A Windows Insider developer, known as NTDev, has demonstrated that it is possible to run Windows 11 on a system with just 176MB of RAM. Despite the extremely low RAM allocation, NTDev managed to build a Windows 11 installation that boots into the operating system and runs apps.
NTDev's achievement is particularly impressive considering it was accomplished less than two weeks after another Windows Insider developer, Denny, demonstrated that Windows 11 could boot using just 200MB of RAM. However, Denny's method involved installing the Windows OS on an SSD.
NTDev's Windows 11 installation boots to a command prompt instead of Explorer, which gives it a disadvantage compared to Denny's achievement. However, sacrificing Explorer seems to be worth it as the default Windows desktop file manager app running in the background on the 200MB system appeared to be very slow.
NTDev explained that their system actually boots faster and more reliably than Denny's 200MB system, despite the fact that it uses a tiny 176MB RAM allocation. The developer accomplished this feat through extensive trial and error, identifying the essential drivers and services required for Windows 11 to boot.
NTDev's full driver and service selection process can be seen in the video below:
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The developer also used NirSoft's ServiWin tool to showcase the drivers that were started, stopped, and disabled at boot. At one point, NTDev even considered factors like the disk drive interface used, opting for IDE.
Another Windows Insider developer, Xeno, pointed out that there is actually a "text only Windows 11" option that can run on as little as 96MB of RAM. However, Xeno acknowledged that this stripped-down version is hardly practical compared to NTDev's "surprisingly usable" effort.
NTDev has gained attention for previous achievements, such as the creation of Tiny11 and Tiny10 OS packages that can run Windows in VRAM. The developer even managed to run Windows 11 entirely in a GPU's VRAM.
While building your own tiny Windows 11 installation may seem like a lot of effort, it is certainly possible. If you are interested in trying it out yourself, a tutorial is available.
For more Windows 11 tips and tricks, check out our other articles, including how to get a Windows 11 Light Mode look on Windows 7 and 8.1, or how to get a full-fledged Linux shell running in Windows, right alongside Windows itself.
