vLite, created by developer Dino Nuhagic, automatically removes a number of non-essential Windows Vista components in order to pare the OS's heavy footprint by half or more. vLite allows users to preselect numerous Vista features for automatic removal prior to installing the OS on their personal computers. Among them: Windows Media Player, Windows Photo Viewer, MSN Installer, Wallpapers, SlideShow, Windows Mail and other utilities. vLite, however, isn't for the technically timid. The software warns that the changes it imposes on Vista are "permanent, so be sure in your choice."

The emergence of tools like vLite reflect the frustrations voiced by many computer users over Vista's bulk and resource requirements. Loaded with an abundance of features and tools designed to ease navigation and bolster security, the Home Premium and Ultimate editions of Vista both require a whopping 15 GBs of available disk space for installation. By contrast, Windows XP -- Vista's predecessor -- requires 1.5 GB of available space for installation of the Professional version.

Version 1.1 of the tool came out last week, and it supports a wealth of features like hotfix, language pack, and driver integration; setup process simplification; the ability to split Windows Vista's installer across multiple CDs; and the usual component removal and installation disc image creation functionality. (thanks Information Week)