After you install this custom build on your target machine, run these commands as Administrator to reclaim even more space:
powercfg -h off (Deletes hiberfil.sys) Dism /online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup /ResetBase compact.exe /compactos:always The compact.exe command is Microsoft’s built-in . It will transparently compress your entire OS (similar to how Linux works). It can shrink a 15 GB install to 8 GB without deleting a single file. Part 5: Alternatives to "Highly Compressed" Windows 10 64 Bit If you are trying to run Windows on a device with extremely low storage (e.g., 16 GB eMMC), a compressed full Windows 10 might still struggle. Consider these alternatives: 1. Windows 10 LTSC (Long-Term Servicing Channel) Requires volume licensing, but available via evaluation. LTSC has no Cortana, no Microsoft Store, no Edge, and no bloatware. A clean install of LTSC 64-bit takes only 9 GB . This is essentially the "official highly compressed" version. 2. Windows 10 Compact Installation When installing Windows via Rufus or the official setup, you can rename a file called Compact.xml . This forces Windows to install all files in compressed state from the beginning. 3. Tiny10 / Tiny11 Created by developer NTDev , these are community-trusted stripped-down versions of Windows 10/11. They are arguably the only "unsafe-looking but actually relatively safe" builds. Tiny10 64-bit fits in 4 GB of disk space . Disclaimer: While NTDev is reputable, you are still trusting a third party. Always run Tiny10 in a virtual machine first. Part 6: How to Verify a "Highly Compressed" ISO (If You Must Download) If you ignore all warnings and decide to download a windows_10_64bit_highly_compressed_2025.iso from a random website, you must perform due diligence. windows 10 64 bit highly compressed
When you select "Apply" in NTLite, choose "Export to ESD" (Solid compression). This setting is the actual "high compression." It will take 30–60 minutes to process. The output file will be roughly 1.8 GB to 2.5 GB . After you install this custom build on your
Introduction: The Quest for a Smaller Windows Part 5: Alternatives to "Highly Compressed" Windows 10
Use 7-Zip to extract the ISO contents to a folder (e.g., C:\Win10_Source ).
Install NTLite (free version works for compression). Point it to your source folder.