SHOULD YOU RUN… WINDOWS 11 ON AN OLD PC? If your computer can’t upgrade to the full edition of Windows 11, consider an unofficial ‘lite’ edition instead. Daniel Booth explains the pros and cons.
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What is Tiny11?
If you’ve been putting off upgrading to Windows 11 because you fear your old computer isn’t up to the job, consider installing Tiny11 instead.
It’s an unofficial stripped-down version of Windows 11 Pro – so you’ll need to be running Windows 10 Pro to upgrade to it. While the full version of the operating system requires 4GB of RAM and 64GB of hard drive space, Tiny11 needs only 2GB and 8GB, respectively. One PC enthusiast even managed to run it on just 200MB of RAM.
Also, crucially, your computer doesn’t need the security features TPM 2.0 or Secure Boot. These are the strictest specifications imposed by Microsoft on PCs when upgrading to Windows 11 and this is the main reason why so many machines have been unable to.
The reason Tiny11 needs less RAM and storage is that it removes many heavyweight apps, such as Edge and OneDrive, as well as features it deems unnecessary. Tools it does keep include accessibility features like Narrator and Magnifier, and smaller apps such as Calculator and Notepad, plus Windows Terminal and PowerShell. Additionally, it keeps Windows Security, so you’re protected in the usual way. It also has the Microsoft Store, so you can install apps from there, or download software from the web as you wish.
There’s much to like about Tiny11, but it most certainly won’t be right for everyone. First, we’ll explain how to download the program, then give you the case for and against it.
Download Tiny11
You can either upgrade from Windows 10 Pro to Tiny11 or perform a clean install. We recommend trying the former method first, though some users have reported seeing error messages this way. If you get stuck, try a clean install instead. You’ll need an activation code for Windows 11 Pro, just like the normal Windows. You can use a standard Windows 10/11 Pro product key to activate it.
The best place to download Tiny11 is the Internet Archive (IA). There are plenty of other download links online, but they’re mostly on sites where you run the risk of clicking a download advert instead. Visit https://archive.org/details/tiny11-23h2, and if on the right you see ‘Log in to view this item,’ click it and sign in with your Internet Archive account (if you don’t have an IA account, sign up for one at https://archive.org/account/signup).
This link is for the latest version of Tiny11. Confusingly, It’s called ‘23H2’, referring to Microsoft’s forthcoming 23H2 update for Windows 11, though it’s actually based on the 22H2 update released last year. To download the 4.2GB file, click TSO IMAGE’ on the right ([1] in our screenshot above). The IA limits users’ bandwidth so the download might take a few hours. If you find this is too slow, choose the Torrent option for downloading instead [2].
This version doesn’t require TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot. If your machine does have these features but you’d still like to run Tiny11, visit https://archive.org/details/tiny-11_202302 instead, then click ‘ISO IMAGE’ on the right and select ‘tiny11 b2.iso’ file (see screenshot bottom of page 60) – it’s a 3.6GB file.
When Tiny11 downloads, you’ll need to create a bootable USB stick (or CD) for the ISO file. For USB sticks, we recommend the software Rufus (https://rufus.ie/en/); for CDs try WinCDEmu (https://wincdemu.sysprogs.org/).
Once you’ve placed the ISO file on your stick or CD, you’ll have to set your computer to boot from it. This requires opening your machine’s BIOS or UEFI when booting – check your manufacturer’s manual or website for instructions.
When in the BIOS or UEFI, open the ‘Boot options’ (or similar) menu, then select the USB stick or CD and press your keyboard’s arrow keys to move it to the top of the list. Press Enter and wait for Windows to confirm the change.
You should next reach the ‘Windows Setup’ screen. Select the language, time format, and keyboard method, then click ‘Next’. Accept Microsoft’s terms, click Next, select the drive where you want to install Tiny11, then click Next at the bottom.
Now complete the remaining steps, such as selecting the country and the keyboard layout method and setting up a local account by entering a name and a password. You can sign into your Microsoft account later through Settings if you want to. Follow a few more security steps and the installation should start.
When it’s running, open Task Manager to see confirmation that its RAM is a petite 2GB (see screenshot below). Then search for and open Local Disk on your machine, then right-click it and choose Properties and you’ll see that Tiny11 takes up around 8.07GB (see screenshot below).
The case for Tiny11
The most obvious benefit of Tiny11 is that it should continue running efficiently on older hardware over the longer term, not merely the next year or two. Nor does it come with many – often unwanted – tools that Microsoft adds to Windows 11, such as Edge and Teams.
You’ll notice the difference as soon as you click the Start button. Only a few apps will appear, including Notepad, Microsoft Store, Calculator, File Explorer, Photos, and Settings – see screenshot below
By default, Tiny11 uses a local account, rather than a Microsoft account, so your activities are not so closely linked to your profile (you can revert to a Microsoft account if you prefer). If you’re not keen to let Microsoft track what you do on your PC, this could be a reason to switch in itself – particularly as Microsoft is now encouraging Microsoft Account login as the standard option.
Tiny11 hasn’t come out of nowhere: it’s a follow-on from Tiny10 for Windows 10 (available to download from https://archive.org/details/tiny-10-23-h2), so it has been in active development for several years and is improving all the time.
The case against Tiny11
Some of Tiny11’s benefits are also reasons to be cautious – chiefly, the fact it’s an unofficial build of Windows. This means Microsoft does not support it, so it won’t update automatically, and there’s no guarantee that it will continue working in the future.
You may be put off also by the anonymity of Tiny11’s developer, known only as NTDev. He describes himself as “an electronics student who does dumb things in their spare time” (https://github.com/ntdevlabs). This is knowingly self-effacing: Tiny11 is an impressive achievement and has many positive reviews online. What’s more, NTDev has an excellent reputation among software developers.
But there’s no doubt it’s an experimental operating system that should be downloaded with care. You won’t get any support if anything goes wrong. Also, remember that while Tiny11 is a free download, you’ll still need a valid code to activate Windows 11 Pro. Without this, you won’t be able to activate Tiny11.
OUR VERDICT: SHOULD YOU UPGRADE TO TINY11?
We’re going to assume that you’ve tried and failed to install the full version of Windows 11, but you’re still keen to try it and are prepared to bypass Microsoft’s technical specifications.
If the Windows 10 computer you want to upgrade is your main machine and you’re happy with it, then you’ll naturally be reluctant to risk running Tiny11. Only do so if your enthusiasm for Windows 11 outstrips your caution. Bear in mind that if you stick with Windows 10, you’ll need to buy a new computer with Windows 11 (or possibly 12) before October 2025, when Microsoft plans to end support for 10.
But if the computer you want to upgrade is a spare machine gathering dust, then what have you got to lose? This is the attitude many users have taken, and have reported great success stories of reviving neglected PCs and laptops.
So, at the risk of sitting on the fence, whether you should install Tiny11 depends entirely on the status of the Windows 10 computer you want to upgrade. It might help to watch NTDev’s YouTube video below explaining how Tiny11 works. If nothing else, it will show you that the system looks and feels much like the full version of Windows 11.