ISO/USB-Key Installer with preconfigured and stripped down "audiophile" Version of Windows 8 Pro (including JRiver & Foobar)

[John Doe]

Hi Folks

 

I wonder if there is interest in a customized, multilanguage Windows 8 Pro x64 Version, tuned and tweaked for audio use and installable like every other "normal" windows version... Since there is absolutely no interest in violating any Copyrights, a legal Windows 8 Pro Key would be needed to install this version of Windows 8 and activate it later on. The Focus of this Windows Version is just Playing Music an the best level possible and beeing a Network Client for NAS Systems (SMB/DLNA/...) The System would be completely stripped down as far as possible without loosing network services, JRiver MediaCenter 18 (Trial) and Foobar2000 already pre-installed. Foobar with the needed Plugins, etc.. There are many possibilities far beyond from what i have read so far on many sites in the net.

 

- Stripping Down all Windows Services etc. (standard... )

- General System tuning for performance

- Div. Tuning for SSD use

- Div. Tuning for NTFS

- Div. Tuning for Audio use

- and lot's more...

 

This windows version would be highly customizable, there are almost no limits. and it would be available as regular ISO File to burn it on CD or create a bootable USB Stick. Compatible with all hardware a normal windows 8 installation would be.... It won't get easier than that guys

 

...so what do you think, would the work be appreciated?

 

Cheerio,

John Doe

[jhwalker]

Hi Folks

 

I wonder if there is interest in a customized, multilanguage Windows 8 Pro x64 Version, tuned and tweaked for audio use and installable like every other "normal" windows version... Since there is absolutely no interest in violating any Copyrights, a legal Windows 8 Pro Key would be needed to install this version of Windows 8 and activate it later on. The Focus of this Windows Version is just Playing Music an the best level possible and beeing a Network Client for NAS Systems (SMB/DLNA/...) The System would be completely stripped down as far as possible without loosing network services, JRiver MediaCenter 18 (Trial) and Foobar2000 already pre-installed. Foobar with the needed Plugins, etc.. There are many possibilities far beyond from what i have read so far on many sites in the net.

 

- Stripping Down all Windows Services etc. (standard... )

- General System tuning for performance

- Div. Tuning for SSD use

- Div. Tuning for NTFS

- Div. Tuning for Audio use

- and lot's more...

 

This windows version would be highly customizable, there are almost no limits. and it would be available as regular ISO File to burn it on CD or create a bootable USB Stick. Compatible with all hardware a normal windows 8 installation would be.... It won't get easier than that guys

 

...so what do you think, would the work be appreciated?

 

Cheerio,

John Doe

 

That would be so cool! I hadn't even thought about doing that - would be great for travel, so I could leave my work PC basically untouched, but have a fully-bootable USB device with all my audio "stuff" on it

[John Doe]

Hi

 

Well, i haven't thought of that. i just ment the ISO on a USB Stick, for making a "normal" installation.

But yes, with Windows 8 i can also make a completeley bootable from USB Stick Operating System, like

a little audiophile Sandbox. That would be an interesting way for people who don't have a dedicated

music PC.

 

But i will first focus on the ISO. The USB to go solution is not far away once the ISO is finished...

[ted_b]

John,

Welcome to CA. What method or process will you be using to tweak Windows 8 for audio only? Are you going to follow Chris's Windows 7 article, or something else out there, or use your own tried and true method? The reasons I ask are twofold: 1) Windows 8 seems to be a wonderful audio platform (I use Fidelizer on it until I am convinced to permanently shut down certain processes) and very susceptible/accepting of sonic tweaks, but ...no offense....2) since you are an unknown new poster we have no idea you know what you are doing.

Thx

Ted

[John Doe]

Hi

 

Chris's Guide is certainly a baseline yes. Fidelizer will be installed as well as the DPC Latency Checker, JRiver MC 18 (Trial) and Foobar2000 with all the nice plugins. since i work with computers since 2 decades, i have quite deep knowledge of the operating system itself and know a lot of possibilities to "tune" it. what i understand on tuning is making the system as small as possible without loosing the core functionallity of the music playback, USB and Network connections.

 

i will use the normal methods an OEM like IBM or HP or Dell would use, to make a "master image". This master image is hardware independent and that makes tho whole thing so interesting. the whole tweaking work has to be done only once, every installation is like every other (at least after the initial setup ), and still one has all the possibilities of customization or installation of other 3rd party applications as with a normal windows installation. but the focus is to use it on a dedicated box, which only servers as music player/client.

 

there are so many things you can optimize, most of them are for general system performance, not specially related to audio use. but some of them are...

 

i will post an exact Log of what exactly has been done to this windows version, and also a little guide how to configure your dedicated music PC. Starting with various BIOS settings.

[ted_b]

Thanks! Makes perfect sense.

[John Doe]

i hope so

 

the most of the work of the master build is already done now. i will make some final tweaks and testing tomorrow and keep you all up to date.

[4est]

Thank you John Doe, and my best to Jane!

[John Doe]

...happy new YEAR! :-)

 

i like that first impression...

 

 

Selecting your desired System Language is the first thing you have to do after the initial setup. We have English, German, Spanish, French, Russian & Japanese...

[John Doe]

..the progress is good so far. i'm just fighting with some cosmetic issues, but it will be done soon.

 

 

These are the pre-installed Foobar Plugins:

 

 

 

The Secret Rabbit Code Resampler

 

 

 

Foobar will show you channels, bitdepth, sampligrate & the dynamic range meter info:

 

[John Doe]

..first release is coming soon

 

[John Doe]

...JRiver MC

 

[Gregor Samsa]

Looks good so far. Are you going to update the Foobar plugins?

[John Doe]

yes, for sure. WASAPI 3.1 will be included.

 

i think i will be able to release tomorrow, so the one's who are interested please make me a PM.

i will send you an answer, once the download is ready.

 

 

 

An overview of what has been done so far:

 

OS: Windows 8 x64 Pro

 

Languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Japanese & Russian

 

Software: Fidelizer 2.1, JRiver MediaCenter 18 (18.0.94, Trial Version),

Foobar2000 1.2 (WASAPI Support, ASIO Support, DSD, SACD & DVD-Audio Plugin

Secret Rabbit Code Resampler, Dynamic Range Meter & Lyric Show Panel 3

 

Adjustments:

 

- Adjust for Best Performance

- No Paging file!

- System Protection turned off

- Disabled Remote Assistance

- Enabled Remote Desktop (RDP)

- Removed Windows MediaPlayer

- Removed all other Windows Features or Metro-Style Apps

- Action Center and other Notifications disabled

- NTFS Last Access Time disabled

- NTFS Short File Names (8.3) disabled

- Prefetching disabled

- Hibernation disabled

- Disable paging the executive

- Powerplan: High Performance

- Printer Logging disabled

- Windows Error Reporting disabled

- Search Indexing disabled

- DEP only for needed components

- Disabled GUI Boot

 

 

Disabled Windows Services:

 

- Network Location Awareness (disabled)

- Network List Service (disabled)

- Print Spooler (disabled)

- Themes (disabled)

- Security Center (disabled)

- Windows Defender Service (disabled)

- Diagnostic Service Host (disabled)

- Certificate Propagation (disabled)

- BITS (disabled)

- BrancheCache (disabled)

- HomeGroup Listener (disabled)

- iSCSI Initiator (disabled)

- Family Safty (disabled)

- Computer Browser (disabled)

- Portable Device Enumeration (disabled)

- Offline Files (disabled)

- disabled Windows Firewall

- disabled BaseFilter Engine

- disabled Diagnostic Policy Service

- disabled Distributed Link Tracking Client

- disabled IP Helper

- disabled Program Compatibility Assistant Service

- disabled Server

- User Account Control disabled

- Disable Windows Connection Manager

- Windows Management Instrumentation

- Disabled Time Broker Service

- Wired Auto Config disabled

- Windows Updates disabled

- Disabled Windows Image Accquisition (WIA)

- Disabled Windows Event Collector

- Disabled Windows Color System

- Disabled Windows Connect Now

- Disabled Windows Backup

- Disabled Biometric Services

- Disabled WebClient

- Disabled Telephony

- UAC disabled

- Disabled Systems Event Broker

- Disabled Shell Hardware Detection

 

 

Default Profile:

 

- Div. customizations & settings for Foobar2000

- Div. customizations & settings for JRiver MediaCenter

- Theme for JRiver MediaCenter

- A bunch of adjustments for a proper & clean desktop

 

BIOS Settings and other Thins to think about for your Audiophile PC:

- disable Serial or Parallel Ports

- disable Firewire Ports

- disable Onboard USB Ports (for SOtM tx-USB users)

- Disable everything in your BIOS you don't need.

- pull out every card or component of your PC you don't need

- go headless if possible

[John Doe]

Just added Kernel Streaming Support for foobar and installed all available Windows 8 Updates. A few more cosmetic adjustments and then we are ready to go!

[kiskaprince]

cant wait to get hands on it

Thank you

[Peter_T]

Looks very interesting; I send you a PM; thanks

[John Doe]

hey guys!

 

i could finish my first release yesterday. actually it's the 4th version, and i feel comfortable with it and did a lot of testing already. I'm uploading the files since yesterdy, unfortonately uploading via secured line isn't fast nor reliable. i have 4 of 6 files up, two more to go. i will start sending PM's once all links are online.

 

P.S. Actual windows updates will be included in the next release.

[kiskaprince]

waiting patiently

where are uploading?

thank you

[kiskaprince]

Rapigator would good choice

Thank you

[John Doe]

i think the "problem" is, that i upload via TOR. TOR isn't thought for huge file transfers, it's designed to surf. but for those few GB's....

[John Doe]

if you start with this windows build... PLEASE, clean up your BIOS and components

first. remove any card or component you don't need, disable everything in bios you

don't need. especially Serial, parallel, floppy, even on board USB if you have a SOtM

USB card. i don't even have a graphic card in mine.. i just use RDP.

 

the default installation will contain NO paging file. haveing no paging file makes the

system faster, but can also bring you problems. it will get you in trouble if you don't

have enough ram for example. i recommend about 4GB RAM for this pagefile-less

configuration. I you have less than 4GB RAM, just experiment. in the worst case,

create a Paging file, but remeber to make the minimum size exactly as big as the

maximum size. this will stop windows from making the page file bigger and smaller

all day long...

[kiskaprince]

Done all just waiting for brilliant idea and work

Thank you

I think I sent you pm

[John Doe]

i have receive some PM's yes. i'm happy you all are waiting for the downloads, i hope you all will be satisfied. i know' it doesn't look like much so far, but believe me, it was quite a bit of work and there are even more things i did not list here. you will see soon... it's all about details and perfection.

[kiskaprince]

Your work will not go unnoticed for sure

It is really appreciated

I can only imagine how much time and effort went to it

Thank you