: The ISO size is often under 700MB, and the installed OS can use as little as 300MB–400MB of RAM at idle.

Tools can remove debug symbols, manifest files, and localized resources from DLLs and EXEs. Some advanced modders even decompile system files to manually strip out unneeded function calls.

To understand the appeal, one must first understand the bloat of modern operating systems. A stock Windows 10 installation includes hundreds of drivers for printers, scanners, webcams, and enterprise hardware most home users will never touch. It bundles telemetry services, the Windows Store, Cortana, Xbox Live integration, OneDrive, Edge browser, and a host of background processes—from Print Spooler to Windows Search—that continuously consume resources.

: The closest official Microsoft alternative. It is a "Long-Term Servicing Channel" version meant for enterprise use that lacks bloatware like the Microsoft Store and News apps by default. Critical Risks & Considerations The FASTEST Windows 10 ISO? - AtomOS 10 Lite