you can create an embedded windows install. there is a tool for that. that is what agilent uses. it strips all the crap , autodetect and other things from windows.
you do an install once with all hardware in place and then lock it down. during boot there is no dynamic searching , no poking around to see if new hardware was installed , no waiting for driver update checks. load and run. such a system boots VERY fast.
some machines use deepfreeze.