Stripping Windows to the bare essentials is a favorite hobby among enthusiasts, especially as Microsoft continues loading its OS with unwanted bloat. The latest achievement is Windows 7 being reduced to 69 MB.

A user going by the handle of @XenoPanther on X (formerly Twitter) has published a file list.

"This was more of a fun proof of concept rather than something usable," @XenoPanther said . "Virtually nothing can run due to critical missing files such as common dialog boxes and common controls."

The Windows 7 desktop does boot - barely – and "At least the genuine check is still intact."

We'd quibble with the "virtually nothing" assertion. Anything with a graphical user interface would struggle, but would it be a problem to run a basic CLI app that only needed the Windows kernel?

The

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