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Nano11 Compresses Windows 11 Install Footprint to as Little as 2.8GB
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by jan
Nano11 compresses Windows 11 install footprint to as little as 2.8GB [tomshardware.com]:
NTDEV has introduced the Nano11 Builder [github.com] for Windows 11 [tomshardware.com]. This is a tool that allows Windows 11 testers and tinkerers to pare down Microsoft [tomshardware.com]’s latest OS into the bare minimum. With this new release, the developer has significantly pushed the boundaries of their prior Tiny11 [tomshardware.com] releases.
Nano11’s extreme pruning of the official installer disk image from Microsoft produces a new ISO “up to 3.5 times smaller” than the original. The example Windows 11 standard ISO shown in the Nano11 demo was 7.04GB, but after the PowerShell script had done its stuff, you can end up with a 2.29GB ISO.
Furthermore, the completed Windows 11 install can scrape in as low as 2.8GB if you use Windows 11 LTSC as the source ISO.
Before we talk anymore about Nano11, please be warned that it is described as “an extreme experimental script designed for creating a quick and dirty development testbed.” It could also be useful for Windows 11 VM (virtual machine) tests, suggests its developer. But it isn’t designed for installing a compact Windows 11 for your daily workhorse.
In the video above, NTDEV explains the process of creating a Nano11-pruned Windows 11 ISO. Then it demonstrates it installed on a virtual machine using the VMware Workstation app. In this app, the intrepid developer sets aside a meager 20GB virtual disk for the installation; other settings seem to be left at their defaults. The installation moves pretty quickly, but we think the video is also sped up a little to reduce viewer tedium.
At around 8m 34s into the video, there's a demo of the kind of Windows 11 [tomshardware.com] you end up with after its Nano11 processing. In the words of the script developer, Nano11 Builder strips out “fluff like Windows Hello packages, unnecessary drivers, .NET precompiled assembly, IME components, wallpapers and more.” The Start Menu seems so bare…
Size is important
Some of the social media postings suggest that, when following in NTDEV’s Nano11 footsteps, you will end up with as little as a 2.8GB Windows 11 install footprint. However, this will depend on the 'flavor' of Windows 11 you start with, and there is also a little bit more work to be done to achieve the minimum size.
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After installation, the example Nano11 install actually uses up 11.0GB of the 20GB virtual disk in the VM. It is only after NTDEV runs the 'Compact' command on the C: drive using LZX compression and then deletes the virtual memory page file that we see the installation reduced to around the 3.2GB level.
The nano11 script used on a Win11 LTSC image leads to an even better result! This will be perfect for when you need an ISO that can be installed in like 5 minutes and without any (and I mean it) fluff https://t.co/iJXGKahIx4 [t.co] pic.twitter.com/UVnsS6MlgGSeptember 9, 2025 [twitter.com]
When starting with the Windows 11 LTSC ISO as the source, NTDEV actually managed to end up with just a 2.8GB install, as shared in a post on X, and embedded above.
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TOPICSWindows 11 [tomshardware.com]
(see previous sub about tiny11)
