Well, this is a really difficult question.
Everyone knows about Windows. It started as a cheap copy of the Amiga Operating System and was called Windows 3.1. Then it was called 95, 98, 98 ME, NT, 2000, XP, Server 2003, Media Center Edition, now Vista, tomorrow Astalavista (oh, pardon me, we’re not there yet). Before that time, there was MS DOS (nowadays DOS is rather related to some sort of attack, but don’t think about it)
Windows is known to be primarily attacked by so called “hackers”. This is the landlord’s definition.
The program “NLITE OS” definitely is a Windows “hack”.
Maybe it will soon be forbidden in Germany to use this tool.
Because of the new anti-hacking laws.
You may know people like Matousec. Or maybe you are one of the people that gave hints to Secunia at certain vulnerabilities concerning software you like.
In Germany, it’s now forbidden to do research on software vulnerabilities, if you’re not involved in the software company that sells the relating product.
Now, I hope, you get a clue of what “hacking” is all about.
In the new German law, there is no difference being made between “hackers” and “crackers”, and certainly not between “friendly” and “evil” so-called hackers.
Ok, now let’s go back on topic:
NLITE (also known as NLITEOS) is a handy little prog that enables the USER to choose which components of Windows he wishes to install and which not.
As Soya has already said, there are certain system parts or processes no one ever really needs or uses, and to remove them, means adding some crucial security to your PC. (i.e. Personal Computer, Soya lol)
I will not give a thorough explanation here, every user will have to decide on his own if he wants MS Media Player, Windows Messenger, Microsoft Messenger, MSN, Outlook Express, and other evil software pearls to be installed by default.
NLITE gives you the choice to not only remove things, but to not install them in the first place.
If you use all available removal options, though, your OS might not work at all.
So I really recommend to try and experiment a bit with it.
There is no default “best removal settings” offered by it.
But of course, you can disable all dangerous “fullgrown applications” with it, and I really urge you to do so.
You could also remove the IE, but, since it is part of the OS, I would not recommend it.
NLITE’s GUI will give you some spartanic hints on what is save or not save to remove.
Be careful, though. Removing all of those hundreds will leave you in Armageddon at the end.
Now, do I recommend NLITE? Definitely. It’s the best thing around.
Who needs Windows welcome show and help introductions? They just linger on a 300 mb space part of your hd, you will not want or need it.
I managed to decrease the size of a new OS installment from about 690 mb to about 170 mb, and the machine worked faultlessly, without any complaints. It’s not but the smaller size that matters.
Use the prog carefully, read the lines, and you will be more secure.
You don’t really need the included Media Player. But keep the 6.4 player functions.
Then install window media lite, real alternative lite, quicktime alternative lite
(just visit fileforum.betanews to get them) and try to get JetAudio from Cowon. It will give you all you ever need.
By best I really mean to exclude the useless programs that most users will never use (e.g. Movie Maker, Outlook Express, etc.) while maintaining a functional OS without any errors like in Event Viewer or future Windows Updates patches?