NTlite is fine, if once again you know what you're doing.

 

True, but you need to know quite a lot. NtLite is one of the most impressive OS tools ever, but Windows 10/11 is a mess and changing constantly.

I'm a very experienced Windows (10) user and I lost a lot of time with NTLite in order to get something close to those Oprekin/Ghost mods.
There're crazy things, like you remove Internet Explorer and everything ok but then something as totally different as "open file location" on shortcuts no longer works.
If you want to try to remove things bit by bit you need the paid version that can apply them in "live" mode.

 

Cutting thru the all the hype and b.s. There are no "optimized for daw" de-bloated os builds. "oprekin" and their likes are scammers who "resell" microsoft install bits for their own profit. They simply slipstream os modules in/out of final install ISO's. It's not rocket science. The pay-for scammers will tell you whatever you want to hear to get you to part with your $$. As far as "optimized" os builds goes there have been a number of alternate free (as it should be) builds suggested here for your perusal. Most of the free ones vary in optimization levels - as in some are more stripped down than others.. As far as which ones are "better" or "worse" for DAW's, it's all the same code however which ever way you cut it. The more stripped down a build is usually means there will be less overhead and wasted processor cycles generally making it better for production use. However you end up losing networking and other basic functionality in the process. So at the end of the day it's all going to boil down to how much "optimization" you're willing to deal with. GhostSpectre (a free build at last look) is the one I am most familiar with and it gives you the opportunity to customize your level of optimization after the fact. The "Tiny" os versions are another popular small footprint build which are very stripped down - no idea if they offer an easy after-install slip streamer util to return some of the basic functionality or not.

What REALLY matters as far as how well a system responds to audio production operations is the kind of audio hardware you have and the solidity of the drivers for said hardware. The biggest buzzkill for audio productions is crappy audio hardware and/or drivers. Another issue would be video card selection, lack of available ram and under-powered cpu's.

If you're not so willing or adept at customizing your own build then I would suggest (as others here already have) getting a OEM build, the KMS_VL script, and apply one of the MANY (FREE) third party optimization tools available that offer you point and shoot optimization capability post install...

 

Last edited: Sep 6, 2023

My local PC service charge 20 bucks for installing OS, actually pretty much charge 10 bucks for installing a driver, what is alternative for those people, dunno, it's easy and that, but someone have to do it and I don't see anyone that is willing to do it for free just because he hates that guys ethics for charging something "anyone" can do. Same thing here, all talk, no service provided for free.

 

At first I didn't trust its flamboyant site, but I gave a try and recently tested Windows 10 Optimum V2 X-Lite, I'm impressed, it worked flawlessly since the first start.

Clean 0.6 GB RAM used, 37 processes, it's pretty fast even in wintogo external USB drive.

I installed all drivers, AV, 3th party Firewall, all good till I messed something offline with the external drive and it crashed, but I don't think it's related with the OS, I should install it in internal drive to really see.

It seems the lightest and most performant version I ever tried, it's the best RELATIVELY IN MY EXPERIENCE, not in absolute of course.

In case someone want to test it and discuss:
Windows X-LITE

 

I have looked at the Oprekin website before, and it is just nice and clean. So I was curious why you would post this, before noticing it was about X-Lite. And you are right! This is flamboyant like it is Lil-Nas-X-Lite. It looks like an old fake warez site with no real files and ad banners to click 50 times mixed with one of those production courses webpages that itemize how "valuable" each included sample pack is.

I would be curious about this enough to check what some legit pentesters/auditors have to say about this thing before thinking about installing it. It's still Windows, so I wouldn't anyway; but hopefully you get my point. The web design of it which you mentioned makes it look like a cute little honeypot, or something like that. I see recommendations of this as an OS, but none of those recommending it have any clue what is actually inside it and which you are now running.

 

Last edited: Sep 7, 2023

revios runs great with low latency and a clean install. everything works. thanx

 

Please tell me you recognize the difference between a PC service who charges $$ for services rendered (and if they are selling a full-versioned microsoft OS it's because they have to be an authorized VAR in order to do so) as opposed to one who clandestinely charges $$ for a modified os build (which would never be authorized in any universe I know of) who is NOT an authorized VAR and just some loser who slipstreams ISO's and tries to profit from it any way they can... You can spend/waste your $$ on anything you want - no one cares. We're just trying to illuminate some terrain for those who want to spend theirs more wisely.

 

To keep it brief: I do

 

They aren't selling anything, guy charges money to install you pirated version of Windows, even pirated versions of programs, whatever you want, he don't care, if you have legit license or not.

You can authorize modified build, dunno where do you get this from, I have been running modified builds with legit key for ages.

If someone don't know how to do it and someone is willing to do it and give support afterwards, it's well worth 20 bucks, again, don't see anyone here offering to do this for free, so yeah.

 

That is indeed brief. The builders of customized/minified/patched OS ISO's which they make downloadable to others cannot prove what has, or has not been tampered with, injected, or even unintentionally broken. Or they would. It would probably be at the very top of every info/FAQ page on their sites.

 

Still working like a charm> Phoenix LiteOS 10 Ultralight Ultimate (17763.3650) By FBConan 1378 mb iso

 

Using ReviOS for the last 8 months. Works without a hitch. Lightweight and included utility makes it easy to keep the OS properly lightweight over time.

 

Of course you can use a legit product key to authorize an installation. His post is about how stripping a product (optimization) does not add value to it, and how M$ would not authorize little guy vendors to be charging money for re-distribution of their ISO files. The guy @ Oprekin charges 20$ bucks for his time and effort, hosting the files, etc. and if it was free he wouldn't even be bitching about it.

I just mention they are unverifiable, without effort beyond what most regular user is capable or willing to do. Comparison can only verify file integrity to the original. If the original iso contains something "Dangerous", it doesn't matter if a comparison shows that it is identical after being transmitted. (and the website sorta looks like FOSI did ;) )

 

Last edited: Sep 8, 2023

Yeah, still I didn't get troubles, and it seems very well organized and clean, and didn't stumble in popups or something but maybe because I'm well ads protected.

Don't care about iso size, what counts is the optimization, see performance tool once installed: how much RAM? How much CPU? How much processes?

Well, right.
Being my test only a wintogo USB external USB I AV scanned it offline, and apparently nothing seems dangerous, but you never know (I'll do other tests with other AVs).
At the end, the best thing would be to self clean official releases, but it takes knowledge and time and patience, rare goods today.

In the meanwhile I restored the wintogo x-lite previously crashed drive and checked resources after installed all drivers, av, firewall, and processes are around 70 (not bad), CPU (idle) 1 to 2%, RAM from 1.5 to 2.5 GB.
BTW I forgot to tell that this is an i5 2th generation of 2011!

I should test it in hot condition, but it takes time to install daws, vst, etc, and I need time, a lot of time, I'll try to get into in anyway.

 

I wouldn't worry about something your AV would be able to detect. Any actual "bad actor" creating OS iso could be well versed in heuristics evasion. I wouldn't worry about it at all, personally. I would backup frequently like normal and then air gap it from the internet, turn off the wireless networking, and call it a day. You don't have to trust it, because it doesn't really matter what it does.

 

ISO size has a linear relationship that directly corresponds with the resource usage. The more stuff packed in the ISO, the more of it will run on the live system.

 

I'm on an Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-3470T CPU @ 2.90GHz 2.90 GHz 12 gig ram It's an Hp legacy from 2012. works great.

 

You have two mixed subjects happening here. When you say "Live" are you comparing portable usb-based persistent installation on usb externals? How much is really going on them, os, all plugins, dependencies, etc? That would be (or is) wildly different approach to internal ssd installation. When the OP was about "dual boot", I was thinking the reason for wanting a pre-optimized version of Windows is to get rid of all the bloat, bs services, and junk; with nothing other than the bare requirements for your DAW, your hardware, and your plugins.
The intent of which is to get a super solid, super fast pc with m$ as out of the way as possible. Not to turn around and wreck the performance gains by running all of it on some external...

 

I guess OP doesn't want a live OS, but installed one.
I tell you why I don't use iso size as fundamental parameter: AtlasOs, one of the smallest Win10 lite along Oprekin (an old version i tried), eat more resources than I expected: clean start with 70+ processes active, and that means more RAM, CPU, etc.
Same with Ghost Spectre.
On the other hand that's why I focus on X-lite, that at the moment scored best in resources, but has yet to be tested on heavy demand.

You should report numbers: use the performance tool and see the used resources.
Usually I check at first clean start and then fully drivers and essential sw installed.