How can I make Windows 7 installs smaller for use with a virtual machine?

Question

Are there anyways to lessen the footprint of a Windows 7 install when installing to a virtual machine? So far it seems to take around 30GB, anyway to reduce this?

Thanks!

Answer 1

There are several applications out there for making "lite" versions of Windows, where you can customise the components and services that get installed.

This is often referred to as slipstreaming.

Here is an example - thisis just the first in a google search for "Windows 7 Lite" so you may want to research alternatives.

Answer 2

Here is how I reduce the sizes (needed it for SSD installs - both guest and host OS).

1. Install Windows7 with SP1 - don't install then patch to SP1
2. Turn off hibernation
3. Change the paging file to manual with a size between 1 and 2 GB
4. Change Recycle Bin max size to 500 MB
5. Apply all patches (windows update)
6. Run the system clean up tool from the c drive properties section. Be sure to clean both system files, backup files, etc.
7. Install CCLeaner
8. Run CCLeaner to remove any lingering temp files
9. Take snapshot