@NTDEV_, the creator of modified and stripped-off Windows images, has released the latest addition to its tiny10 and tiny11 family. The tiny11 core project "brings everything you love about Windows" in an even smaller package. If the "regular" tiny11 was too large or demanding for you, tiny11 core is here with its ISO weighing only 2GB and the entire installation requiring a tad more than 3GB.
Of course, one cannot make Windows 11 17GB lighter without notable sacrifices. According to the developer, the project required significant changes in Windows Component Store, Windows Defender, Microsoft Edge, Windows Update, and more. As a result, the OS has no built-in antivirus or browser, plus it cannot install updates (an attempt to open Windows Update will result in the Settings app crashing). Besides, there are no network drivers, so prepare one in advance (the recently introduced network driver install button during the OOBE would be handy).
Despite its slim size, tiny11 core still lets you install applications from the Microsoft Store or other sources, giving you a more or less properly working operating system. Here is a quick demo:
Sounds fishy? It is. Tiny11 core is not intended to replace the previous tiny11 releases, not to mention a "vanilla" installation. Instead, it aims to give you a "quick-and-dirty environment for testing" apps or drivers inside a virtual machine without downloading larger images and wasting dozens of gigabytes of disk space. Therefore, we strongly recommend not using it on a mission-critical computer.
If you think you can find a good use for a 2GB ISO based on Windows 11 Professional version 23H2 (build 22631.2361), download tiny11 core beta 1 from the Internet Archive and share your thoughts with the developer. As a reminder, modified Windows 11 images still require activation using a genuine Windows 10 or 11 key. Sadly, old Windows 7 and 8.1 keys no longer work.