Windows 11 26H2 boots on a PC with 128 MB of RAM

Developer NTDEV optimized Windows 11 26H2 to run with just 128 MB of RAM—32 times less than the official minimum of 4 GB.

NTDEV is known for Tiny11, a lightweight version of Windows 11 with preinstalled apps and some optional components removed. In the new project, Pico11, the developer has gone further, stripping down the system to minimize resource use.

Despite its limitations, the build boots to the desktop and lets users open File Explorer, the Start menu, and the classic Notepad. According to NTDEV, it even retains the ability to run several programs at once. However, the system is extremely slow, so the result demonstrates that it can boot, not that it is suitable for everyday use.

Installation image under 700 MB

NTDEV previously showed another result of work on Pico11: a Windows 11 installation ISO image measuring 699, 811, 840 bytes. Together with the installer, it fits on a standard 700 MB CD.

This build retains the desktop, File Explorer, Settings, Calculator, Paint, and Notepad, which can save text files. The modern Task Manager has been replaced with an older version.

The compact image was tested separately from the 128 MB RAM experiment. It was run in a virtual machine with 4 GB of RAM, and the reported usage was about 883 MB.

Pico11 limitations

To reduce the ISO image size, NTDEV removed Windows Update and system servicing components. As a result, the build has no built-in mechanism for receiving updates, including security fixes. The creator considers it a technical experiment, not a replacement for a standard Windows installation.

NTDEV plans to add the ability to create similar images to Tiny11 Builder, a tool for preparing lightweight Windows 11 builds. The release date for these capabilities and the full list of Pico11 limitations have not yet been announced.