> Summary:
>
> Trying to get Microsoft Installer and Microsoft Update to recognise
> symbolic links that redirect
> C:\WINDOWS\Installer --> D:\WINDOWS\Installer
> C:\MSOCache --> D:\MSOCache
> The Installer and Update in XP with SP3 removes the symbolic link,
> replacing with a folder which is then populated with the current
> install
> or update.
>
> Detail:
>
> With the advent of "netbooks" a.k.a. ultralow-cost PCs, Microsoft
> committed to support XP on these machines through January 2010
>
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2008/jun08/06-03ComputexPR.mspx.
> The first popular netbook, the ASUS eeePC's have small solid state
> disk (SSD) drives 4 - 8 GB in size and an SD card slot
>
> I am Technology Director of a public charter school in Massachusetts,
> grades 7 - 12. It makes good sense to configure netbooks for use in
> the academic environment. For that reason I am experimenting with an
> ASUS eeePC 701. This eeePC has a 4 GB SSD and an 8 GB SDHC card
> configured as the 2nd fixed disk drive.
>
> I slimmed down, that is, removed extraneous functions from XP with
> SP3
> using nlite
http://www.nliteos.com/. The operating system and basic
> applications occupy about 2.5 GB of the 4 GB SSD. This is not a fully
> functional install, merely the necessary functions required in our
> academic environment. Basic applications include: Adobe Reader, Adobe
> Flash, Mozilla Thunderbird, Symantec Endpoint Protechtion. Acronis
> True Image Echo Workstation is also installed for image backup.
>
> The school uses Microsoft Office. We looked into OpenOffice and
> judged
> its user interface, rendering, and storing of office documents
> imperfect. I configured Office to install on the D: drive. The Office
> application with only the functionality required by the school
> occupies under 400 MB. The D:\MSOCache occupies about 700 MB.
>
> The issue I'm now working on is redirecting or installing certain XP
> folders to the D: drive.
>
> To wit:
> (1) The folder C:\WINDOWS\Installer. The folder is currently
> almost 800 MB. I've tried moving the folder to D:\WINDOWS\Installer,
> replacing the original folder with a symbolic link using Sysinternals
> junction
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896768.aspx.
>
> Windows Update and Windows Installer 3.1 do not "play well" with the
> symbolic link C:\WINDOWS\Installer --> D:\WINDOWS\Installer. The
> symbolic link is removed, replaced with a folder which is then
> populated with the update du jour or install du jour.
>
> (2) The folder D:\MSOCache. Windows update nevertheless creates
> C:\MSOCache, populating with duplicates of the contents of D:
> \MSOCache.
> I think, but I don't know, Update and Installer would be clueless and
> ruthless
> to a symbolic link C:\MSOCache --> D:\MSOCache
>
> I don't understand why the Installer and Update processes don't work
> with these symbolic links and what could be done to make them
> recognize
> the symbolic links.
>
> What to do?
>
> An alternative might be to search through the registry
> and replace every instance of C:\WINDOWS\Installer with D:\WINDOWS
> \Installer.
> That, needless to say, is rather kludgy. There are hundreds, if not
> thousands
> of values containing C:\WINDOWS\Installer.
>
> If/when this problem is resolved we will have the basic configuration
> for introducing netbooks in our school.
>
> Harry Jacobson
