How to pre-configure Windows 11 to your liking using installation scripts

Windows 10 is reluctant to leave the daily lives of many users, and it's understandable: we've been living with it for almost a decade, with its quirks but also its stability. However, time marches on, and official support expires in 2025 (or 2026 if you pay for ESU), so sooner or later you'll have to upgrade to Windows 11, whether you like it or not.

The problem is that the standard Windows 11 installation comes loaded with extras : unwanted apps, TPM requirements , a nearly mandatory Microsoft account, ads everywhere, and a very long setup wizard. Add to that a computer that doesn't meet the minimum requirements, and things get even more complicated. In this article, you'll see how to pre-configure Windows 11 to your liking using installation scripts , create lightweight ISOs, automate responses, and even prepare USB drives that handle almost everything themselves.

Why does the standard Windows 11 installation make life so complicated?

With the arrival of Windows 11, Microsoft has significantly raised the bar for system requirements : it now requires TPM 2.0, relatively recent processors, and an internet connection for many versions of the operating system. For a modern PC, this isn't usually a problem, but for a fleet of company computers or older machines, the migration becomes a major headache.

Furthermore, the installation experience is clearly geared towards the home user : telemetry is enabled by default, services you might not want are included, pre-installed apps you'll never open, and the initial setup process is full of screens for choosing your region, keyboard, privacy settings, personalized ads, and carrier. If you have to do this manually 50 times, productivity will suffer.

To make matters worse, many computers that work perfectly with Windows 10 are rendered incompatible when trying to upgrade to Windows 11 due to hardware requirements. Before discarding these PCs or migrating them all to Linux , it's worth considering options such as creating an optimized ISO or using alternatives like Tiny11, which remove unnecessary components and eliminate friction.

The other major reason for seeking alternatives is bloatware and initial overload : applications you don't need, background services, ads in the Start menu and system, integrations that add nothing in a professional environment… All this leads many to prefer a much cleaner installation, focused on the essentials.

Tiny11 and tiny11builder: a lightweight foundation for your customized Windows 11

If you're looking for a Windows 11-based operating system free from most of the hassles and bloatware , one of the most talked-about projects is Tiny11. The idea isn't to create a "pirated" Windows or some unusual distribution, but rather to take an official Microsoft ISO and run a script through it that trims it down, making it much lighter and more manageable.

At the heart of this approach is tiny11builder, a script published on GitHub by NTDEV that automates the tasks of removing components and creating a new image. Its philosophy is clear: it relies solely on official Microsoft utilities like DISM and image packaging tools, and adds an unattended answer file to adjust basic configuration during installation.

In this way, the user always starts with a legitimate Windows 11 ISO in the edition and language they want (Home, Pro, Enterprise, etc.), and tiny11builder acts as a "playbook" that applies a series of very specific changes: it removes bloatware, disables non-critical functions, and adjusts the initial wizard to make it more manageable or, directly, to skip certain requirements.

One of its strengths is that tiny11builder is compatible with virtually any 64-bit Windows 11 build and edition , in almost any language. You're not limited to a specific third-party ISO; you control which official version you download , and the script takes care of shrinking and customizing it.

The result is a lighter ISO, ideal for PCs that don't fully meet the requirements or for users who want to install Windows without the usual burden of pre-installed apps. However, in return, you have to be willing to do some work with PowerShell and follow the steps to create the modified image.

Downloading the official Windows 11 ISO and preparing the environment

To begin, you'll need an original 64-bit Windows 11 ISO image , which can be downloaded from the official Microsoft website. In the "Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO File) for x64 Devices" download section, select the "Windows 11 (ISO with multiple editions)" option, choose your language, and save the file, which will be approximately 5,4 GB. It's recommended to verify the file's integrity using the hash check after downloading.

While the ISO is downloading, it's a good idea to prepare the rest of your environment. Next, get tiny11builder from its GitHub repository . On the project page, you'll find the green "Code" button; click it and select "Download ZIP." This ZIP file contains all the necessary scripts.

Once you have the ZIP file on your computer, create a dedicated folder and extract its contents there . It's recommended that the path doesn't contain unusual characters or spaces to avoid console issues, although PowerShell usually handles it quite well if you use quotation marks.

Once you've downloaded the Windows 11 ISO, right-click on the file and select the "Mount" option . Windows will treat it as a virtual DVD drive that will appear in "This PC" with a drive letter, usually E:, although this may vary depending on your system and connected drives.

It is important to note the drive letter that Windows has assigned to the mounted image , because the tiny11builder script will ask for it later to locate the original installation files it will work with.

Configure PowerShell to run scripts and launch tiny11builder

The next step is to open PowerShell with administrator privileges . You can do this from the search bar by typing “PowerShell”, right-clicking on the result, and choosing “Run as administrator” or “Open as administrator”.

By default, Windows typically restricts the execution of PowerShell scripts to prevent malicious files from running unchecked. To temporarily allow tiny11builder to run, you need to modify the execution policy with the following command:

Set-ExecutionPolicy unrestricted

After pressing Enter, the console will ask if you want to apply this change; you can answer with Y (Yes) or A (Yes to all) depending on the version and language. This relaxes the policy and allows unsigned scripts to run, so it's best not to leave it like this permanently in a sensitive environment.

Once you've done that, you need to navigate to the folder where you extracted tiny11builder . The easiest way is to open File Explorer, go to that folder, click in the address bar , and copy the full path.

In PowerShell, use the `cd` command to change to the corresponding working directory, for example:

cd "C:\Users\TuUsuario\Downloads\tiny11builder-main"

It's important to enclose the path in quotation marks if it includes spaces, otherwise PowerShell will misinterpret it. Once inside the folder, when you run the main script, a security warning may appear; in that case, type the letter R (for "Run Once") and press Enter to allow it to run only this one time.

Create the tiny11 ISO step by step with tiny11builder

When the script starts, one of the first things it will do is ask for the drive letter where the original Windows 11 ISO is mounted . If your image is mounted as E:, simply type E and press Enter. If it's a different drive (D:, F:, etc.), specify the correct one by checking "This PC".

Next, tiny11builder will copy the necessary files and generate a version index of the versions contained within the original ISO: Home, Pro, Education, Enterprise, and so on. Each version will be numbered so you can choose with a simple number.

In many cases, the option usually selected is number 6, which typically corresponds to Windows 11 Pro within Microsoft's official "multi-edition" ISOs, but this may vary slightly depending on the image. The script will show you the list so you can confidently choose the edition you want to crop.

Once the edition is selected, tiny11builder begins processing the image and applying its "strict diet" : removing non-essential applications, trimming unnecessary components, and adjusting the initial settings to make it less intrusive, while keeping the system fully functional for general use.

The process may take a few minutes, during which time modifications are also applied to the unattended response file . This file allows, among other things, bypassing TPM 2.0 requirements during installation and ignoring the need to connect to the internet or sign in with a Microsoft account in certain scenarios.

When it finishes, a new image, usually called “tiny11.iso” , is generated in the same folder as the script . This ISO is the one you will use to install the stripped-down system, without having to repeat the entire process each time.

What does tiny11builder remove and what are the implications?

The key to tiny11 is that it removes a long list of applications and components that Microsoft includes by default in Windows 11, but which for many users, and especially for professional environments, are completely unnecessary.

Among the applications that the script removes are Clipchamp, News, Weather, Xbox, GetHelp, GetStarted, Office Hub, Solitaire, PeopleApp, PowerAutomate, ToDo, Alarms, Mail and Calendar, Feedback Hub, Maps, Sound Recorder, Your Phone, Media Player, QuickAssist, Internet Explorer, Tablet PC Math, Edge and OneDrive , among others.

The immediate result is a much cleaner and lighter installation , with fewer icons in the Start menu, fewer background processes, and fewer services vying for your attention. Furthermore, telemetry and intrusive notifications related to ads and suggestions are significantly reduced.

However, it's important to understand that not everything that's removed is harmless . For example, removing Edge also uninstalls the WebView2 component, which is essential for certain parts of Microsoft Teams or some sections of Office that use integrated web views to function. If your environment relies on these tools, this could cause problems.

Something similar happens with Xbox services : removing them helps reduce resource consumption and clean up the system, but it can affect performance or certain features in video games that use them for integration with the Microsoft account or with the Xbox platform itself.

Therefore, before you jump in, it's worth carefully evaluating how you'll use the PC and what corporate or personal software you'll need . In some cases, tiny11 might be perfect for offices, classrooms, or test systems; in others, you might be more interested in using a customization tool that lets you choose exactly what to remove and what to keep.

Restore the PowerShell execution policy and create the installation USB drive

Once you've generated the lightweight ISO, there's one security detail you shouldn't overlook: reverting the PowerShell execution policy to a more restrictive level . Leaving it set to "unrestricted" indefinitely increases the risk of a malicious script running with little hindrance.

To restore it, simply open PowerShell again as administrator and run:

Set-ExecutionPolicy Restricted

After confirming the change, the console will revert to its default settings, preventing the execution of unsigned scripts unless you modify the policy again. For best practices and how to sign and harden script execution, see the guide on signing scripts and hardening ExecutionPolicy.

With the tiny11 ISO ready, the next step is to create a bootable USB installation drive . One of the most popular tools for this is Rufus, which allows you to select the ISO image, the destination USB drive, and the partition scheme ( MBR or GPT) depending on the BIOS or UEFI type of the machine where you will be using it.

When Rufus finishes, you'll have a bootable USB drive from which you can perform the installation just like any regular Windows system , but with a much cleaner system and less demanding requirements. Before doing this on a production machine, however, make sure you have backups of everything important, because the process usually involves formatting and a complete reinstallation.

Unattended installation scripts: skipping questions and automating decisions

Beyond tiny11, one of Windows 11's greatest strengths for administrators and advanced users is the ability to use unattend.xml files and scripts to automate the installation process . This approach allows you to predefine region, keyboard layout, language, privacy options, account type, and even domain join. If you want to learn more about creating reference images and using unattend.xml, see the guide on creating reference images with Sysprep and unattend.

Imagine you need to install Windows 11 on dozens of PCs that share hardware and network configuration. Instead of answering the same questions repeatedly, you can create a pre-defined answer file that specifies country, keyboard layout, time zone, computer name, network settings, and more . This way, the wizard skips many of the interactive steps.

These answer files can be used from a bootable USB or integrated into the ISO itself , and are especially useful when you want to standardize the configuration across many computers or when you don't want the end user to have to make decisions during installation.

In corporate environments, it's even possible to configure automatic domain joining , although you may want to allow some manual steps, such as selecting the disk drive if there are multiple SSDs or specifying the computer name. The goal is to reduce repetitive work without losing control where it matters.

In combination with PowerShell or batch scripts that run after the first desktop load, you can complete the configuration: install corporate software, apply security policies, disable unnecessary services, and fine-tune the system so that the user receives it ready to work.

Automate partitioning and disks with Diskpart in mass installations

When you're dealing with dozens of computers that share the same hardware but have between one and three SSDs of varying capacities, managing disks can become a nightmare if done manually. That's where Diskpart comes in—the Windows command -line tool for managing partitions.

The idea is to create a Diskpart script that runs from the installation USB drive (for example, from the recovery environment or WinPE) and automatically cleans, creates, formats , and assigns drive letters, minimizing technician intervention. If you're interested in seeing practical examples of batch scripts and similar commands, check out the practical batch script examples.

Although many example scripts are circulating online, most are designed for very specific cases and don't adapt well to mixed scenarios with multiple disk drives of different sizes. In these cases, the ideal solution is to create your own script that, for example, allows you to select the disk to be processed and then always applies the same partitioning scheme, utilizing 100% of its capacity.

A typical workflow would look something like this: first, list the available disks so the technician can choose the correct one (avoiding confusion on systems with more than one SSD), and then run the commands to clean it, create the system partition and the data partition if necessary, format it in NTFS and mark the active partition or prepare the GPT scheme for UEFI.

Once you've defined that script, you can integrate it into the Windows 11 24H2 Enterprise installation process , launching it from the installer console or even automating its execution within a custom WinPE environment. This way, with just a few keystrokes, you can replicate the same disk structure across 50 or more computers.

This type of automation saves hours of work and reduces human error, but it requires thoroughly testing the script on laboratory machines before applying it in production, since a poorly executed "clean" on the wrong disk can result in total data loss.

WinScript: Create your own graphical configuration scripts for Windows 10 and 11

If the command line intimidates you or you simply prefer a more visual approach, there's a particularly interesting tool: WinScript, an open-source project focused on generating setup and uninstallation scripts for Windows 10 and 11. It's not a modified ISO, but an application that helps you decide which changes you want to make and then produces the script that performs them.

WinScript 's interface mimics the Windows 11 Settings panel , with a sidebar menu grouping categories and a main panel with specific settings. Available categories include privacy, telemetry, gaming, performance, pre-installed applications, and many other sensitive system areas.

It works quite simply: each option has an on/off switch . Most are disabled by default, so you decide which changes make sense for your situation. As you enable options, WinScript automatically adds them to the script being built in the background.

A key advantage is that there are no predefined, locked profiles : you're not forced to use a pre-packaged "gaming mode" or "privacy mode." Instead, you browse category by category and activate only what you actually want to use, allowing for much finer customization.

In addition, the tool includes a brief description for each setting , explaining exactly what it does and what consequences it might have. This helps avoid common mistakes like accidentally disabling a necessary service or deleting an app you might need later.

Apply WinScript scripts from USB and on different computers

One of the great things about WinScript is that, once you've customized the script to your liking , you can save and run it from a USB drive . This way, every time you install or restore Windows 10 or 11, you simply connect the USB drive, run WinScript or the generated script directly, and apply the changes in a matter of minutes.

This works very well in environments where you want to customize Windows behavior without modifying the original ISO . For example, you can use an official Microsoft ISO (or a pre-made tiny11 ISO), install the system fairly standardly, and then, right after the first login, run your script to fine-tune it to your privacy policies, applications, and performance preferences.

WinScript is available in both installable and portable versions , making it easy to use from a USB drive without needing to install it on every computer. Its resource consumption is very low, so you'll have no problem running it even on modest machines.

Before making any significant changes, it's recommended to use WinScript's built-in restore point creation tool . This way, if a change doesn't produce the desired effect, you can always revert to the previous version without having to reinstall the entire system.

With this strategy you can define an internal standard for all PCs in your environment : which applications are removed, which services are disabled, which telemetry options are turned off, which performance settings are prioritized, etc., all packaged in a single, easy-to-apply script.

By combining these approaches—shrinkable ISOs like tiny11, unattended answer files for installation , Diskpart scripts for partitioning, and tools like WinScript for post-configuration—you gain a very high degree of control over how Windows 11 installs and behaves on your computers. This translates to less bloatware, fewer repetitive questions, fewer absurd requirements, and more time to spend on what really matters: using your computer, not fighting with it.