Before you start
This site doesn't host any Windows ISO. You download Windows straight from Microsoft inside tiny11builder, and our recipe just tells it what to remove.
- A PC that's running Windows 10 or 11 (you build the ISO on Windows).
- About 20 GB free on the drive where you build. The workspace needs roughly twice the ISO size.
- A Windows 11 Home license. If your PC already runs activated Windows 11 Home, its digital license reactivates on its own.
- A backup of anything you care about. A clean install wipes the drive.
- An internet connection (the Windows download is about 8.5 GB).
Your license matters. The recipe builds Home. If your key or digital license is for Pro, pick Windows 11 Pro in step 4 instead. Everything else stays the same.
Build the ISO
Follow these in order in tiny11builder. The sidebar in the app shows the same six steps.
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Get tiny11builder
Download it from the project's official GitHub page: github.com/ntdevlabs/tiny11builder. Avoid re-uploads on other sites. Extract the zip and run
tiny11builder.exe. -
Download the recipe
Save
tiny11-26h2-home-recipe.jsonsomewhere easy, like your Downloads folder. -
Welcome → pick “Tiny11” → Start
Pick Tiny11, not Tiny11 Core. Core removes Windows Update, recovery and Defender and is meant for test virtual machines only. We switch to Custom later.
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Windows image → download and choose Home
- Click Download latest Windows 11. It fetches the official ISO from Microsoft (build 26300.x, version 26H2).
- Click Inspect image.
- Under Edition to build, pick Windows 11 Home, not “Home N” or “Home Single Language” unless that's what your license is for.
- Check that the Selected image box at the bottom left says Windows 11 Home, then click Next.
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Remove components → Custom → Load recipe
- Click Custom, then Load recipe… and pick the
.jsonyou downloaded. - It should say 31 removal groups selected, with Apply Core removals turned off.
- Prefer to tick boxes yourself? See what's removed and kept below.
- Click Custom, then Load recipe… and pick the
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Build settings → check your folders
- Workspace: use a separate, empty folder, for example
C:\tiny11. Never point it at Downloads, Desktop or Documents, because the app empties the workspace when it's done. - Output ISO: anywhere you like, for example
C:\tiny11\tiny11-26h2-home.iso. - The recipe already sets: Recovery ESD compression, remove redundant data on, compact installation on, .NET Framework 3.5 on, local-account setup on, keep working files off.
- Leave Create a smaller boot.wim unchecked.
- Workspace: use a separate, empty folder, for example
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Review → Continue → Build
Check the summary (Windows 11 Home, Custom, 31 groups), then click Continue and Build. Expect 20–60 minutes, and Compress image is the slow stage. Keep the PC awake and plugged in.
When all seven stages show done, your ISO is in the output folder.
Install it (no USB needed)
You can install straight from the ISO while Windows is running.
Back up
Copy your files somewhere safe: an external drive or the cloud. Note your Wi-Fi password and any license keys for your apps.
Mount the ISO
Right-click the ISO, choose Mount, open the new drive and run
setup.exe.-
Choose what to keep
- Keep nothing: a clean install, and the most reliable choice. It wipes your apps and files on the Windows drive.
- Keep personal files and apps: only offered if your current Windows is the same language and edition and the same build or older. It's quicker, but some debloating may not stick.
Finish setup
Windows restarts a few times. When it asks, set up a local account (you can sign in to a Microsoft account later if you want).
Prefer a USB stick? Write the ISO with Rufus and boot from it. Same result.
What's removed, what's kept
Tuned for gaming and everyday use. Everything games and launchers depend on stays.
Removed or turned off
- Copilot app + Copilot and Recall policies
- New Outlook and Mail, Teams
- News, Weather and Bing apps
- Microsoft 365 promos, Clipchamp, Solitaire
- Phone Link, Feedback Hub, Tips, Get Help
- Dev Home, Power Automate
- People, To Do, Family, Skype, Maps, Mixed Reality
- Quick Assist, OEM promo apps
- OneDrive (installer + sync prompts)
- XPS printing, Work Folders, Internet Explorer, Recall
- Ads, suggestions, Widgets, web results in Start search
- Optional diagnostics, setup nags, Edge promos
- Reserved storage, automatic BitLocker encryption
Kept on purpose
- Xbox app and Game Bar: Game Pass, Xbox sign-in, Win+G recording
- Edge and WebView2: many apps and launchers break without WebView2
- 32-bit app support and .NET: games and launchers need them
- Windows Update, Defender, recovery
- Paint, Camera, Media Player, Clock, Terminal
- Speech/OCR (Snipping Tool text copy), printer drivers, wallpapers
- Microsoft Store
After install
- Run Windows Update until there's nothing left. It installs security fixes and most drivers.
- Install your GPU driver from NVIDIA, AMD or Intel.
- Check activation: Settings → System → Activation. If it isn't activated, enter your Home key there.
- Set your default browser in Settings → Apps → Default apps.
- Large yearly feature updates can bring a few removed apps back. Just uninstall them, or rebuild with this recipe.
FAQ
Is this legal?
You download genuine Windows from Microsoft, modify it yourself with Microsoft's own DISM tool, and activate it with your own license. That's why this site shares only the recipe and the guide, not a pre-made ISO: redistributing Windows images isn't allowed. We're not lawyers, so read Microsoft's license terms if you're unsure.
Why not just download a ready-made tiny11 ISO?
You can't verify what's inside someone else's ISO, and hosting them breaks Microsoft's terms. Building your own takes an hour and you know exactly what's in it.
Will games and anti-cheat work?
That's the goal of this recipe: Xbox services, WebView2, 32-bit support, .NET, Defender and Windows Update all stay in. Steam, Epic, Battle.net and Xbox/Game Pass titles should behave like they do on stock Windows.
Can I use Tiny11 Core instead for more performance?
Not on a PC you use every day. Core strips Windows Update, recovery and Defender, and tiny11builder itself marks it “for test VMs only”.
My PC doesn't meet Windows 11's requirements. Will it install?
The recipe includes tiny11builder's hardware-requirement bypass, so setup usually goes through. Microsoft doesn't support Windows 11 on such PCs, so some updates or features may not work.
The recipe won't load or shows 0 groups
Make sure you're on a recent tiny11builder release, and that you clicked Custom → Load recipe…. You can also tick the boxes yourself using the list above.