GoKawiilDeveloper boots Windows 11 26H2 using only 128MB of RAM
Tiny11 developer NTDEV demonstrated booting Windows 11 version 26H2 on a system with just 128MB of RAM, far below Microsoft's stated 4GB minimum. The stripped-down build could still load the desktop, File Explorer, Start menu and Notepad, though the developer described performance as painfully slow.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The demo illustrates how much of Windows 11's footprint is optional rather than essential, which could interest enthusiasts exploring legacy or low-spec hardware. It builds on NTDEV's earlier Tiny11 and Pico11 projects, suggesting an ongoing effort to show how far the OS can be trimmed, though such builds remain experimental rather than practical replacements for standard installations.
- NTDEV booted Windows 11 26H2 with just 128MB of RAM, 3.1% of Microsoft's recommended minimum.
- The stripped build could access Desktop, File Explorer, Start menu and Notepad despite being very slow.
- This follows NTDEV's 2023 176MB RAM experiment and a recent CD-ROM-sized Windows 11 ISO built with the Pico11 tool.
Source: tomshardware.com — Kunal Khullar, 2026-11-03
Published there as: “Developer manages to run Windows 11 26H2 with just 128MB of RAM, just 3.1% of recommended minimum — stripped-down installation can access Desktop, File Explorer, and Notepad”
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