How can I remove the Windows XP Service Pack 1 (SP1) and Windows 2000 SP3 "Set Program Access and Defaults" visible entry points at installation time?

A. I described visible entry points in a previous FAQ ("How can I use the Windows XP Service Pack 1 (SP1) and Windows 2000 SP3 'Set Program Access and Defaults' feature?"). You can set visible entry point options for Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE), Outlook Express, and Windows Media Player (WMP) during installation with Sysprep or an unattended setup. Under the [Components] section in the unattend.txt file, you can add a combination of the following settings:

For example, to remove IE, Outlook Express, and WMP, the [Components] section would include all three settings:

 IEAccess = Off OEAccess = Off WMPOCM = Off

Sysprep installations don't always use an unattend.txt file, so to call this file, add the following line in the [GuiRunOnce] section of sysprep.inf:

sysocmgr /U:unattend.txt /Q /R /C /X

After installation is complete, the visible entry points for the options you selected will be hidden from view, but you'll still be able to access the executable files for these applications through Windows Explorer or a command session.