A newly overhauled version of the Tiny11 Builder can now strip Copilot, the new Outlook client, and Microsoft Teams from Windows 11 installation images before the operating system ever touches a hard drive. This update, driven by a complete migration to PowerShell, marks a significant escalation in the community’s fight against what many call Microsoft’s “inbox app” problem. The open-source project, maintained by developer NTDEV, also introduces aggressive anti-reinstall measures, recovery compression for drastically smaller ISOs, and early compatibility with the forthcoming Windows 11 25H2 feature update.

For power users and IT administrators fed up with a first-boot experience cluttered by cloud-linked AI assistants, trialware, and unwanted collaboration tools, this release offers a scriptable, transparent way to build a lean Windows 11 image. But the new capabilities come with familiar trade-offs: stripped-down images can lose serviceability, and Microsoft’s update machinery may still fight back.

The inbox app dilemma and the Tiny11 tradition

Windows 11 ships with dozens of built-in apps, always-on integration points, and an increasing push toward AI-enabled features. For many, these inbox components are unnecessary, consume disk space, run background services, and deepen telemetry and cloud-tethering. Over the years, the community response has ranged from post-install debloat scripts to complete image rebuilds. Tiny11 sits squarely in that tradition: an open-source, administrator-controlled method that accepts an official Microsoft ISO and outputs a trimmed, repeatable installer.

Until now, the builder relied on batch scripting and focused on removing consumer-oriented apps like Clipchamp, Weather, Xbox, and OneDrive. But with Microsoft aggressively weaving AI and modern collaboration tools into the OS, the old approach no longer sufficed. The latest iteration directly targets the crown jewels of Microsoft’s 2025 strategy.

What’s new: Copilot, Outlook, Teams – and a PowerShell engine

The headline feature is the explicit removal of Copilot, the new Outlook for Windows client, and Microsoft Teams from the installation image. Copilot integrates model-based suggestions, summaries, and assisted flows into the shell and Edge – features some users see as resource-heavy nuisances that nudge them toward cloud services. The new Outlook, often preinstalled as the successor to Mail & Calendar, duplicates functionality for those who prefer Thunderbird, webmail, or other clients. And Teams, repeatedly pushed by Windows setup, is intrusive for home users who never asked for it.

Removing these at the image level – rather than after installation – offers a stronger guarantee of a clean initial state, though Microsoft’s Store and servicing mechanisms can later try to reinstall them. To counter that, the builder now includes proactive blocking routines, an ongoing “whack-a-mole” effort acknowledged in the project’s GitHub issues.

The entire toolchain has been rewritten in PowerShell. The new tiny11maker.ps1 script replaces older batch flows, making the builder portable across Windows releases, languages, and CPU architectures (x64 and arm64). This shift also enables better error handling and integration with native Microsoft tools.

Two other engineering improvements stand out. First, the script now uses DISM’s /Compress:recovery flag to produce dramatically smaller final ISOs. NTDEV reports that recovery compression, which trades a bit of CPU time during creation for a smaller payload, is a major contributor to the slimmer images. Second, an unattended answer file (autounattend.xml) is bundled to bypass the Microsoft Account requirement during the out-of-box experience (OOBE), a convenience for anyone building images for kiosks, labs, or privacy-conscious setups.

For extreme minimalists, the update also introduces “tiny11 Core,” a variant that removes the Windows Component Store (WinSxS) and other servicing infrastructure. This creates an ultra-small, unserviceable image intended only for testing, VMs, or constrained offline devices. The developer is explicit: Core is not a daily-driver option.

How the builder actually works

Tiny11 Builder is not a binary program; it’s a scripted pipeline that leverages Microsoft’s own servicing stack – a deliberate design choice that keeps the process transparent and auditable.

The core workflow:
- Mount an official Windows 11 ISO (WIM or ESD format).
- Run the PowerShell script as Administrator, specifying the mounted drive letter and a scratch drive for temporary files.
- The script uses DISM to service the image offline, removing a curated list of packages and components. The “What is removed” list in the GitHub README now covers Clipchamp, News, Weather, Xbox, GetHelp, Office Hub, Solitaire, Mail & Calendar, Edge, OneDrive, and – with this release – Copilot, Outlook, and Teams (though Copilot is not yet listed in the repository’s static removal table, independent coverage confirms the new routines).
- For final ISO creation, the script invokes oscdimg.exe from the Windows ADK to make a bootable image. The entire toolchain remains Microsoft-first, with no third-party image manipulators.
- The /Compress:recovery flag shrinks the ESD or WIM payload, while the unattended answer file handles OOBE bypass.

The Core variant goes further: it deletes the WinSxS store, disables Windows Defender, and removes Windows Update capabilities. The result is a barebones image that cannot be updated, language-patched, or repaired – perfect for a quick throwaway test VM, disastrous for a production PC.

Measured benefits

For users who accept the trade-offs, the rewards are tangible:
- Smaller ISOs and installations: Community demonstrations show multi-gigabyte reductions compared to stock images. On low-storage devices, this can be the difference between a usable system and an installation failure.
- Cleaner first boot: No Copilot splash screens, no Outlook preinstall, no Teams auto-launching in the taskbar. Environments like shared kiosks or student labs get a deterministic baseline without Microsoft’s default cloud flows.
- Administrator control: The builder moves app-presence decisions from Microsoft’s OOBE to the image author. Enthusiasts and IT pros gain a repeatable, scriptable method to eliminate bloatware at scale.

Real risks, trade-offs, and caveats

Tiny11’s power is also its hazard. These are practical concerns, not ideological objections:
- Serviceability loss (Core mode): Removing WinSxS irrevocably breaks Windows Update, feature additions, and language pack installation. Even the regular script, while serviceable, may limit some advanced OS repairs that rely on optional components.
- Reinstallation battles: Outlook and Dev Home have been reported to reappear after updates. The script’s anti-reinstall measures are aggressive but not guaranteed to hold forever. Expect a cat-and-mouse dynamic with Microsoft’s servicing stack.
- Support and licensing: Modified ISOs fall outside Microsoft’s supported configurations. Enterprises with vendor contracts should treat custom images as non-standard; support SLAs may be invalidated. Activation still requires valid licenses – the builder changes nothing about licensing obligations.
- Hardware quirks: Aggressive removals can occasionally break OEM drivers that expect certain inbox components (e.g., camera or microphone arrays). Testing on target hardware is essential.
- Supply-chain risk: Prebuilt third-party ISOs floating around the web introduce unknown modifications. The safest practice is to build your own image from an official ISO and review the script before execution.

When the goal is a reliable, updateable workstation, the regular tiny11maker.ps1 (not Core) is explicitly recommended by the developer. Core is for development and testing only.

Practical steps for builders

For IT pros and power users ready to experiment, a cautious, repeatable workflow is critical:
1. Use a VM first. Snapshot or checkpoint before testing any custom ISO. Physical hardware should be a final target after thorough validation.
2. Download an official Windows 11 ISO from Microsoft. Never start with a prebuilt third-party image.
3. Install the Windows ADK to obtain oscdimg.exe if you need to create bootable ISOs.
4. Run PowerShell 5.1 as Administrator. Set the execution policy for the session: Set-ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Scope Process.
5. Execute the script: powershell -f C:\path\to\tiny11maker.ps1 -ISO <drive> -SCRATCH <drive>, where <drive> is the letter of the mounted ISO (no colon).
6. Choose the regular option for production-adjacent machines. Reserve Core for throwaway VMs. Answer prompts for SKU selection and .NET 3.5 support.
7. Test the resulting ISO in multiple scenarios: clean install, upgrades, Windows Update, driver installs, and application compatibility. Validate audio, camera, and network functionality.
8. Keep a failback plan: Have the original official ISO, license keys, and full disk backups ready. Document every removal so you can later re-add components via winget or the Microsoft Store if needed.

Rebuilding an ISO does not absolve licensing requirements – activation and valid keys remain mandatory. Enterprises bound by service-level agreements should approach custom images with caution: support contracts may be impacted, and Microsoft’s official stance is that modified builds are outside standard support boundaries. For organizations that need a curated Windows baseline, the recommended approach remains using sanctioned deployment workflows (SCCM, MDT, Intune) with approved components and patching mechanisms. Tiny11 can play a role in test fleets, kiosks, or lab environments where vendor support is not mission-critical, but it must be integrated into a compliant lifecycle plan.

Security-wise, the script’s reliance on Microsoft tools and official ISOs reduces but does not eliminate risk. Distributing custom images internally amplifies supply-chain exposure; the only safe deployment is one built from verified sources and audited by the team that will deploy it.

The larger Windows ecosystem tug-of-war

Tiny11’s update is another chapter in an ongoing contest between Microsoft’s push toward AI integration and community-driven efforts to preserve local control. As Microsoft tightens Copilot, Store provisioning, and modern mail clients into the OS, projects like Tiny11 reassert the user’s ability to say “no.” The cycle is predictable: Microsoft modifies servicing behaviors to streamline app delivery; community builders adapt scripts to block or excise those components; Microsoft adjusts again.

This update’s explicit targeting of Copilot signals that the developer is ready for the 25H2 era, where AI assistants are expected to become even more deeply embedded. Testing on recent Canary builds (including Build 27934) suggests forward compatibility, though the maintainer warns users to verify locally and expect adaptations as Microsoft changes servicing flows.

Bottom line

NTDEV’s Tiny11 Builder update is a well-scoped evolution for anyone who wants a lean, deterministic Windows 11 install. By adding removal routines for Copilot, Outlook, and Teams, switching to PowerShell, and embracing recovery compression, the project improves both flexibility and usability for hobbyists, lab admins, and embedded device scenarios. Independent coverage from Tom’s Hardware, Neowin, and PureInfotech corroborates the headline claims, and the GitHub README documents the technical underpinnings transparently.

Yet this is not a one-click cure for every environment. The serviceable regular script is the conservative path for machines that must stay updated; the Core variant remains a development testbed that sacrifices future patchability for a tiny footprint. The rebuild-from-official-ISO model is the safest way to proceed: download verified media, run the script locally, inspect changes, and validate on representative hardware. That approach keeps power in the hands of administrators while minimizing the legal, support, and security hazards that shadow prebuilt third-party images.

For those who value control over convenience and are comfortable managing Windows images, Tiny11’s latest release is a powerful – and increasingly necessary – tool in the belt.