Any caveats regarding the license to run NTLite on multiple live Windows installations to reapply the preset after a Windows update?

M

mvierssen

New Member
I currently have 3 machines at home. 2 desktops, 1 laptop. I installed my NTLite modified Windows 10 and 11 on all the machines (next to Linux). Now after about a month most of them have received Windows updates which have enabled some components, services and settings that I had originally disabled. Are there any caveats to running NTLite to reapply the presets to the live / running Windows installations? Will 3 of the max 5 machines that are part of my license be used up? I plan to use qemu with VFIO GPU passthrough with multiple Windows installations on some of them, will I run into the limits of my license? Of course this is not a problem for just the Windows setup because NTLite itself will not be involved anymore at that stage and I am currently only creating the setups for Windows 10 and 11 with NTLite on a single machine.
 
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NTLite re-activations are not intended to serve as portable licenses for multiple PC's.

While you don't need NTLite to install, a common issue is monthly updates will often restore removed components. Currently, there's no way to block CU from doing this. Since CU's are cumulative, you will get the same problem after every update.

What NTLite can do is perform Remove reinstalls after updating. But as you know, it's a licensed feature. Obviously the cost of extra licenses doesn't make this practical. We don't have a solution for you, unless nuhi wants to help.

My suggestion to nuhi:

Consider a low-cost "post-install" license option, which only unlocks live system updates and remove reinstalls. It can be purchased separately, but requires entering both a new key and original license to activate. This way, we confirm users have paid for the original product and not just using someone else's preset for free.
 
garlin said:
NTLite re-activations are not intended to serve as portable licenses for multiple PC's.

While you don't need NTLite to install, a common issue is monthly updates will often restore removed components. Currently, there's no way to block CU from doing this. Since CU's are cumulative, you will get the same problem after every update.

What NTLite can do is perform Remove reinstalls after updating. But as you know, it's a licensed feature. Obviously the cost of extra licenses doesn't make this practical. We don't have a solution for you, unless nuhi wants to help.

My suggestion to nuhi:

Consider a low-cost "post-install" license option, which only unlocks live system updates and remove reinstalls. It can be purchased separately, but requires entering both a new key and original license to activate. This way, we confirm users have paid for the original product and not just using someone else's preset for free.
Click to expand...

Yes, that would work. I have no problem paying a little more for that (per year). What I would also like is a way to apply a preset from the command line if that is not already possible (need to look it up). This would help me a lot in automating keeping my Windows installations up to date and customized the way I like it.
 
NTLite has a /? flag, which explains command line options for specifying image, preset, etc.
It's stealthy because most users click on a desktop or menu link ;)
 
garlin said:
NTLite has a /? flag, which explains command line options for specifying image, preset, etc.
Click to expand...
Heres my NTLite start n load batch file that was compiled with nuhi's help and patience.
Adapt file names and paths to suit your own needs.
These commands were correct on 2020-08-12, dont know if nuhi has changed things since then.

With an ISO
Code: 
start /d "C:\Program Files\NTLite" NTLite.exe /LoadImage:"C:\Test\WinISO" /ImageIndex:1 /LoadPreset:"Test Preset" /CreateIso:"C:\WinISO.ISO" /IsoLabel:"Test ISO" /ExitAfter:1

Without an ISO
Code: 
start /d "C:\Program Files\NTLite" NTLite.exe /LoadImage:"C:\Test\WinISO" /ImageIndex:1 /LoadPreset:"Test Preset" /ExitAfter:1
 
Just throwing this out there, but you could also disable Windows Update, since this problem will never go away, Windows will always keep reverting stuff now that Microsoft built in so many self-healing capabilities into the OS. The security stuff is wildly blown out of proportion by online copy/paste articles, most users will find more than enough security simply being behind a router using NAT while using a decent browser like Chrome, especially if you go the extra mile and use a good adblocker like uBlock Origin, don't visit shady sites, and download only from trusted sources.

I've been gaming on PC for 30 years and never dealt with any viruses or malware. I have found Windows Update and Defender to be far more intrusive and akin to malware than anything else I've come across. They also consume way too many resources, especially when you combine that with all the other telemetry going on. Uninstalling the bloat and optimizing the settings is a good way to eliminate attack vectors just by itself.

If none of that strikes your fancy though, you could always create a simple .reg file that stores the most commonly reset settings and then just double click that file after every update you install.
 
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Clanger said:
Heres my NTLite start n load batch file that was compiled with nuhi's help and patience.
Adapt file names and paths to suit your own needs.
These commands were correct on 2020-08-12, dont know if nuhi has changed things since then.

With an ISO
Code: 
start /d "C:\Program Files\NTLite" NTLite.exe /LoadImage:"C:\Test\WinISO" /ImageIndex:1 /LoadPreset:"Test Preset" /CreateIso:"C:\WinISO.ISO" /IsoLabel:"Test ISO" /ExitAfter:1

Without an ISO
Code: 
start /d "C:\Program Files\NTLite" NTLite.exe /LoadImage:"C:\Test\WinISO" /ImageIndex:1 /LoadPreset:"Test Preset" /ExitAfter:1
Click to expand...

Thank you. Very helpful. This will help me get closer to a more deterministic Windows without having to reinstall/redeploy every day.

The main reason I'm going full NTLite is because I had enough of games working perfectly and then suddenly one day there's a 10% performance hit that I can often only fix by reinstalling Windows which also means I have to reinstall everything else (hobby stuff, work stuff).
 
mvierssen that lot are to load an image, not a live run. With the correct commands you could(?) do a compeletly automated live run with a single click.

To update a pc, restart, automated Live run and restart will take upto 45 minutes i reckon, enough time with spare to make tea and clean out the cats litter tray.
 
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Hellbovine said:
Just throwing this out there, but you could also disable Windows Update, since this problem will never go away, Windows will always keep reverting stuff now that Microsoft built in so many self-healing capabilities into the OS. The security stuff is wildly blown out of proportion by online copy/paste articles, most users will find more than enough security simply being behind a router using NAT while using a decent browser like Chrome, especially if you go the extra mile and use a good adblocker like uBlock Origin, don't visit shady sites, and download only from trusted sources.

I've been gaming on PC for 30 years and never dealt with any viruses or malware. I have found Windows Update and Defender to be far more intrusive and akin to malware than anything else I've come across. They also consume way too many resources, especially when you combine that with all the other telemetry going on. Uninstalling the bloat and optimizing the settings is a good way to eliminate attack vectors just by itself.

If none of that strikes your fancy though, you could always create a simple .reg file that stores the most commonly reset settings and then just double click that file after every windows update you do.
Click to expand...

Indeed. Windows is too much of a black box for me. Things can suddenly break down without you being able to easily find the cause. Hidden updates, some service changing params. Have this problem with my Android phone too, over time it gets slower and slower. This is something I never had in Linux for example. It usually stays the same as it was configured. Most Linux distros have as many updates as Windows, but at least it is a lot clearer what is happening and easy to determine what is changing. I know the issues I am having are mostly in the Home and Pro editions.
 
Hellbovine said:
Just throwing this out there, but you could also disable Windows Update, since this problem will never go away, Windows will always keep reverting stuff now that Microsoft built in so many self-healing capabilities into the OS.
Click to expand...

WU is not try to "undo" your removals. When Windows RTM's, the first updates are very small and only overwrite a handful of components. Over time as the list grows longer, eventually more components are covered. Because it's a true cumulative update, some removals that was previously safe are now clobbered.

This was true when I first posted how to remove W11 Get Started app. Nov 2021 CU wiped out that hack. Either you stop removing components which are doomed to be replaced, or continue using remove reinstalls. It's a personal choice.

NTLite is operating in a space where Windows never intended users to go.
 
Had a look in Help, i cant see nothing for the currently installed or remote system so i dont know if its possible yet.
Think it would be popular.
 
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The latest CU reenables Windows Defender, tamper protection and real time anti virus protection. I do not have the System Security application (because I removed it) so I cannot even disable the tamper protection. It is not possible to disable it via the registry anymore. Also Defender Control is considered a virus, so I cannot use that either. I am completely locked out.

Can I use only NTLite to install Windows Updates on the live install?
 
Clanger said:
Yes.

I have a Defender Killer for w10 1809 LTSC. Read the info, it must be run with Elevated Permissions, use Power Run.
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Thanks. I just enabled the Windows Defender app this time so that I can at least control it when Windows Defender is enabled by an update again. I will now just turn it off by using Defender Control or applying NTLite to the live system again.

nuhi Let me know if there is going to be a solution (under a more expensive license?) for using NTLive only to update live / running systems without running into the license limit of max 5 systems. I currently have my custom ISO installed on 4 computers and use 2 computers with NTLite to build the ISOs. I do not expect to reach 5 machines soon, but I can always fire up some VMs if you need someone to test.
 
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