out all 32 bit functions from the operating system and made it 16bit only. This would mean that only software that do not use 32 bit functionally will run on it. __________________ Windows XP Pro SP2 Pentium 4 2.4B@2880 Albatron PX845PEV Pro Corsair CMX512-3200C2@400 All-in-Wonder 9000 2 - 200GB WD HDDs 16x DVD Rom ND-1100A DVD Burner 350W PS

Mar 18, 2003, 09:17 AM	#4
nieves personality tweaker Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Jormania Posts: 288 Rep Power: 0	Impressive in a way, but what's the use? Why would I want to be able to run fewer programs on my computer? This stripped OS could be installed on lower end machines, too. But who uses them, anyway? I know I'd want win32 on my machine, even if it's a pentium 150Mhz (just an example), __________________

Mar 18, 2003, 01:27 PM	#6
FuNsTeR Caledonian and Proud Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Darkest Ayrshire Posts: 1,305 Rep Power: 88 System Specs	is 98lite capable of clean installs without a windows boot disk ?? ie self bootable ?? __________________ "They say when you play a Microsoft CD backwards you can hear satanic messages ..... but that's nothing, if you play it forward it will install Windows"

Mar 18, 2003, 04:51 AM	#3
eyeguy616 ZZzzzzzzzzzz........... Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Texas Posts: 324 Rep Power: 0	How does this measure up to litepc.com's 98micro: http://www.litepc.com/98micro.html ? They almost seem to be after the same goal, only you have to pay for 98micro and it's been around much longer. __from litepc.com__ 98micro completely removes all traces of the MS HTML engine (shdocvw.dll, and mshtml.dll). You will not have access to any of the proprietary Microsoft compressed help files, and you will not be able to run programs that rely on the MS HTML rendering engine, but many other stand-alone applications will perform better than ever. For example, you can not run Outlook Express, FrontPage, and MS Money. But a system with Netscape, Opera, Pegasus Mail, Gravity, Agent will just fine! Even Microsoft Office97 will install and run beautifully under 98micro! So who's going to be the first to run a self contained windows application from a zip disk?! Windows Dir: -46,470,686 bytes -777 files, 28 folders Registry: -System.dat 335,904 bytes -User.dat 16,512 bytes Swap File: -win386.swp 8,388,608 bytes Program Files Dir: -0 bytes -0 files, 0 Folders Total C:\ Drive: -57,346,564 bytes Bootup Time: -19 seconds ____ Just a thought.... ~eyeguy616

Mar 18, 2003, 08:46 PM	#7
eyeguy616 ZZzzzzzzzzzz........... Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Texas Posts: 324 Rep Power: 0	I'd like to see how far Win XP/2k can be downsized. They currently install about a gig of stuff.... wonder how much is actually needed..... FuNsTeR1970 - it should be self bootable as I think you make a bootdisk to do the clean installs, though I haven't used it in a long time. Try it out if you still have Win9X installed. ~eyeguy616