A modder known as XenoPanther has successfully reduced the Windows 7 x86 operating system to just 69.0 MB. The experiment showcases extreme OS slimming techniques but is not suitable as a daily driver.
Modding Process and Outcome
This project highlights the capability to remove a vast array of Windows 7 components while maintaining basic functionality. XenoPanther's approach focused on stripping non-essential elements, including the desktop wallpaper, to achieve a drastically reduced file size.
Despite these efforts, the lightweight version exhibits unsupported hardware warnings, emphasizing its impracticality for regular use.
Implications for OS Development
Such modding projects illustrate the potential for extreme reductions in operating system sizes. While the results are not optimized for everyday performance, they serve as a case study in how minimal resource usage could be pursued, fueling debates on leaner future systems.
