Windows 11 24H2 can run – sort of – in 184MB
- Reference: 1736255713
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2025/01/07/windows_11_24h2_can_run/
- Source link:
YouTuber NTDEV, the same individual that produced the stripped-down [1]Tiny11 edition of Windows 11 , and later [2]updated the code for Windows 11 23H2, has now performed a similar stunt with Windows 11 24H2.
[3]Youtube Video
[4]
The timing of NTDEV's video is amusing since Microsoft and its hardware chums are currently trying to persuade customers attending [5]mega tech event CES that buying new PCs are 2025's big thing.
[6]
[7]
Getting Windows 11 24H2 to run in such a small space is more of an intellectual exercise than anything else. NTDEV was able to coax the desktop into life and run apps such as Task Manager, Notepad and Paint, but admitted, "Obviously, it's terribly slow and basically air-gapped at this point, but as you can see, we can still multitask!"
The operating system is also running in Safe Mode, meaning there is very little that can be done with the platform other than fire up Task Manager and marvel at just how low the requirements for Windows 11 could go.
[8]
We tried out Tiny11 in 2023 and concluded that while it was a technical tour-de-force, the slimmed-down version of Windows 11 wasn't really suitable for use as a daily driver. A user obviously still needs a Windows 11 license, and the configuration was most definitely not supported by Microsoft.
NTDEV has had to wield the scalpel further to get the footprint even smaller. The prodder of Windows noted, "This was done through the power of tiny11 core, as well as some further extensive optimization."
[9]Microsoft declares 2025 'the year of the Windows 11 PC refresh'
[10]AI PCs flood the market. Their makers hope someone wants them
[11]Whomp-whomp: AI PCs make users less productive
[12]Dude, you got a Dell, period! RIP XPS, Inspiron, Latitude, Precision
There is no end of operating systems that will run in the same amount of memory or less, but considering that Microsoft's [13]requirements call for 4GB to get its own operating system running, the fact that it can be coaxed to life in far less memory demonstrates just how bloated Windows' extremities have got over the years.
As Microsoft parades its latest take on AI assistants around the Las Vegas conference halls housing CES, the work by NTDEV harks back to a simpler time when the bloat was opt in rather than opt out. Although running in 184MB is extreme, The Reg cannot help but wonder why Windows 11 24H2 has the requirements it does, given that the core of the operating system clearly doesn't need them.
New AI PC anyone? Anyone? Anyone? ®
Get our [14]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/08/windows_11_ram/
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2023/11/27/tiny11_2311/
[3] https://youtu.be/Rtbe_iufKyg
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2Z31dth54Ytz0ztFCF7WCXQAAABY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/06/microsoft_2025_windows_refresh/
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Z31dth54Ytz0ztFCF7WCXQAAABY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Z31dth54Ytz0ztFCF7WCXQAAABY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[8] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Z31dth54Ytz0ztFCF7WCXQAAABY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/06/microsoft_2025_windows_refresh/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2024/11/14/ai_pc_shipments/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2024/11/22/ai_pcs_productivity/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/07/dell_renaming_pc_brands/
[13] https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/whats-new/windows-11-requirements
[14] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
It’d be interesting to see what sort of functionality could be had with a half gig or a gig. How much to get a usable browser?
Imagine the world we'd be living in...
...if companies developing software actually put in as much effort as this guy has. Especially in today's world of microservices and containers, if you could actually get an entire OS running in megabytes of memory it would make everything so much more efficient.
Re: Imagine the world we'd be living in...
if you could actually get an entire OS running in megabytes of memory it would make everything so much more efficient.
You mean like we did until Windows came along? It makes me both sad and annoyed to see "it runs in only 184MB" vaunted as something positive. Make it run in 4MB and I might offer some plaudits.
Re: Imagine the world we'd be living in...
To be fair, it's pretty hard to get an entire OS running in single digits of ram when you have to take into account as many hardware variants as we have today. You'd be back at the whole "compile your kernel for the precise hardware you intend to run on" stage - which I personally could do without going back to.
Re: Imagine the world we'd be living in...
You think device drivers eat all the RAM? It's mainly down to eager loading of stuff might need and stuff you definitely don't.
Re: Make it run in 4MB and I might offer some plaudits.
Yes, and make it require a real mode driver for the voiceview modem while you are at it!
Oh the heady days of an almost instant boot but jobs that took forever to complete!
Bring back IRQ hell!
Server 2025 ist the better Client OS
A fresh installed Server 2025 runs fine with about 1 GB of RAM, does not need all of it. Runs on 30 GB system drive with enough room for a bit, tough not much room left. If you want to run actual applications or want Windows updates to go reasonable fast 2 GB on 40 GB storage is recommended. If you want to run a modern browser 8 GB with 50GB storage is recommended. But the OS itself, still including Windows Defender, does not need that much.
Now to Windows 11, especially 24h2: Don't even try to run with 8 GB, 12 GB (usually 16 GB) should be considered as reasonable minimum.
I will test, as soon as my time/priorities permit, try to "upgrade" an 24h2 to Server 2025... Anybody got some time left to sell to me? Like 20 years or more?
EDIT: Running Server 2025 as "core" needs less of course, but you still want to run an application I suspect. The missing explorer is not the problem, you have your shell to do what you need, but your browser still needs a lot of RAM and 4+ cores if you want to actually use it.
Re: Server 2025 ist the better Client OS
24H2 on either a couple of years old Lenovo's with 16GB RAM ran like a dog. Down to 23H2 and they are a lot better,l so no idea what spec it needs to run well.
I upgraded "server" over xmas, but went to 23H2 from W10 due to the above. The lenovo's are standard T14s's (i7 and a Ryzen), the server is homebrew so no idea how bad that would run with 24H2
Alas, can't go to Server on my "server" due to backblaze
Re: Server 2025 ist the better Client OS
I think I forgot to mention: Server 2025 and Windows 11 24H2 use the same codebase, mostly the same core. The difference is the crap you have to clean on 24h2 when fresh installed. And then STILL server 2025 is faster. Your T14 (in my case T15 with 16 GB) example: 24h2 is very very slow, but I cannot test Server 2025 on that laptop. It is my work Laptop, having 24h2 on it is already unusual and I am among those in the company with the courage to go ahead there unless they are forced to with a Surface. (Erm: And I am among those which have the rights to do such nonsense with their device, but Server 2025 might get a real blocker once discovered).
> the configuration was most definitely not supported by Microsoft.
I've not heard of anyone who has ever received end-user Windows support from Microsoft?
I did, and I got. Company level problem stuff. Most humans won't and will never.
"Microsoft's requirements call for 4GB"
And that has always been complete bullshit.
Windows needs 8GB to run, and if you do anything more than Internet and email, you'll probably need 16GB to be comfortable.
If you're a gamer, you need 32GB.
And an SSD card for booting Windows, and another one to store your game data.
Not good enough to provide the core functionality - pushing adverts.