GoKawiilDeveloper NTDEV shrinks Windows 11 to fit on a 700MB CD-ROM
Developer NTDEV, creator of the Tiny11 project, built a proof-of-concept tool called Pico11 that compresses a working Windows 11 install into a single ISO sized under 700MB, small enough for a CD-ROM. The demo retains a functional desktop with Calculator, Settings, Notepad and Paint, though it uses an older, lightweight Task Manager and strips out Windows Update and servicing features.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
NTDEV describes this explicitly as an experiment rather than a usable replacement for standard Windows installs, since removing update and servicing components leaves the system unmaintained long-term. The work suggests Pico11's techniques could eventually be folded into the existing Tiny11 builder tool, potentially giving users more extreme options for lightweight Windows installations on constrained hardware.
- NTDEV's Pico11 proof-of-concept compresses Windows 11 to fit a 700MB CD-ROM ISO.
- The slimmed install keeps a usable desktop and basic apps but lacks Windows Update and servicing support.
- NTDEV plans to bring Pico11-style capabilities into the existing Tiny11 builder tool on GitHub.
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Published there as: “Windows 11’s ‘whole ISO’ squeezed into a CD-ROM”
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