SMBC is the shit
If you don't check out every new SMBC comic, then you're stupid.
This attachment sets a random SMBC comic every time you run it.
Smallest XP Virtual Machine?
I've been getting a little XP VM set up for web dev, so I can test multiple sites on different browsers. Also, I wanted to put it on a flash drive. I'm using Microsoft Virtual PC 2007.
Before you do anything, if you want a really small install, I would suggest using nLite. nLite takes an original xp cd, and allows you to remove unwanted stuff from it. You get an iso which you can capture in Virtual PC. You can easily save a couple hundred mb here.
1. Install any applications you may need. (For this setup I have installed IE6, IE7, Safara, Opera and Firefox)
2. Remove unneeded applications. Also, remove everything you don't need from windows.
3. Run nCleaner, and remove pretty much everything you can.
TIP: Try run CCleaner first. I don't know how much of a difference this will make though, because nCleaner removed +100mb after CCleaner was run.
4. Compress the entire drive using NTFS compression. (Right click system drive, then properties, then check "Compress drive to save disk space".
5. Get this free disk defragger, which performs a far more aggressive defrag than other options. After installing it, run it in a command prompt like this:
defrag.exe -d c: -B
6. Run the Precompactor (capture "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Virtual PC\Virtual Machine Additions\Virtual Disk Precompactor.iso", then navigate to My Computer and double click the cd drive to run it).
7. Compact the drive using Virtual PC's Virtual Disk Wizard.
And we're done. I've got a 618mb Virtual Machine which fits perfectly on a flash drive.
Anyone know of something like TrueCrypt, but just for compression, so I can compress the system drive?
One other thing, if you need even more compression, try using 7Zip on the virtual disk!
NOTE: Some more information can be found here: