NTDEV showed a "proof of concept" built with the unreleased Pico11 tool. The stated goal was to see how small a Windows 11 ISO could get while keeping a working desktop and a few familiar apps. NTDEV's own post on X says the image is under 700 MB for the entire ISO, installer included. Tom's Hardware puts the demo image at 699,811,840 bytes, which just fits on a nominal 700 MB disc.
What the demo showed
- Image size: about 699.8 million bytes, per Tom's Hardware. This is the size of the installer ISO. It says nothing about how much disk space the installed system uses, and that figure hasn't been reported.
- Memory: The test system was a VM with 4 GB allocated, and it used around 883 MB of RAM. That is one observation in one VM. It isn't a benchmark or a minimum requirement.
- Apps: NTDEV says Calculator and Settings still open, Notepad saves files, and Paint still works.
- Task Manager: NTDEV says it "might look a little older than you remember." Tom's Hardware speculated it could be a legacy version, possibly from Windows 7. NTDEV hasn't said where it came from, so treat that origin as unconfirmed.
The demo doesn't show driver coverage, networking, security behavior, or compatibility with other software. A handful of working inbox apps in one VM doesn't prove those.
The trade-off: no Windows Update
NTDEV calls the build "an experiment, not a replacement for a normal Windows installation." Windows Update and general servicing were removed to fit the CD-R capacity.
That matters for anyone tempted to treat this as a lightweight daily driver. A Windows install that can't take cumulative updates stays frozen at whatever security level it had on day one. That is acceptable in a throwaway VM or a retro-computing stunt. It is a poor idea on a machine that touches the internet or holds real data.
No security evaluation has been published, and Microsoft has no involvement. Nothing reported suggests the image is safe or suitable for production.
How it relates to Tiny11 Builder
NTDEV's Tiny11 Builder repository is now a WinUI app. It lists three modes:
- Tiny11: removes bundled apps and unwanted features while keeping updates, Defender and recovery.
- Tiny11 Core: trims further by removing servicing and recovery support and disabling Defender.
- Custom: lets you choose which apps, components, features and services to remove or keep.
The repository warns that Core cannot be updated or serviced. It also says protected Custom removals can break Windows, and it advises testing any ISO in a VM before installing it. The builder comes in x64 and ARM64 versions and needs administrator approval to run.
Tom's Hardware compares Pico11 to Tiny11 Core because both drop servicing. That is the outlet's comparison, not a documented fact about how Pico11 works. The older Task Manager hints at more under-the-hood changes, but none are documented.
Tom's Hardware reports that NTDEV is working on adding Pico11 capabilities to the Tiny11 builder. The repository page doesn't list Pico11 as a mode today, so it's planned work and not a shipping feature. NTDEV's X feed also mentions a Tiny11 Builder 0.2 coming soon with fixes and quality-of-life improvements. That's a separate item from Pico11.
Context: how small is small?
Tom's Hardware places the CD image against earlier Tiny11 experiments:
- A roughly 100 MB build that came without any Windows 11 UI.
- A build that used as little as 176 MB of RAM.
- More typical customized builds of around 2 GB.
These measure different things. The 100 MB and 2 GB figures are image or build sizes. The 176 MB figure is memory use. They shouldn't be lined up as if they were one scale. The CD image stands out because it claims to keep the graphical desktop and some inbox apps.
Earlier NTDEV projects show the same trend. Coverage of Live11 described a Windows 11 image that ran from RAM and fit on a 4.7 GB DVD. MiniTool's report said it needed legacy BIOS and MBR and 8 GB of RAM. That is a very different goal from Pico11's size record, and it shows how experimental these builds can be.
Should you try it?
You can't yet. Pico11 is unreleased, and the reporting gives no download, source image version, or build recipe. Be wary of any repository or ISO that claims to be Pico11. A GitHub project named "Pico11" already exists. It says nothing about being linked to NTDEV and lists system requirements and features like Windows Update that conflict with NTDEV's description. Don't assume it's related.
If you want to experiment with a trimmed image today, use the Tiny11 Builder with an official Windows image and test it in a VM first. Keep Core-style builds off production machines. Pico11's practical value will depend on what NTDEV releases and how much of the servicing and recovery trade-off it exposes.
Bottom line
A Windows 11 ISO under 700 MB that boots to a desktop and runs Paint is a neat technical demonstration. The price is clear: no Windows Update and no servicing. For now, this is a curiosity for VM tinkerers and nostalgia seekers, not a deployment option.