Guides / Create Minimal Win10 ISO

Create Minimal Win10 ISO

Create a 700MB Windows 10 image for fast virtual machines with minimal resources.

Create a small functional Windows 10 image to be used for a fast virtual machine which can run most Windows Desktop applications, using minimal memory and minimal HD space.

Note: This guide is based on community contributions and demonstrates advanced component removal techniques. Results may vary depending on your specific use case.

System Requirements

  • Host system with at least 8 GB RAM
  • Windows 10 ISO file (LTSB/LTSC recommended for minimal base)
  • NTLite with Home license or higher
  • Virtual machine software for testing (Parallels, VMware, VirtualBox, Hyper-V)

Preparations

  • Create a Virtual Machine as a Host for NTLite with the full version of the target OS
  • Assign at least 3GB memory for the OS hosting NTLite
  • Install NTLite on the Host and use HWlist if targeting for other hardware
  • Download official Windows 10 ISO from Microsoft or use RTM/Visual Studio Subscriptions ISO
  • Mount the ISO and copy contents to a folder on the Desktop

NTLite Settings

Components Configuration

In Compatibility options, select what you want to keep working:

  • Default fonts, Microsoft Office, Network Discovery
  • Printing, Recommended, USB
  • Video Playback, Windows Activation, Windows Update
  • Host Machine (or HWlist), VM support if applicable

Use Expand All → Uncheck All to select only the absolute minimum, then add back specific components you need like Application Compatibility, Help File Support, Event Viewer, and Zip/Cab folder support.

Services Configuration

  • Consider disabling Windows Update service if using offline images
  • Optionally modify services according to Black Viper Safe list

Local Machine Settings

  • Auto Reboot on BSOD: Disabled
  • Pagefile: 256 MB
  • Privacy settings: mostly Disabled
  • Allow Telemetry: Security level

Updates Integration

Use the Download Updates function in NTLite to automatically download and integrate the latest updates. Alternatively, manually download updates from Microsoft Update Catalog.

Post-Setup Commands

Useful commands to add:

powercfg /h off - Disable hibernate
Compact /CompactOS:always - Compress OS (saves ~1.2 GB)

Apply Settings

  • Save the image and optionally trim editions
  • Remove Windows PE if not needed
  • Use ESD compression for smallest size (adds processing time)
  • Save the preset for future use

Expected Results

  • ISO size: Less than 700 MB (with ESD compression)
  • Installed size: ~1.2 GB (with OS compression, no swap)
  • Memory usage: ~300 MB after idle

Limitations

  • Cannot be updated with large cumulative updates (use Host Refresh Wizard instead)
  • Network discovery may need manual enabling
  • Some Event Viewer errors may appear but don't affect functionality
Language Pack DownloadsCreate Minimal Win7/8 ISO