Minimal XP install

I am installing XP Pro on a computer with a 2 gig disk in it. I want to disable everything and remove it, so as to keep the disk relativly clutter free. This is for a F@H box, so nothing fancy is needed. It's going ot be running headless, anyway. I might use RD to check F@H productivity every now and then, but that will be it. It's just going to run F@H. Any suggestions on what to do with this?

Good lord man, you want to use XP Pro to Fold? Kinda bloated for a headless system, even stripped down. Better off using a Linux distro or the like - added bonus, it's legal (cant imagine you paying that kind of money for XP in this situation). Even an old 98 disk would serve you better - just a couple hundred megs instead of a gig and a half.

Originally posted by waldog
Good lord man, you want to use XP Pro to Fold? Kinda bloated for a headless system, even stripped down. Better off using a Linux distro or the like - added bonus, it's legal (cant imagine you paying that kind of money for XP in this situation). Even an old 98 disk would serve you better - just a couple hundred megs instead of a gig and a half.

1) I don't have 98, but I have an upgrade version of 95.
2) This computer is giving me shit with my ZIP drive, so an unfarmiliar OS wouldn't help.
3) I don't know jack about Linux, plus, I've never really had any luck with it.

Right now, I can't get jack shit to run on it, so it's not really working out anyway. The fucking 'Low Disk Space' thing keeps popping up, and I don't remember which service to kill to shut it up.

This box might serve as a file server as well, and the adaptec card I have doesn't seem to like working with linux. If you want to help a total n00b at Linux setup a box, feel free. Otherwise, it might be easier for me to just install 95 after finding my DOS disks and installing that first. 95 probably won't be fun because of the NIC. It might take me a LONG time to find drivers for it. =\ XP is also good because I can use Remote Desktop, I don't really care about security.

I'm willing to give linux a try. I have Mandrake and Red Hat sitting around. If I do linux, I'm going to opt for just a 1 gig drive instead of a 2 gig and a 1 gig together. Not sure where my 4 giger went.

XP is definitely overkill. The Linux suggestion is a good one, but you would have to manually deselect just about everything on the install, and only use one graphic interface (if you even want to bother with it). As for checking on things remotely, you could learn to install VNC, which works pretty well.

Little question: have you checked the classifieds for used computers? You are bound to find the random good deal for parts in a reasonably populated area.

Originally posted by GreNME
XP is definitely overkill. The Linux suggestion is a good one, but you would have to manually deselect just about everything on the install, and only use one graphic interface (if you even want to bother with it). As for checking on things remotely, you could learn to install VNC, which works pretty well.

Little question: have you checked the classifieds for used computers? You are bound to find the random good deal for parts in a reasonably populated area.

Honestly, I just need HDD space. Since I don't live in an area that would qualify as a 'populated area', finding some used boxen in the paper might be a bit hard. If I do find some boxen, they most probably won't have HDD (people afriad of data theft).

I just installed XP on a 2 gig drive last week. I was able to get the install size down to about 600 megs after disabling hibernation and hard drive monitoring. I had a gig of ram so I also disabled the page memory. You could probably get it down to 500 if you wiped out all the other useless crap. I just did this quickly cause I needed it for a lan party server.

Originally posted by cmosdos
I just installed XP on a 2 gig drive last week. I was able to get the install size down to about 600 megs after disabling hibernation and hard drive monitoring. I had a gig of ram so I also disabled the page memory. You could probably get it down to 500 if you wiped out all the other useless crap. I just did this quickly cause I needed it for a lan party server.

I already got it down to 1.5gb, I will see about removing services and the such.

Since I have the Zip drive working on it again, this is good. If I can keep conflicts to a minimum, I might see about putting my SCSI card back in and getting my SCSI array working again.

Make sure hibernation is turned off. You can find that in the power options under control panel. If you have enough memory, turn off page file. And, turn off HD monitoring under the system properties. Should knock off about a gig or so.

Originally posted by cmosdos
Make sure hibernation is turned off. You can find that in the power options under control panel. If you have enough memory, turn off page file. And, turn off HD monitoring under the system properties. Should knock off about a gig or so.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm so low on space that some of those have been disabled automatically by Windows. SP1 is out of the question I assume.

WTH are you even dicking around with a Zip disk if this is going to be a headless folding box?

Originally posted by ameoba
WTH are you even dicking around with a Zip disk if this is going to be a headless folding box?

Because there is data on a ZIP disk that I need access to, and none of my other machines have an open IDE header (BIOS update files, ironically, for the Dell itself). Mapping it as a network drive is much easier than buying a damn ATA controller card just for one device. Plus, if I can do this without IRQ problems, I'm going to install a SCSI card and use this as a fileserver as well (very low traffic).

All issues have been resolved, except for disk space on the C drive. Seeing how I really don't care, and that it's working, I'm going to let it be for a while. I need some sound insulation before I can fire up the SCSI disks anyway (and I need to mod the case as well).

BTW, I turned a spare ATX case into my SCSI fileserver. It has 2 PSUs, a HP file server board, 6 drives, and 2 HP SCSI bays in it. I need to get some steel to bolt to the back of the case, cutout holes and drill holes in it, mount the PSUs, build a ducting system to cool the control board, find the case side, cut a hole and mount a fan, then get another fan and find a home for it in this case before I really use it as a fileserver. When I get the money, I'm going to start upgrading the disks. Perhaps even go external fileserver with USB interface and IDE drives instead of SCSI. It's ghetto right now, but will be more professional and modular eventually.