The requirements of Windows 11. Yes, again, it is one of those recurring topics, which will surely continue to be present on the agenda even after its life cycle has concluded. Of course, if as a general rule it is due to its level of demand, now we see that, perhaps, it is not so much a problem of the operating system itself, but of what Microsoft considers to be essential for it to work properly. Or that’s what we can deduce from what we read on WindowsCentral.
And what do we read? Well then Windows 11 proves to be much less demanding than Microsoft claims. You will surely remember that the minimum system requirements, including 4 gigabytes of RAM, have been the subject of debate since its announcement, one developer has taken this barrier to the limit by making the operating system work with only 184 MB of RAM. Yes, I was not wrong when I wrote it, and the result is as surprising as it is intriguing.
The jump from Windows 10 left out many computers, since in addition to needing a compatible processor and support for TPM 2.0, it required at least 4 GB of RAM for installation. The company justified these specifications by claiming that they were necessary to guarantee the fluidity, stability and, above all, the security of the operating system. However, this curious technical experiment shows that, at least in extreme conditions, the software can adapt to much more modest configurations.
The developer, whose name has not been revealed, performed his feat using a custom virtual machine. Through advanced settings, removed any non-essential elements that could consume memory and optimized every aspect of the system to minimize its footprint. In this way, he managed to install Windows 11 and boot it with the shocking figure of 184 MB of RAM. It should be noted that this is not a hands-on environment: the operating system started slowly, and the experience was little more than a proof of concept, but it worked, which is already a technical milestone.
To understand the magnitude of the achievement, just compare this figure with common hardware specifications. In today’s world, even the most basic devices, such as low-end smartphones, have at least 2 GB of RAM. On the other hand, the vast majority of systems that meet the official Windows 11 requirements operate with much more robust configurations, 8 GB or more. That the operating system is capable of running at a fraction of what is stipulated highlights the level of optimization of its design, although it also suggests that official requirements could be more flexible than Microsoft suggests.
However, the experiment also has implications beyond mere curiosity. Windows 11’s ability to run in these conditions raises interesting questions about its viability in low consumption devices. While not the case in this experiment, systems with limited hardware, such as IoT or lightweight virtual machines, could benefit from simplified configurations of this type, tailored specifically to resource-constrained environments. This, in turn, opens the door to new uses for Windows 11 in emerging markets or specialized devices.
It is not the first time that an operating system has been subjected to extreme tests of this type. Similar experiments have been done in the past with older versions of Windows and even Linux distributions, which have historically been more adaptable to limited hardware. However, seeing something like this on a modern operating system like Windows 11, which boasts heavy graphics and multiple advanced features, adds an additional level of amazement.
These types of initiatives, although they are not practical for everyday life, remind us of something important: technological barriers are not immovableand developer ingenuity remains a powerful force in the software world. Beyond the official requirements and limitations imposed by manufacturers, there is always room for innovation, creativity and, of course, technical curiosity.
After reading about this experiment, I can’t help but imagine what else could be possible with a little ingenuity. If Windows 11 can boot with less RAM than some of the first touchscreen mobile phones had, What other surprises could be hidden behind technical “limitations”?
Source: www.muycomputer.com
