Windows 11 is the newest version of Microsoft’s operating system, and it comes with some hefty system requirements. With its flashy interface and modern features, Windows 11 is a resource-hungry operating system that can consume a lot of RAM and CPU cycles, making it difficult to run on older or underpowered systems. The official system requirements demand not only TPM security and secure boot, but also at least 4GB of RAM, a dual-core processor, and a 64GB SSD. These requirements can make it difficult for users with limited resources to enjoy the new operating system. However, with the release of Tiny11 Builder, users can now make a lightweight Windows 11 install that gets around these requirements and runs well on PCs with limited memory and processing power.

Tiny11 Builder is a free tool created by NTDEV, a Twitter user who has developed a custom image of Windows 11 that removes unnecessary libraries, apps, and services. This results in a system that can run with just 2GB of RAM, take up a mere 12GB of disk space, and not check for any of the system requirements. In the past, to use Tiny11, users had to download the entire operating system from NTDEV's cloud storage drive, which meant that they didn't have a choice of Windows 11 version and it was awkward downloading the whole OS from someone other than Microsoft. However, with the release of Tiny11 Builder, users can now turn the latest Windows 11 ISO into a lightweight version of the OS. In just a few simple steps, users can grab Windows 11 Home, Pro, Education, or Enterprise and use Tiny11 Builder to remove the unnecessary components before installation.

According to NTDEV, only the latest builds 22621.1265 and 22621.525 are officially supported. However, this may remove some extraneous stuff from pre-release builds. I used Tiny11 Builder to create a stripped-down build of Windows 11 Home that I installed on both a Virtual Machine and a decade-old, sluggish ThinkPad X131e. The VM was blazing fast, and the ThinkPad, which was so slow under Windows 10 that letters would appear seconds after I typed them, was actually usable.

If you’re interested in creating your own lightweight Windows 11 ISO using Tiny11 Builder, here's how to do it:

Step 1: Download Tiny11 Builder from Github and unzip it to its folder.

Step 2: Download a Windows 11 ISO from Microsoft (or use UUP Dump). For now, only builds 22621.525 and 22621.1265 are officially supported.

Step 3: Mount the ISO. You can do this by right-clicking on it and selecting Mount. File Explorer should open, showing you what drive letter now represents the ISO, which will act as if it were a physical drive.

Step 4: Find your ISO's Windows build number (if you don't know for sure). You can do this by launching an elevated command prompt and entering dism /Get-WimInfo /WimFile: [DRIVELETTER]:\sources\install.wim /index:1 where [DRIVELETTER] is replaced with the drive letter of your mounted ISO. If that doesn't work, dism /Get-WimInfo /WimFile:[DRIVELETTER]:\sources\install.esd /index:1.

Step 5: Launch tiny11 creator.bat or tiny11 creator 22621.525.bat as an administrator, depending on which build your ISO is. You can do this by right-clicking on the icon and selecting “Run as administrator.”

Step 6: Click “More info” and Run anyway if Windows Smart screen warns you about running the program. Also, click Yes

Here is a list of the apps and features that NTDEV has removed from Windows 11 in Tiny11:

• Clipchamp
• News
• Weather
• Xbox (except for Xbox identity provider)
• GetHelp
• GetStarted
• Office Hub
• Solitaire
• PeopleApp
• PowerAutomate
• ToDo
• Alarms
• Mail and Calendar
• Feedback Hub
• Maps
• Sound Recorder
• Your Phone
• Media Player
• QuickAssist
• Internet Explorer
• LA57 support
• OCR for en-us
• Speech support
• TTS for en-us
• Media Player Legacy
• Tablet PC
• Math
• Wallpapers
• Edge
• OneDrive

It's worth noting that users can add these apps and features back through the Windows Store or the Turn Windows Features On and Off menu in Control Panel. Teams, however, is not removed but can be uninstalled from the Apps menu.