Ok i do sysprep of Home Premium both x86 and x64 but after integrating Solor Pack (including additional files) Net Framework 4, flash, directx, java, silverlight, vcredist. I can't manage to keep under DVD5 size. I always do a Disk Cleanup before generalize, but can be something other deleted/excluded from capturing wim.
Do you capture with the /compress maximum flag? Also try to export the homepremium index if you don't need the others, that also saves space, especially when some images have additional stuff like the homepremium here. btw, if you're trying to get both x64 and x86 on the same disk it's normal that it doesn't fit, otherwise MS would have done it too. It also easier for them if they had only 1 disk to make.
Yep, am i using /compress maximum flag and i have only 2 images in Wim (x86 and x64 of homepremium nothing else). I thought to clean something like uninstall information of hotfixes. But seem impossible I thinked since RTM SP1 still fit on DVD5 with all editions.
Usually when I do installs that have extra software (office, flash, etc), I use a bootable 16GB flash drive.
look and see how much stuff you have in Code: \windows\softwaredistribution\download\* anything in this directory can be deleted as it is already applied hotfixes/service-packs/etc...
use something like wise disk cleaner free to delete all the update backup files in the windows directory, or delete them manually and this should save you quite a bit of space (not sure if these will have taken up a lot of space in your situation without knowing exactly what all updates you've installed before making your image) i see someone already suggested this though, sorry...