Thank you, I'll do it soon. Just noticed that you provided me with 3 scripts, but you didn't tell me if or when to use one or the other, while I ignore (and maybe not only me) the differences between the 3 scripts. Furthermore, you previously mentioned to me that before creating the ISO you use NTlite, which I have never used before and therefore even if I can guess that it is used to customize the ISO built, I don't know how to interpret it. Please put yourself in the shoes of someone (me) who has not read the whole thread and admiring your hard work and appreciating your infinite availability is asking you for detailed information on how to use the fruit of your labor because he would like to try to install W11 IoT 2024 knowing what he is doing. I'm not saying knowing everything, but at least knowing what is necessary to start without too much ignorance. in my humble opinion your hard work could be appreciated by more people and related informations are everything, for a newbie to those scripts like me (and maybe not just me). I completely understand that you take many things for granted, but for a beginner this isn't the case and if he doesn't know what he's doing, perhaps he won't even start. And it would be a real waste, given the great work you do with admirable dedication every day. In my humble opinion. Thank you, I think I've realized that, but what is the exact reason to reduce "sources" folder?
Inside the package there is the file _HowToUse.txt. It may not be very long, but it consolidates the main steps for using the scripts. We always have three scripts: 2xH2_Creator_15.7.cmd (main) 2xH2_Creator_15.7_Start.cmd (this is the start script for automatic LOG creation) 2xH2_Creator_15.7_Start_Nsudo.cmd (an alternative to the start script above, when the host is Windows 11) The reduction in the size of the sources folder is to decrease the final size of the image.
@SunLion Thank you very much, but that's not exactly what I meant. It's clear that if you reduce the "sources" folder, you also reduce the size of the image, so the question becomes: in what case is it so necessary to reduce the size of the image? The true thing is, I like to learn and would be happy to know the meaning of what "2xH2_Creator" contains, but reading the entire thread would be a daunting task even for me, who am an advocate of getting information instead of asking for ready-made soup. Anyway, I'll stop here since I know someone might start to think I'm criticizing, which I'm not at all. Thank you again, really!
Don't worry, you can always ask and I'll try to answer as best I can. Actually, right at the beginning of the edits, several users showed a lot of interest in reducing the image size. So the project was directed towards that. But, reducing the size of the sources folder isn't necessary if you don't want to. Since there are already many variables in the script, I don't intend to add more options beyond what already exists, so as not to make it too long and complicated. As I said, feel free to ask whenever you want. Best regards
Indeed, how many 'Services' and 'Processes' does the Windows OS really need sans fake dependencies? Many are beyond ridiculous like 'Helper Services', Services that are redundant with other Services, Services with the sole purpose of creating fake dependencies (for Edge etc.) and the Services that are essentially industrial spy and malware. I was surprised that everything I have runs just fine with only 39 -- though I'm sure there's something out there that won't run on this setup, especially if it's made by Microsoft. You might recall the 64-bit edition Windows 8.1 could run everything that runs on Windows 11 today, with just 17 Services. This is what Microsoft calls "progress" to give you more "Experiences"...
I'm looking for a very slim version to run on an old laptop and am wandering if it is best to create one similar to what @hoak has made? Or just install the latest version of Server 2025 (29558)? It will be my daily driver. I didn't know if the Server version has all the video stuff that I would need. I don't do gaming, but do some 3d cad work.
Interesting... What does this do exactly wuliyen? While some of these don't exist in Windows 11 IoT LTSC, some do... There are a ton of useless files all cleanup tools, scripts and routines leave behind, some I know get polled regularly by explorer.exe, other Processes, Services, and the Kernel even if they're never used. I recall Mark Russinovich saying one of the things that was being worked on way back was quieting down some of this useless system Kernel level traffic if Processes and Services were disabled or some s files were removed.
@SunLion I just noticed that "2xH2_Creator_15.7" downloads KB5079391 - when you choose to download updates running "_PreDownloadAllUpdates.cmd" - but that optional update seems to have been recently pulled by M$ since it caused a widespread installation loop error (and in fact he did it here too ). AFAIK It appears to have been replaced by KB5086672.
Yes, it was replaced after the package was published. Replace the \UUP\all.txt file with this (updated) attachment. I'll publish the complete package with next week's new update.
I found this from Microsoft that might help people trying to decide which Windows SKU is best for lightweight computing: Spoiler: From Microsoft 1. The Build Foundation As of 2026, both operating systems share the same underlying binary roots. If you check winver on either, you will see a similar kernel versioning. OS Feature Windows 11 IoT LTSC 2024 Windows Server 2025 Base Version Windows 11, version 24H2 Windows Server, version 24H2 Build Number 26100.x 26100.x Kernel Type Hybrid (Windows NT 10.0) Hybrid (Windows NT 10.0) 2. Kernel Tuning Differences The differences aren't in the code of the kernel, but in the registry-level configurations and compiled policies that dictate how the kernel behaves under load. Processor Scheduling: * Windows 11 IoT: The kernel is optimized for foreground responsiveness. It uses shorter, variable-length "quantum" time slices to ensure that user-facing applications feel snappy. Server 2025: The kernel is optimized for background throughput. It uses longer, fixed-length quantum time slices. This reduces the overhead of "context switching" (the CPU jumping between tasks), allowing heavy background tasks like databases or web services to run more efficiently. Memory Management: Windows 11 IoT: Prioritizes the system file cache to a degree but keeps more memory available for application launches. Server 2025: Aggressively uses RAM for system-wide caching to speed up disk I/O for server-side operations. System Resource Limits: Server 2025 is compiled to support significantly higher hardware ceilings (up to 2,048 logical processors and 240TB of RAM), whereas Windows 11 IoT is capped at much lower (though still high) consumer-grade limits. 3. Key Capability Divergence Despite the shared kernel, Server 2025 includes specific kernel-level features that are disabled or absent in the IoT LTSC version: Hotpatching: Server 2025 supports patching the kernel in-memory without a reboot (for specific security updates). Windows 11 IoT LTSC does not. SMB over QUIC: Server 2025 includes the kernel-mode drivers to handle SMB traffic over UDP/443 for secure remote access without a VPN. Advanced Storage: Server 2025 has deeper integration for NVMe over Fabrics and ReFS (Resilient File System) features like block cloning and native deduplication, which are more robust than the implementation found in the client OS. Summary If you are running a single application on an industrial PC, you won't notice a difference. But if you are running 50 simultaneous connections or high-throughput database transactions, the Server 2025 kernel's "Long Quantum" scheduling will outperform the Windows 11 IoT kernel. There was a guy here on MDL (and not a very polite) that had me convinced he was the final authority on Microsoft kernel code, and that all Windows kernels of the same version number were identical regardless of OS SKU -- in spite of posts by Mark Russinovich implying some differences. While the difference may be technically minor -- 'compiled policies' implies this is for some of what is described embedded kernel code that can not be altered with registry settings. Lastly this settles it for me a least for Windows NT 10.0 kernel version SKUs in favor of IoT LTSC: Spoiler: More For real-time applications like audio production (DAW) or industrial control, the way the kernel handles interrupts is critical. The "Long Quantum" Problem: As mentioned previously, Windows Server is tuned for throughput. It gives processes longer "quanta" (time on the CPU). This is great for a web server, but terrible for audio; it can lead to higher DPC (Deferred Procedure Call) latency, which causes audio "pops" and "clicks." Multimedia Class Scheduler (MMCSS): IoT LTSC inherits the "Client" kernel tuning, which prioritizes the Multimedia Class Scheduler. This ensures that time-sensitive tasks (like audio buffers) get CPU priority over background tasks. Driver Latency: Server 2025 is often bundled with heavy enterprise-grade drivers (RAID controllers, server-grade NICs) which are notorious for causing high DPC spikes. IoT LTSC is designed to run on leaner, embedded hardware. Hope that helps!
Thanks for the research on this subject. It looks like I will be installing the Windows 11 IoT LTSC. The reason I was considering the server version was from the following quote from @damianfox. He is also in the server thread talking about how fast the new server version is. Anyway Thanks again for the help @hoak