Developer Gets Windows 11 26H2 Running on Just 128MB of RAM

Developer NTDEV has managed to run Windows 11 26H2 with just 128MB of RAM, far below Microsoft’s official minimum requirement of 4GB.

The experiment is part of Pico11, an upcoming project that aims to create extremely lightweight Windows 11 installations.

In a demonstration shared on X, NTDEV showed the modified operating system booting to the desktop and running several basic applications.

The experiment follows the developer’s recent Tiny11 Builder redesign, which introduced Windows 11 26H2 support and improved options for removing unnecessary components.

Pico11 shrinks Windows 11 26H2 to less than 700MB

NTDEV reduced the Windows 11 26H2 installation ISO to less than 700MB, including the installer, making it small enough to fit on a standard CD.

Despite its size, the modified operating system can still run several Windows applications.

Calculator and Settings open normally, Notepad can create and save text files, and both Paint and File Explorer remain functional.

Task Manager also appears to have been replaced with an older, more lightweight version.

Running Windows 11 on 128MB comes with major compromises

Microsoft requires at least 4GB of RAM for Windows 11, making NTDEV’s achievement particularly unusual.

However, reducing memory requirements this drastically involves removing essential Windows components, including Windows Update and general servicing capabilities.

As a result, this project can’t provide the same functionality or maintenance options as a regular Windows 11 installation. The project primarily demonstrates how much developers can strip down the operating system while keeping its basic features working.

Separately, another user recently managed to reduce Windows 11 RAM usage to 2.5GB using a Rufus installation tweak.

Pico11 takes this approach much further, although it remains an experimental project rather than a practical option for everyday use.

Via Neowin