nano11 🔬

A PowerShell script to build an even more heavily trimmed-down Windows 11 image.

Introduction

Introducing nano11 builder, a PowerShell script that creates an even smaller Windows 11 image!

The goal of nano11 is to automate the build of a streamlined Windows 11 image. The script uses only built-in DISM capabilities and the official oscdimg.exe (downloaded automatically) to create a bootable ISO with no external binaries. An included unattended answer file helps bypass the Microsoft Account requirement during setup and enables compact installation by default. It's open-source, so feel free to modify and adapt it to your needs! Also, feedback is much appreciated!

☢️ BEFORE YOU BEGIN:

This is an extreme experimental script designed for creating a quick and dirty development testbed. It removes everything possible to get the smallest footprint, including the Windows Component Store (WinSxS), core services, and much more.

The resulting OS is not serviceable. This means you cannot add languages, drivers, or features, and you will not receive Windows Updates. It is intended only for testing, development, or embedded use in VMs where a minimal, static environment is required.

What is removed?

The nano11.ps1 script is extremely aggressive. It removes:

• All Bloatware Apps: Clipchamp, News, Weather, Xbox, Office Hub, Solitaire, etc.
• Core System Components:
  • ⛔ Windows Component Store (WinSxS)
  • ⛔ Windows Update (and its services)
  • ⛔ Windows Defender (and its services)
  • ⛔ Most Drivers (keeps VGA, Net, Storage only)
  • ⛔ All IMEs (Asian languages)
  • ⛔ Search, BitLocker, Biometrics, and Accessibility features
  • ⛔ Most system services (including Audio)
• Other Components:
  • Microsoft Edge & OneDrive
  • Internet Explorer & Tablet PC Math

⚠️ Important: You cannot add back features or languages in an image created with this script!

Instructions

1. Download Windows 11 from the Microsoft website.

2. Mount the downloaded ISO image by right-clicking it and selecting "Mount". Note the drive letter.

3. Open PowerShell as Administrator.

4. Set the execution policy for the current session by running this command:
   Set-ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Scope Process

5. Navigate to the script's folder and start it:
   C:\path\to\your\nano11\nano11.ps1

6. Follow the prompts: The script will ask for the drive letter of the mounted image and the edition (SKU) you want to base your image on.

7. Sit back and relax! When completed, the new ISO will be in the same folder as the script.

In the end you should get an image that is up to 3 times as smaller as a standard Windows 11 image!

🎬 Watch the Demo

Pre-built image

You can download a pre-built image (the one shown in the video!) from here: archive.org

❤️ Support the Project

If this project has helped you, please consider showing your support! A small donation helps me dedicate more time to projects like this. Thank you!

Patreon | PayPal | Ko-fi

And that's pretty much it for now! Thanks for trying nano11 and let me know how you like it!