Ditch Microsoft data collection and take control of your Windows 11 experience with the new Tiny11 Builder tool
The developers of Tiny11 (a pared-down, third-party version of Windows 11) have released a new version of their Tiny11 Builder, a tool that lets you customize and customize your own version of Windows 11 to make it cleaner.
This version allows you to create Windows 11 ISOs (installation media) with telemetry disabled – essentially Microsoft’s built-in automated data collection and communication process for monitoring, analyzing, and reporting your system. Disabling telemetry has multiple implications for increasing user privacy, using fewer system resources to run Windows 11, and gaining more control over your user data.
Tiny11 Builder is essentially an open-source script that you can run on your device to make it possible to slim down your Windows 11 for a smoother user experience. You can download the script for Tiny11 from the developers’ GitHub page by copying and pasting the code into a Windows PowerShell window, or by downloading the script file (which has a .ps1 extension), right-clicking the file and ‘Run with PowerShell.’
For the uninitiated, PowerShell is a Microsoft tool that allows you to automate tasks and processes in the Windows operating system. The easiest way to find it is to search for it in Windows Search, but it will open automatically if you follow the second method mentioned above.
How Tiny11 Builder works to unlock Windows 11 efficiency
Running Tiny11 Builder this way will prompt your system to use Microsoft-made tools to remove items that aren’t essential but that you wouldn’t be able to remove in the default state.
This process is not as simple as downloading an official Microsoft ISO from the dedicated website, but according to Neowin, the resulting IOS image comes out clean and fully functional. This also lets you bypass issues like needing a Microsoft account and certain hardware requirements, as well as disable Microsoft Edge, Get Started, OneDrive, and other Windows bloatware that you may not deem necessary.
An updated version of the Tiny11 Builder script is available that enables disabled telemetry on GitHub on April 29, 2024, and announced by Tiny11 makers NDTEV on X. If you are concerned about how much of your user data is collected and shared with Microsoft, this is a popular option with many people who share such concerns. It allows you to restrict data sharing through Windows functionalities such as Application Compatibility Appraiser, Customer Experience Improvement Program and others.
The first update for tiny11 builder is now available! It disables telemetry, as well as some of the scheduled tasks associated with it. Check it out and let me know how it works! https://t.co/qmtOcmkPdO https://t.co/cvkCllUma3April 29, 2024
The ability to remove telemetry appears to be the only change in this version of Tiny11 Builder, but NDTEV appears to have plans to give Tiny11 additional capabilities according to the developers’ GitHub repository. Future plans include improved language detection, more flexibility in managing which Windows 11 features to keep and remove, and perhaps even a unique new user interface.
This may be a notch above ‘beginner’ when it comes to deploying software to your PC, but if you’re interested, I recommend you give it a try. With Microsoft’s recent series of ads, I see these types of tools and solutions becoming more and more popular, and for all our sakes, I hope Tiny11 Builder remains open-source.