Tiny11 now supports Windows 11 24H2 in a compact size that will fit on a standard single-layer DVD

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Windows 11 24H2 can be shrunk to just 3.5GB in size with Tiny11

Windows 11
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

If Windows 11 24H2's install size is too big for you, there are methods to reduce its footprint significantly. NTDEV revealed on X that Windows 11 24H2 works with its Tiny11 ISO builder, enabling super small installs of Microsoft's new version of Windows 11. Tiny11 can shrink 24H2 into such a tiny install package that it can fit inside a DVD with the capacity to spare.

NTDEV shared a screenshot of a new clean install of Windows 11 24H2 made with Tiny 11, featuring a complete install size of just 3.54GB using LZX compression. By comparison, Windows 11, by default, usually takes up to 20 to 30GB of drive space. An install size of less than 4GB would give you enough space to install Windows 11 on a standard DVD drive with more than a gigabyte of space for additional items such as application installers for 3rd party apps and browsers. Standard DVDs have a capacity of 4.7GB.

Tiny11 is a custom image builder for Windows 11 that enables users to cut out unnecessary libraries, apps, and services. This can significantly reduce the size of Windows 11 and potentially improve performance. Tiny11's ability to shrink Windows has been used to great lengths to run Windows 11 on crazy low-spec hardware that might have been thought to be impossible. One example is when an NTDEV dev managed to run Windows 11 with a mere 100MB of memory (no, that was not a typo).

In more realistic scenarios, Tiny11 is designed to offload services and applications that users don't want installed on their system for a super clean install of Windows. It can also run Windows 11 on incompatible hardware or run Windows 11 faster on hardware that barely meets Microsoft's minimum requirements.

If you want to build your own Windows 11 24H2 custom install with Tiny11, we have a tutorial showing you exactly how to do it.

Aaron Klotz
Aaron Klotz
Contributing Writer

Aaron Klotz is a contributing writer for Tom’s Hardware, covering news related to computer hardware such as CPUs, and graphics cards.

8 Comments Comment from the forums
  • rm12
    Two questions:
    Is this safe, and how do you check that? That is, e.g. no malware.
    Does the system updates automatically, and via Microsoft servers?Thanks.
    Reply
  • BillyBuerger
    Tiny11 is really just a PowerShell script that uses microsofts existing tools to extract the Windows image from the ISO, delete files, update registry settings and then repackage the installer. It's open source and anyone can check it to see if it's doing anything suspicious. I've done some testing with it to just remove a few items that really bother me instead of doing an extremely tiny install. But it takes time to do this and have to redo it when new versions are available. So I haven't used it yet. But I don't see any reason to be concerned.
    Reply
  • sjkpublic
    Tried the ps1 script on win11 24h2. Got a number of errors during the process. Tried to put the ISO using Rufus on a USB. Failed. the PS1 script does not seem to be ready for prime time. Good for SNL prime time.
    Reply
  • das_stig
    Microsoft should really take note and just remove all the extras to optional post-install downloads screens. We get a leaner install, they can avoid anti-competitive claims, as alternatives always available as users can just use the current Microsoft Store , it would just need updating to randomly position apps in it's listing?
    Reply
  • TheHerald
    Windows light ghost superlight is doing something similar but goes even more hardcore on the features removed.
    Reply
  • JohnyFin
    I do not recommended to install it for security reasons. Also all sources of installation are not certified - this is huge dangerous threat for you ..you never know what is inside "extra"
    Reply
  • das_stig
    JohnyFin said:
    I do not recommended to install it for security reasons. Also all sources of installation are not certified - this is huge dangerous threat for you ..you never know what is inside "extra"
    Thats why you compile the lite ISO from the script yourself, using an original ISO and nothing dodgy can install, unless you put it there.
    Reply
  • snemarch
    JohnyFin said:
    I do not recommended to install it for security reasons. Also all sources of installation are not certified - this is huge dangerous threat for you ..you never know what is inside "extra"
    The Powershell script is pretty easy to audit, and isn't too crazy in what it removes.

    I'm currently playing around with it a bit in VM and on test hardware, and I'll probably base my next workstation install on it. It's just nice being able to remove some of the useless crap Microsoft is adding, getting rid of the hostile OOBE mess, being able to add local account without jumping through thousands of hoops, and integrating a few registry tweaks etc. at pre-install time.
    Reply