Short answer: tiny11 is not a Windows download. It is tiny11builder, a set of PowerShell scripts by NTDEV that takes the Windows 11 ISO you download from Microsoft and builds a trimmed copy on your own PC. The regular script, tiny11maker, removes preinstalled apps but keeps Windows serviceable, so updates still install. tiny11 core goes much further: it removes the component store, Windows Update and WinRE, and the developer says it is “not suitable for regular use.” Neither script activates Windows or supplies a license. Get the scripts only from github.com/ntdevlabs/tiny11builder, and do not use prebuilt “tiny11” ISOs from anyone else.
What tiny11builder actually is
The project describes itself as “Scripts to build a trimmed-down Windows 11 image.” It lives in the GitHub repository ntdevlabs/tiny11builder, owned by the account ntdevlabs. NTDEV is the developer behind the earlier tiny10 and tiny11 projects.
The repository holds five things: the two scripts, an unattended answer file (autounattend.xml), a README and GitHub configuration. There is no Windows image in it. You bring the image.
The README says the script can be used on “ANY Windows 11 release,” in any language or architecture. The developer’s stated aim, in the script’s own header, is to use “only Microsoft utilities like DISM, and no utilities from external sources.” The one outside executable it needs is oscdimg.exe, Microsoft’s tool from the Windows ADK for making bootable ISOs. If the ADK is not installed, the current script downloads oscdimg.exe from Microsoft’s own symbol server.
tiny11 vs tiny11 core
| tiny11maker.ps1 | tiny11Coremaker.ps1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | “Recommended script for regular use” | “Quick testing or development use” |
| Serviceable | Yes: “You can add languages, updates, and features post-creation” | No: “You cannot add languages, updates, or features post-creation” |
| Windows Update | Kept | Removed; the README says enabling it “would put the system in a state of failure” |
| Component store (WinSxS) | Kept | Removed |
| Windows Defender | Kept | Disabled (“can be enabled back if needed”) |
| Windows Recovery Environment | Kept | Removed |
The developer is blunt about core. The README warns that “you cannot add back features in tiny11 core,” and the script prints this when it starts: “tiny11 Core is not a full Windows 11 substitute but a rapid testing or development tool, potentially useful for VM environments.”
A PC that cannot install updates will not receive security fixes. That makes tiny11 core unsuitable for any machine that goes online for everyday use. Treat it as a disposable test image.
What the regular tiny11 script removes and changes
The README lists the apps tiny11maker removes. They include Clipchamp, News, Weather, Xbox, Get Help, Get Started, Office Hub, Solitaire, People, Power Automate, To Do, Alarms, Mail and Calendar, Feedback Hub, Maps, Sound Recorder, Your Phone, Media Player, Quick Assist, Internet Explorer, Tablet PC Math, Edge and OneDrive. The September 2025 release added removal of Copilot, the new Outlook client and Microsoft Teams packages.
The script also changes settings in the image. Reading the current tiny11maker.ps1, it:
- Sets Microsoft’s
LabConfigvalues that skip setup’s CPU, RAM, Secure Boot, storage and TPM checks, both in the installed image and in the setup image. - Sets
BypassNRO, and the answer file hides the online account screens during setup, so you can finish setup without a Microsoft account. - Turns off telemetry through the
AllowTelemetrypolicy, turns off Windows Copilot by policy, and blocks Teams installation by policy. - Uses DISM’s recovery compression for a smaller ISO, and the answer file deploys Windows with the
/compactflag.
Two consequences follow. First, because the image skips the hardware checks, it will install on PCs that Microsoft does not support. Microsoft’s warning for those PCs applies: they “will no longer be supported and won’t be entitled to receive updates.” Second, the README lists known issues: Edge remnants remain in Settings, Winget may need updating before the Microsoft Store can install apps, and “Outlook and Dev Home might reappear after some time.”
Licensing: you still need a valid Windows license
tiny11builder does not activate Windows. We read both scripts and the answer file: neither script contains activation commands, and the ProductKey element in autounattend.xml is empty. The result is Microsoft’s Windows 11, minus some parts, and it follows Microsoft’s licensing like any other install.
Microsoft’s download page is explicit: “To get started you first need a license to install Windows 11 or have a Windows 10 device that qualifies for an upgrade to Windows 11.” Use a PC with a valid Windows license, or buy one. We do not cover activation workarounds, and a tiny11 image is not a way around a license.
Why you should not download a prebuilt tiny11 ISO
Search for tiny11 and you will find ready-made ISO files uploaded by third parties, including on general file-hosting and archive sites. We do not link them, and we recommend you do not use them.
- They are unverifiable. A prebuilt image contains an entire operating system. You have no hash from Microsoft to check it against, and no way to confirm what was added or removed.
- The official project doesn’t need them. The builder exists so you can make the image yourself from Microsoft’s ISO. Its GitHub releases are the scripts; the most recent tagged release, from September 5, 2025, contains no Windows image.
- Tampered operating system images are a known risk. The Rufus FAQ states that unless you have validated an ISO as a genuine Microsoft retail ISO, “you might as well consider that it is riddled with all sort of malware.”
The same caution applies to any site offering “tiny11 download” buttons. Our guide to fake download sites explains how lookalike pages work.
How to build tiny11 from Microsoft’s ISO
These are the README’s steps. Test the result in a virtual machine before installing it on real hardware.
- Download the Windows 11 ISO from Microsoft’s download page.
- Download the scripts from
github.com/ntdevlabs/tiny11builder. Check that the URL owner isntdevlabs. - Mount the ISO by double-clicking it in File Explorer. Note its drive letter.
- Open PowerShell 5.1 as administrator.
- Allow scripts for this session only:
Set-ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Scope ProcessThe README notes that
-Scope Processleaves your normal policy intact once the window closes. - Run the script with the mounted drive letter and a scratch drive letter:
C:\path\to\tiny11maker.ps1 -ISO E -SCRATCH D - Choose the edition (SKU) when asked. If you run the core script, the README says it also asks whether to enable .NET 3.5, because features cannot be added to core later.
- When it finishes,
tiny11.isois in the script’s folder. Write it to USB with a tool such as Rufus or Ventoy.
Read the script before you run it. It is plain text, and running any downloaded script as administrator gives it full control of your PC.
Risks to weigh before you install tiny11
- Unsupported hardware. The image bypasses Microsoft’s hardware checks. On a PC below the minimum, updates are not guaranteed, in Microsoft’s words. Our unsupported-PC guide explains what that means in practice.
- Missing pieces you may want. Edge, OneDrive, Media Player and Quick Assist are gone by default. Reinstalling some of them later is up to you.
- No support. Microsoft will not support a modified image, and the builder is a community project maintained by one developer.
- Core cannot be patched. If you use tiny11 core, keep it offline or in a disposable virtual machine.
If your goal is just to keep an older PC safe, compare the supported options first. Windows 10 Extended Security Updates run until October 12, 2027, and our guide to alternatives for PCs that can’t run Windows 11 covers Linux Mint, Zorin OS and ChromeOS Flex.
Questions
Is tiny11 legal?
The builder is a script that modifies Microsoft’s own ISO on your PC. You still need a valid Windows license for every PC you install it on. The scripts do not activate Windows.
Does tiny11 get Windows updates?
The regular tiny11 image is serviceable: the README says you can add updates after creation. tiny11 core cannot be updated.
What is the difference between tiny11 and tiny11 core?
Core also removes the component store, Windows Update and WinRE, and disables Defender. The developer recommends it only for testing and development.
Where is the official tiny11 download?
There is no official image download. The official project is the builder at github.com/ntdevlabs/tiny11builder, and you build the image from Microsoft’s ISO.
Is a tiny11 ISO from a file-sharing site safe?
You cannot verify it. It could contain anything. Build your own from Microsoft’s ISO instead.
Does tiny11 work on unsupported PCs?
The script sets Microsoft’s LabConfig bypass values, so setup skips the TPM, CPU, RAM, Secure Boot and storage checks. Microsoft does not support Windows 11 on such PCs.
Can I skip the Microsoft account with tiny11?
Yes. The README says the answer file bypasses the Microsoft account during setup, and the script sets BypassNRO.
Does tiny11 work on Arm64?
The README says the script works on any architecture, and notes a harmless error on Arm64 because that image lacks OneDriveSetup.exe.
Sources
- ntdevlabs/tiny11builder repository and README, GitHub (checked September 26, 2026)
- tiny11maker.ps1, tiny11Coremaker.ps1 and autounattend.xml, GitHub
- tiny11builder releases, GitHub
- Download Windows 11, Microsoft
- Installing Windows 11 on devices that don’t meet minimum system requirements, Microsoft Support
- Rufus FAQ, GitHub wiki
- Set-ExecutionPolicy, Microsoft Learn
