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Tech Tips / Windows XP / Installation and Configuration

Remove unwanted Windows components

When you install Windows XP, the computer won't prompt you to select which applications you want to install with the operating system. By default, setup installs almost all applications. But if you don't use them all, and you don't want all those extra components cluttering up your system, you can safely remove them.

Removing Windows components is an easy process. Here's how to do it: Go to Control Panel and double-click dd/Remove Programs. Select Add/Remove Windows Components for a list of options. However, you won't see all the components installed on your system listed in those options.

To remove many of the components, you have to look for them. Go to the hidden %systemroot%\Inf folder and open the Sysoc.inf file. This file lists all the components you can remove.

To view these components in the Add/Remove Windows Components dialog box, you must remove the word HIDE from each line. After you've made your changes, save the file and reopen the Add/Remove Programs dialog box. You should now see those additional components.