Warning

I no longer recommend using this tool. It has been superseded by WinUtil from ChrisTitusTech, which is far better at this job and is actively maintained. Please use WinUtil instead — see Recommended Alternatives below for details.

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minified-windows

Scripts to build a lightweight, fully de-bloated Windows 11 image, powered by PowerShell.

This project is a refreshed, minimal, clean, and efficient Windows 11 setup. Built entirely in PowerShell, it is a single-script solution to create slimmed-down Windows 11 ISOs that work with:

• All Windows 11 versions
• Any language or SKU
• x64 and ARM64 architectures

Recommended Alternatives

Do not use this tool. The following alternatives are actively maintained and far more capable:

⭐ Option 1 — WinUtil by ChrisTitusTech (recommended)

This is the tool I recommend. It is a powerful, GUI-based PowerShell utility that does everything this project does — and much more. Inside WinUtil there is a dedicated option to create a minified Windows 11 image, which is exactly what this project aimed to do. Use that instead.

Run WinUtil with:

irm christitus.com/win | iex

Then navigate to the MicroWin tab to build your minified Windows 11 ISO.

⭐ Option 2 — AtlasOS (for extra performance)

If you have already created a minified Windows 11 ISO (e.g. via WinUtil's MicroWin), you can install AtlasOS on top of it for even more performance gains and fine-grained tweaks. AtlasOS is an open-source Windows configuration layer applied via AME Wizard using a transparent, auditable YAML playbook. I have been gaming on AtlasOS and it is a great choice if you dislike the bloat Microsoft has been pushing into Windows 11.

tiny11builder by ntdevlabs

The original inspiration for this repo. Regularly updated, well-tested, and the go-to tool for building a debloated Windows 11 ISO offline. If you want what this project offered, use this.

How to Use

1. Download the official Windows 11 ISO: https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/windows11

2. Mount the ISO using Windows Explorer.

3. Launch Minify-Windows.ps1 as Administrator:

   # Standard mode (default)
   .\Minify-Windows.ps1
   
   # Core mode — maximum removal, use at your own risk
   .\Minify-Windows.ps1 -Mode Core
   
   # Optionally specify a scratch disk (default: script directory)
   .\Minify-Windows.ps1 -ScratchDisk D

4. Select the ISO drive letter and image index when prompted.

5. Output: MinifiedWindows.iso is created in the script directory.

Run PowerShell as Administrator first:

Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser

Modes

-Mode Standard (default)

Removes bloatware apps and applies privacy/telemetry tweaks. Suitable for general use.

• Removes: Edge, OneDrive, Copilot, Cortana, Teams, Xbox apps, Sticky Notes, To Do, Maps, Weather, News, Bing, Mail, Camera, Solitaire, Clipchamp, Skype, Outlook, DevHome, and more
• Registry tweaks: telemetry, taskbar, sponsored apps, privacy, security hardening
• No browser will remain — install one after first boot: winget install Brave.Brave

-Mode Core

Everything in Standard, plus more aggressive removal. Intended for VMs and test environments.

• Removes optional Windows features: Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player, WordPad, handwriting, speech, OCR
• Strips the component store (WinSxS) to the bare minimum — image cannot be updated
• Removes Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) — F11 recovery no longer works
• Completely disables Windows Update

Both modes produce a non-serviceable image — Windows Update is unreliable or fully disabled.

What Gets Removed

See the Modes section above for a per-mode breakdown. The full list of removed AppX package prefixes and registry keys is documented inline in Minify-Windows.ps1.

Registry Tweaks Applied

• Hardware requirement bypass (TPM, Secure Boot, CPU, RAM)
• All telemetry disabled (AllowTelemetry=0, DiagTrack service disabled, dmwappushservice disabled)
• ContentDeliveryManager fully suppressed (no sponsored/suggested apps)
• Copilot disabled via policy
• News and Interests / Widgets disabled
• Chat/Teams icon removed from taskbar
• Edge uninstall entries cleaned from registry
• OneDrive folder sync disabled via policy
• DevHome and Outlook auto-install blocked (UScheduler keys)
• OOBE local account bypass (BypassNRO)
• BitLocker device encryption disabled
• Reserved Storage disabled
• Activity History disabled
• Sticky Keys annoyance disabled
• Location access denied by default
• LLMNR (Link-Local Multicast Name Resolution) disabled
• Anonymous SAM enumeration blocked
• Remote Assistance disabled
• Long paths enabled (LongPathsEnabled=1)
• Scheduled telemetry tasks removed (Appraiser, CEIP, autochk proxy, QueueReporting, DiskDiagnostic)

Known Issues

1. Edge traces may remain in Settings UI. The app itself is removed.

   To restore: winget install edge

2. winget may be missing or broken after a fresh install from this image, since the App Installer package that ships winget may have been removed or broken during debloat.

   Fix by reinstalling winget via asheroto/winget-install:

   Install-Script winget-install -Force
   winget-install -Force

3. ARM64 may show a harmless error due to missing OneDriveSetup.exe.

Thanks & Sources

This project was built on the shoulders of:

• ntdevlabs/tiny11builder - core approach, package list, registry tweaks
• SimonCropp/WinDebloat - additional registry tweaks and service disabling
• Atlas-OS/Atlas - privacy hardening, security policies, performance tweaks
• ChrisTitusTech/winutil - additional debloat patterns and registry keys

Disclaimer

This project is provided as-is and used at your own risk. The author is not responsible for any damage or data loss caused by the use of these scripts. The author is not affiliated with Microsoft or any related entities. Windows and Windows-related trademarks are owned by Microsoft Corporation.