Tiny11’s free update strips down Windows 11 for Windows 10 fans
As the official end of support draws nearer for Windows 10, there’s another option that can help ease the pain for Windows 10 users transitioning to Windows 11: Tiny11 Builder.
Tiny11 has been out for a few years now; in fact, we last wrote about Tiny11 in 2023. It’s now received a substantial update, and the focus has slightly changed: Now, it’s an option for those who don’t want to deal with the bloat or the ad telemetry that Windows 11 brings.
“After more than a year (for which I am so sorry) of no updates, Tiny11 Builder is now a much more complete and flexible solution — one script fits all,” ntdevlabs, the developer, wrote. “Also, it is a steppingstone for an even more fleshed-out solution.”
Essentially, Tiny11 Builder takes a Windows 11 ISO, loads it, but chops out a ton of built-in Windows apps, the telemetry, and the “ads” to use specific Windows features. Yes, a Windows 10 user will be forced to transition to Windows 11. Tiny11 Builder’s mission, however, is to strip down Windows 11 to its essentials, even if that still means dealing with the new Windows 11 Start menu, the relatively static Taskbar, or other features. There’s another plus, though: Tiny 11 Builder removes the need for a Microsoft account.
Tiny11 Builder can be downloaded from GitHub for free, from its developer, NTDEV, or netdevlabs. You’ll need to download the Windows 11 ISO from Microsoft, launch PowerShell, then follow the script instructions. It’s certainly not as easy as a one-click executable, but it doesn’t appear to be too difficult. You can use it on “any” Windows release, the developer says, and it will run on Windows on Arm, too.
Since Tiny11 Builder slices off a few unneeded (to the developer, anyway) functions from Windows 11, it leaves what you’ll care about: the security updates, patches, and other features that will ensure that your PC is secure and up to date. What happens if the patch tries to force back Microsoft Edge, which Tiny11 removes? That shouldn’t happen, but the developer notes that there’s an “ongoing battle” between removing Outlook and Dev Home, which Windows apparently keeps trying to restore.
Tiny11 removes a ton of Windows apps:
- Clipchamp
- News
- Weather
- Xbox
- GetHelp
- GetStarted
- Office Hub
- Solitaire
- PeopleApp
- PowerAutomate
- ToDo
- Alarms
- Mail and Calendar
- Feedback Hub
- Maps
- Sound Recorder
- Your Phone
- Media Player
- QuickAssist
- Internet Explorer
- Tablet PC Math
- Edge
- OneDrive
The developer doesn’t seem to be quite finished, noting that it would like to implement better controls over which apps to delete and which to pare. Interestingly, while the developer’s announcement tweet lists Teams as one of the targeted apps to remove, the GitHub page’s list doesn’t mention it. (Tom’s Hardware noted the tweet as well as the update to the Tiny11 page.)
The same page also lists a Tiny11CoreMaker option, but this is more of a development platform and should be ignored.
As you’re probably aware, Windows 10 support expires on October 14, 2025. Users will either need to download and upgrade to Windows 11 before then, or risk running on an unsupported system.
Otherwise, consumers can pay Microsoft $30 for a year’s worth of Windows 10 support patches. Alternatively, there are two free options: Turn on Windows Backup (which requires a Microsoft account) or redeem 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points instead. Otherwise, you’ll have to upgrade to Windows 11, where Tiny11’s latest update provides an alternative to a full copy of Windows 11.
