HOW TO

(English)
v0.50 2013.10.05
Created by winterstorm2050 - Translated by CodeMe

1 - PRELIMINARY
First, Thank you to use WinReducer 8.1 to customize or reduce your Windows 8.1 Operating System using WinReducer 8.1 . If you havent read ReadMe.pdf yet, please read it before using this Howto file. In this HowTo you will find many useful informations to help you using WinReducer 8.1 in the best way to create your own personalized Windows 8.1 O.S. adapted to your needs. In fact, WinReducer 8.1 has been developped to help everyone customizing a Windows 8.1 system in a simple way with an improve appearance to be more readable and accessible than previous WinReducer software version. You will find help, in this file, on how to correctly install WinReducer 8.1 , or how to use it with all of its functionnalities.
- MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Operating System : Windows 8.1 (x32 or x64) Screen Resolution : 1366*768 Memory : 5 Mo (Compatibilty Mode) or 20 Mo (WinReducer Themes) Internet Connection : Required to download WinReducer Updates or to use Updates Downloader tool Languages Supported : All Windows 8.1 x32 or x64 ISO : Complete Edition (All in One ISO supported) Windows Edition : Core, Professional and Enterprise External software need to be downloaded (cf Chapter 5)

- OPTIMIZATION PERFORMANCE GUIDE

Extract WinReducer 8.1 zip package for best speed : Normal Speed : HDD (Take care of fragmentation, it will slow down removing speed by much !) Excellent speed : SSD Wonderful speed : RAMDISK and move only "MOUNT" folder in the RamDisk (Need a lot of RAM)

 Disable your AntiVirus Using a faster CPU improve removing speed PS : Im using a fast dedicated HDD to use with WinReducer 8.1 and the complete process (removing + iso creation) finishes in less than 45 minutes ! You could hope better performance with a SSD or even better using a RAMDISK.
- EXTERNAL TOOLS

WinReducer 8.1 uses external tools to achieve many tasks so, please, if you accept to use it, download them from their owners internet site I give you below : 7zip http://www.7-zip.org/ ImageX and Oscdimg http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/156869-get-waik-tools-wo-loading-the-huge-isos/ http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/default.aspx Resource Hacker http://www.angusj.com/resourcehacker/ SetACL http://helgeklein.com/ I want to thank all developpers for creating these wonderful software. And if you like their works, do not hesitate to help them in the way you prefer. To launch WinReducer 8.1 , you absolutely need those software, otherwise it will not work.

So, lets start with your WinReducer 8.1 experience ...

2 - INSTALLATION

You need to download the latest zip package available in the WinReducer website :

http://www.winreducer.net/download.html

Extract the content of the Winreducer 8.1 zip package in a folder and you will see these 3 files :

Do NOT use spaces in all folder path, otherwise WinReducer will refuse to start

Download and install all software using links provided in Chapter 1 External Tools

I highly recommend you to download and use only 32 bits versions of all these tools If you are a user of WinReducer 8, you could use the same software you downloaded

Launch WinReducer81.exe , and this window appears :

Take care to use Windows 8.1 to start WinReducer 8.1 otherwise it will refuse to start

Then you will see the Configuration window :

Update Notification is enabled English language is correctly detected and is the default language All folders are correctly detected All software are not being detected, so you need to configure them : by clicking on the software name : choose the correct installed file by choosing all of them from a WinReducer 8 APPS folder, then click on all software names LIFETIME VIP Edition will be configured automatically by clicking on all software names For Advanced Users : if you want to change Language, Folders path software : you need to disable, the one you want, to activate the option to change them by clicking on the name

WinReducer 8.1 folder is automatically configured like this :

HOME folder contains : LANGUAGES : stores all languages files (English.xml file is already present in it) PRESETS : stores your WinReducer Configuration Presets files backup SOFTWARE : stores all software needed by WinReducer 8.1 THEMES : stores your WinReducer 8.1 themes WORK folder contains : EXTRACT : stores all your Windows 8.1 ISO extracted folders INTEGRATE : contains : DRIVERS : stores all your drivers to integrate with WinReducer 8.1 SOFTWARE : stores all your software to integrate with WinReducer 8.1 Post Install. THEMES : stores all your Windows 8.1 themes pack to integrate with WinReducer 8.1 UPDATES : stores all your upates to integrate with WinReducer 8.1 ISO : stores all your customized saved ISO MOUNT : stores the temporary files and folders used by WinReducer 8.1 WinReducer81.log : WinReducer 8.1 error log file WinReducer81.xml : WinReducer 8.1 configuration file

To configure correctly your WinReducer 8.1 installation, you need to see exactly all software, like in the picture below, in your HOME SOFTWARE :

For 7zip : you need 7z.exe and 7z.dll

If everything goes well, you will see the window like this :

All software are detected correctly, congratulations your WinReducer 8.1 installation is finished !

Close the Configuration window and you could see WinReducer 8.1 Launcher :

WinReducer 8.1 Launcher is started in Compatibility Mode If you want to apply a theme : see in Chapter 3 Options Theme

2 WinReducer 8.1 Launcher (using official theme)

START choices

Folder : Open Windows 8.1 using an already extracted folder ISO : Open Windows 8.1 using an ISO file. It will be automatically extracted in WORK EXTRACT ExtractedByWinReducer folder and open Tools : Open Updates Downloader, ISO File Creator and Bootable USB Device Creator . For more informations, see in Chapter 4 Tools

OPTIONS choices

Update : Check if a new WinReducer 8.1 Update is available. And you could see that Update Notification is enabled and there is no new update because there is a 0 on Options and Updates icons. If there will be a new update, you will 1 instead of 0. This notification could be disable using the icon Options Config Config : Open Configuration Options to help you change general WinReducer 8.1 Options Theme : Open Theme Options to help you change your theme and configure it Info : Open Informations Options about WinReducer 8.1 Build and Edition or your System

EXIT choices

Click on OK to open the Exit choices

3 - OPTIONS

UPDATE

Download : the button will only be displayed if a new WinReducer 8.1 update is available. Download new zip package update and store it in the WinReducer81 folder

CONFIG

Update Notification : Enable or disable the notification on WinReducer Launcher Folder and Software Detection : See Chapter 2 Installation For Advanced Users : if you want to change Language, Folders path software : you need to disable (OFF), the one you want, then it will activate the option to change them by clicking on the name of Folder or the Software Example : if you want to change to your foreign language : Download your language zip package file, from WinReducer Forum, which contains WinReducer 8.1 language file, a ReadMe and an HowTo files. Extract the language xml file in HOME LANGUAGES folder Extract the ReadMe and HowTo files in the WinReducer81 folder to easily consult them In WinReducer 8.1, disable language support, hit the language name and choose the new language file If you dont have any idea on what your are doing, its better to keep default configuration

THEME

Enable Support : Enable or disable theme. If this options is disable the compatibility mode is activated to save memory footprint for low computer. Get new themes : WinReducer forum link to get themes zip package. Once you choose one theme, you need to extract the zip file in the HOME THEMES folder like this for the Official WinReducer 8.1 theme :

 Change Theme : Open Theme.xml file to apply a new theme in a theme folder

Fade In : Enable or Disable fade effect during startup Fade Out : Enable or Disable fade effect during Exit Icons Borders : Enable or Disable all icons borders to improve look Icons Text: Enable or Disable all icons text to hide them. Only reserved to experiened users.

INFO

Find many informations about your WinReducer 8.1 configuration LIFETIME VIP Edition : An ester egg exists in this page. Are you able to find it ?

4 Tools

Click on the Tools icon you want to use ...

Updates Downloader

x86 or x64 : you need to choose one of them and it depends on your Windows 8.1 ISO Update : Check new available updates (not displayed on the picture) Left panel : all updates available which you coud select Right panel : display many informations Remove Deprecated and Troubles Updates : delete all uneeded and old updates to avoid troubles Download : it will download all updates you have selected Drivers are saved in WORK INTEGRATE DRIVERS folder (in x86 and x64 folder) Software are saved in WORK INTEGRATE SOFTWARE folder (in x86 and x64 folder) Drivers are saved in WORK INTEGRATE SOFTWARE folder (in x86 and x64 folder)

ISO File Creator

Save in a WIM file :

Folder : Choose the Windows 8.1 ISO extracted folder to save in the WIM. Required otherwise it wont work Split Size : Choose one if needed to split a wim file. Useful if your wimfile exceeds 4go and if you use a bootable USB key. Leave it blank disable this features Save : Create your new wim file

Use this function only if you need to split your wim file, otherwise it should be better to create an ISO file instead At the end of the WinReducer Remover process , this window will also be displayed a little different, especially without Folder field

 Save in an ISO file :

Folder : Choose the Windows 8.1 ISO extracted folder to save in a new ISO. Required otherwise it wont work Name : Choose a display ISO name or keep default Label : Choose a label name for the ISO or keep default (max. 12 caracters) Save : Create your new ISO file. It will be saved in the WORK ISO folder

At the end of the WinReducer Remover process , this window will also be displayed a little different, especially without a Folder field,replaced by a Save folder field in which you could change the default folder where you want to save your customized Windows 8.1 ISO

Bootable USB Device Creator

All available HDD and USB devices are displayed in the list Choose a number corresponding to your USB device - Example : Disque 1 is an USB key with 14 Go of total space so write number 1 in the Number filed Choose a display name for your formated USB key or keep default Hit Create button Take care it will completely erase your entire USB device, so there is a warning when you hit Create button to inform you about the risks. You could cancel the process. So this option should only be used by Advanced Users

5 USING WINREDUCER 8.1

Open a Folder or an ISO file

Open : choose a folder Open : choose an ISO file, it will automatically extract your ISO in the folder WORK EXTRACT ExtractedByWinReducer folder

Windows Editions : choose one of the available editions in the list (All in One ISOs are supported) Mount : prepare all Windows 8.1 files and folders to be customized or reduced Wait until yoy will see the window like in the picture below

WinReducer Remover

Left Panel : All available components to select to remove or customize Windows 8.1 Right Top Panel : Display all WinReducer 8.1 components informations Right Center Panel : Display all components configuration to customize Windows 8.1 (not visible on the picture) Right Bottom Panel : Inform you about your Windows 8.1 ISO you currently customizing Load : Load a WinReducer Custom Configuration File (WCCF file) to restore previous settings Save: Save in a WinReducer Custom Configuration File (WCCF file) to help you restore all your settings later APPLY : Apply your custom settings you choose to Windows 8.1 and launch the WinReducer Remover Process Wait until it will display the ISO Creator Create your ISO or Save your changes in a wim file

 Then, Exit WinReducer 8.1

Congratulations, Its done !!!

6 THANKS
If you have any troubles, bugs or questions come joining us on WinReducer Forum ! In the meantime, thank you for your interest on WinReducer Software Project And as always, I dedicace WinReducer 8.1 to :

WinReducer Forum Moderators : theKramer and CodeMe : your job is amazing in the WinReducer Forum ! WinReducer 8.1 Translators : you have done a wonderful work to help all interested people in the world to use WinReducer 8.1 ! seiferflo : a Lifetime VIP Forum member who take time, and also had the patience, to create all Help components tips to improve WinReducer users experience. He has done this for all of us, and it took him many times to do this, so if you come to WinReducer Forum, please leave him a thank you in the WinReducer 8.1 Tips thread. Seiferflo, thank you very much for your incredible work ! CodeMe : a WinReducer Forum moderator who has corrected all my english documents and files to distribute in all WinReducer zip package. And this a wonderful help ! Lifetime VIP forum member : thank you for your support on the WinReducer Project ! Forum members : Thank you for all your ideas and feedbacks ! Just hoping that I didnt forget someone ...

==> So again for all of you : Thank you so much guys !