Why I modify Windows instead of using a custom ISO

 Custom Windows ISOs may seem interesting, but they're really not meant for most people.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

 Custom Windows ISOs are tempting, but could potentially contain unwanted software or changes that may not be apparent until after installation.

 Creating your own custom ISO is a lengthy process with potential pitfalls, such as large file sizes or failed installations.

 For most users, modifying Windows after installation with tools like WinUtil or Start11 is simpler and safer than dealing with custom ISOs.

As much as I love Windows 11, it's not a perfect operating system, and I know many others feel even more strongly about it than I do. There are many ways in which you can modify or customize Windows to make it suit your tastes, and recently, I wrote a guide on how to create a custom Windows ISO with the programs you want.

But I want to be totally clear in saying that just because I wrote that guide, it doesn't mean I think creating a custom ISO is a good idea. In fact, I much prefer customizing Windows after the fact over using a custom Windows ISO, and I have a few reasons for that.

Third-party ISOs are potentially dangerous

You never know what's been changed

First things first, you've probably seen a few custom ISOs around the web that modify WIndows in one way or another. A good example is Tiny11, which I've gone hands-on with to compare the size against Windows 11 proper. These ISOs may be tempting since they do all the hard work for you, but make no mistake, they're not without drawbacks.

While the developers of these ISOs can claim they only make some specific changes, there's no telling how a Windows ISO has been modified unless you know how to dive into all the files and see everything that's different. That's not easy, and for most people, you're only going to know once you've installed it, at which point you might already have some unwanted software on your PC. It's a big risk that my colleague Elliot Alexander has written about at length.

Even if there's no malware in these ISOs, many times these custom ISOs may not work with Windows Update, or the changes they make can be undone by an update, so it's likely not worth the risk in the end.

Creating your custom ISO is a nightmare

I wouldn't wish it on anyone

So, you can't download third-party custom ISOs, so what if you make your own, as I wrote about in my guide? 

Well, I can't actually get behind that method. While it works, it's a very lengthy process, and my example in that guide was just for installing some software.

 If you want deep customizations like disabling certain features or apps, it takes that much longer.

But the worst part is what you don't see in that article. Prior to writing it, I did a lot of testing with different methods. In fact, I tried working on that article a year ago and we didn't publish it at the time because I could not get it to work. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

 Custom Windows ISOs are tempting, but could potentially contain unwanted software or changes that may not be apparent until after installation.

 Creating your own custom ISO is a lengthy process with potential pitfalls, such as large file sizes or failed installations.

 For most users, modifying Windows after installation with tools like WinUtil or Start11 is simpler and safer than dealing with custom ISOs.

As much as I love Windows 11, it's not a perfect operating system, and I know many others feel even more strongly about it than I do. There are many ways in which you can modify or customize Windows to make it suit your tastes, and recently, I wrote a guide on how to create a custom Windows ISO with the programs you want.

But I want to be totally clear in saying that just because I wrote that guide, it doesn't mean I think creating a custom ISO is a good idea. In fact, I much prefer customizing Windows after the fact over using a custom Windows ISO, and I have a few reasons for that.

Third-party ISOs are potentially dangerous

You never know what's been changed

First things first, you've probably seen a few custom ISOs around the web that modify WIndows in one way or another. A good example is Tiny11, which I've gone hands-on with to compare the size against Windows 11 proper. These ISOs may be tempting since they do all the hard work for you, but make no mistake, they're not without drawbacks.

While the developers of these ISOs can claim they only make some specific changes, there's no telling how a Windows ISO has been modified unless you know how to dive into all the files and see everything that's different. That's not easy, and for most people, you're only going to know once you've installed it, at which point you might already have some unwanted software on your PC. It's a big risk that my colleague Elliot Alexander has written about at length.

Even if there's no malware in these ISOs, many times these custom ISOs may not work with Windows Update, or the changes they make can be undone by an update, so it's likely not worth the risk in the end.

Creating your custom ISO is a nightmare

I wouldn't wish it on anyone

So, you can't download third-party custom ISOs, so what if you make your own, as I wrote about in my guide? 

Well, I can't actually get behind that method. While it works, it's a very lengthy process, and my example in that guide was just for installing some software.

 If you want deep customizations like disabling certain features or apps, it takes that much longer.

But the worst part is what you don't see in that article. Prior to writing it, I did a lot of testing with different methods. In fact, I tried working on that article a year ago and we didn't publish it at the time because I could not get it to work. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

 Custom Windows ISOs are tempting, but could potentially contain unwanted software or changes that may not be apparent until after installation.

 Creating your own custom ISO is a lengthy process with potential pitfalls, such as large file sizes or failed installations.

 For most users, modifying Windows after installation with tools like WinUtil or Start11 is simpler and safer than dealing with custom ISOs.

As much as I love Windows 11, it's not a perfect operating system, and I know many others feel even more strongly about it than I do. There are many ways in which you can modify or customize Windows to make it suit your tastes, and recently, I wrote a guide on how to create a custom Windows ISO with the programs you want.

But I want to be totally clear in saying that just because I wrote that guide, it doesn't mean I think creating a custom ISO is a good idea. In fact, I much prefer customizing Windows after the fact over using a custom Windows ISO, and I have a few reasons for that.

Third-party ISOs are potentially dangerous

You never know what's been changed

First things first, you've probably seen a few custom ISOs around the web that modify WIndows in one way or another. A good example is Tiny11, which I've gone hands-on with to compare the size against Windows 11 proper. These ISOs may be tempting since they do all the hard work for you, but make no mistake, they're not without drawbacks.

While the developers of these ISOs can claim they only make some specific changes, there's no telling how a Windows ISO has been modified unless you know how to dive into all the files and see everything that's different. That's not easy, and for most people, you're only going to know once you've installed it, at which point you might already have some unwanted software on your PC. It's a big risk that my colleague Elliot Alexander has written about at length.

Even if there's no malware in these ISOs, many times these custom ISOs may not work with Windows Update, or the changes they make can be undone by an update, so it's likely not worth the risk in the end.

Creating your custom ISO is a nightmare

I wouldn't wish it on anyone

So, you can't download third-party custom ISOs, so what if you make your own, as I wrote about in my guide? 

Well, I can't actually get behind that method. While it works, it's a very lengthy process, and my example in that guide was just for installing some software.

 If you want deep customizations like disabling certain features or apps, it takes that much longer.

But the worst part is what you don't see in that article. Prior to writing it, I did a lot of testing with different methods. In fact, I tried working on that article a year ago and we didn't publish it at the time because I could not get it to work. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

 Custom Windows ISOs are tempting, but could potentially contain unwanted software or changes that may not be apparent until after installation.

 Creating your own custom ISO is a lengthy process with potential pitfalls, such as large file sizes or failed installations.

 For most users, modifying Windows after installation with tools like WinUtil or Start11 is simpler and safer than dealing with custom ISOs.

As much as I love Windows 11, it's not a perfect operating system, and I know many others feel even more strongly about it than I do. There are many ways in which you can modify or customize Windows to make it suit your tastes, and recently, I wrote a guide on how to create a custom Windows ISO with the programs you want.

But I want to be totally clear in saying that just because I wrote that guide, it doesn't mean I think creating a custom ISO is a good idea. In fact, I much prefer customizing Windows after the fact over using a custom Windows ISO, and I have a few reasons for that.

Third-party ISOs are potentially dangerous

You never know what's been changed

First things first, you've probably seen a few custom ISOs around the web that modify WIndows in one way or another. A good example is Tiny11, which I've gone hands-on with to compare the size against Windows 11 proper. These ISOs may be tempting since they do all the hard work for you, but make no mistake, they're not without drawbacks.

While the developers of these ISOs can claim they only make some specific changes, there's no telling how a Windows ISO has been modified unless you know how to dive into all the files and see everything that's different. That's not easy, and for most people, you're only going to know once you've installed it, at which point you might already have some unwanted software on your PC. It's a big risk that my colleague Elliot Alexander has written about at length.

Even if there's no malware in these ISOs, many times these custom ISOs may not work with Windows Update, or the changes they make can be undone by an update, so it's likely not worth the risk in the end.

Creating your custom ISO is a nightmare

I wouldn't wish it on anyone

So, you can't download third-party custom ISOs, so what if you make your own, as I wrote about in my guide? 

Well, I can't actually get behind that method. While it works, it's a very lengthy process, and my example in that guide was just for installing some software.

 If you want deep customizations like disabling certain features or apps, it takes that much longer.

But the worst part is what you don't see in that article. Prior to writing it, I did a lot of testing with different methods. In fact, I tried working on that article a year ago and we didn't publish it at the time because I could not get it to work. 

cKEY TAKEAWAYS

 Custom Windows ISOs are tempting, but could potentially contain unwanted software or changes that may not be apparent until after installation.

 Creating your own custom ISO is a lengthy process with potential pitfalls, such as large file sizes or failed installations.

 For most users, modifying Windows after installation with tools like WinUtil or Start11 is simpler and safer than dealing with custom ISOs.

As much as I love Windows 11, it's not a perfect operating system, and I know many others feel even more strongly about it than I do. There are many ways in which you can modify or customize Windows to make it suit your tastes, and recently, I wrote a guide on how to create a custom Windows ISO with the programs you want.

But I want to be totally clear in saying that just because I wrote that guide, it doesn't mean I think creating a custom ISO is a good idea. In fact, I much prefer customizing Windows after the fact over using a custom Windows ISO, and I have a few reasons for that.

Third-party ISOs are potentially dangerous

You never know what's been changed

First things first, you've probably seen a few custom ISOs around the web that modify WIndows in one way or another. A good example is Tiny11, which I've gone hands-on with to compare the size against Windows 11 proper. These ISOs may be tempting since they do all the hard work for you, but make no mistake, they're not without drawbacks.

While the developers of these ISOs can claim they only make some specific changes, there's no telling how a Windows ISO has been modified unless you know how to dive into all the files and see everything that's different. That's not easy, and for most people, you're only going to know once you've installed it, at which point you might already have some unwanted software on your PC. It's a big risk that my colleague Elliot Alexander has written about at length.

Even if there's no malware in these ISOs, many times these custom ISOs may not work with Windows Update, or the changes they make can be undone by an update, so it's likely not worth the risk in the end.

Creating your custom ISO is a nightmare

I wouldn't wish it on anyone

So, you can't download third-party custom ISOs, so what if you make your own, as I wrote about in my guide? 

Well, I can't actually get behind that method. While it works, it's a very lengthy process, and my example in that guide was just for installing some software.

 If you want deep customizations like disabling certain features or apps, it takes that much longer.

But the worst part is what you don't see in that article. Prior to writing it, I did a lot of testing with different methods. In fact, I tried working on that article a year ago and we didn't publish it at the time because I could not get it to work. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

 Custom Windows ISOs are tempting, but could potentially contain unwanted software or changes that may not be apparent until after installation.

 Creating your own custom ISO is a lengthy process with potential pitfalls, such as large file sizes or failed installations.

 For most users, modifying Windows after installation with tools like WinUtil or Start11 is simpler and safer than dealing with custom ISOs.

As much as I love Windows 11, it's not a perfect operating system, and I know many others feel even more strongly about it than I do. There are many ways in which you can modify or customize Windows to make it suit your tastes, and recently, I wrote a guide on how to create a custom Windows ISO with the programs you want.

But I want to be totally clear in saying that just because I wrote that guide, it doesn't mean I think creating a custom ISO is a good idea. In fact, I much prefer customizing Windows after the fact over using a custom Windows ISO, and I have a few reasons for that.

Third-party ISOs are potentially dangerous

You never know what's been changed

First things first, you've probably seen a few custom ISOs around the web that modify WIndows in one way or another. A good example is Tiny11, which I've gone hands-on with to compare the size against Windows 11 proper. These ISOs may be tempting since they do all the hard work for you, but make no mistake, they're not without drawbacks.

While the developers of these ISOs can claim they only make some specific changes, there's no telling how a Windows ISO has been modified unless you know how to dive into all the files and see everything that's different. That's not easy, and for most people, you're only going to know once you've installed it, at which point you might already have some unwanted software on your PC. It's a big risk that my colleague Elliot Alexander has written about at length.

Even if there's no malware in these ISOs, many times these custom ISOs may not work with Windows Update, or the changes they make can be undone by an update, so it's likely not worth the risk in the end.

Creating your custom ISO is a nightmare

I wouldn't wish it on anyone

So, you can't download third-party custom ISOs, so what if you make your own, as I wrote about in my guide? 

Well, I can't actually get behind that method. While it works, it's a very lengthy process, and my example in that guide was just for installing some software.

 If you want deep customizations like disabling certain features or apps, it takes that much longer.

But the worst part is what you don't see in that article. Prior to writing it, I did a lot of testing with different methods. In fact, I tried working on that article a year ago and we didn't publish it at the time because I could not get it to work.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

 Custom Windows ISOs are tempting, but could potentially contain unwanted software or changes that may not be apparent until after installation.

 Creating your own custom ISO is a lengthy process with potential pitfalls, such as large file sizes or failed installations.

 For most users, modifying Windows after installation with tools like WinUtil or Start11 is simpler and safer than dealing with custom ISOs.

As much as I love Windows 11, it's not a perfect operating system, and I know many others feel even more strongly about it than I do. There are many ways in which you can modify or customize Windows to make it suit your tastes, and recently, I wrote a guide on how to create a custom Windows ISO with the programs you want.

But I want to be totally clear in saying that just because I wrote that guide, it doesn't mean I think creating a custom ISO is a good idea. In fact, I much prefer customizing Windows after the fact over using a custom Windows ISO, and I have a few reasons for that.

Third-party ISOs are potentially dangerous

You never know what's been changed

First things first, you've probably seen a few custom ISOs around the web that modify WIndows in one way or another. A good example is Tiny11, which I've gone hands-on with to compare the size against Windows 11 proper. These ISOs may be tempting since they do all the hard work for you, but make no mistake, they're not without drawbacks.

While the developers of these ISOs can claim they only make some specific changes, there's no telling how a Windows ISO has been modified unless you know how to dive into all the files and see everything that's different. That's not easy, and for most people, you're only going to know once you've installed it, at which point you might already have some unwanted software on your PC. It's a big risk that my colleague Elliot Alexander has written about at length.

Even if there's no malware in these ISOs, many times these custom ISOs may not work with Windows Update, or the changes they make can be undone by an update, so it's likely not worth the risk in the end.

Creating your custom ISO is a nightmare

I wouldn't wish it on anyone

So, you can't download third-party custom ISOs, so what if you make your own, as I wrote about in my guide? 

Well, I can't actually get behind that method. While it works, it's a very lengthy process, and my example in that guide was just for installing some software.

 If you want deep customizations like disabling certain features or apps, it takes that much longer.

But the worst part is what you don't see in that article. Prior to writing it, I did a lot of testing with different methods. In fact, I tried working on that article a year ago and we didn't publish it at the time because I could not get it to work. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

 Custom Windows ISOs are tempting, but could potentially contain unwanted software or changes that may not be apparent until after installation.

 Creating your own custom ISO is a lengthy process with potential pitfalls, such as large file sizes or failed installations.

 For most users, modifying Windows after installation with tools like WinUtil or Start11 is simpler and safer than dealing with custom ISOs.

As much as I love Windows 11, it's not a perfect operating system, and I know many others feel even more strongly about it than I do. There are many ways in which you can modify or customize Windows to make it suit your tastes, and recently, I wrote a guide on how to create a custom Windows ISO with the programs you want.

But I want to be totally clear in saying that just because I wrote that guide, it doesn't mean I think creating a custom ISO is a good idea. In fact, I much prefer customizing Windows after the fact over using a custom Windows ISO, and I have a few reasons for that.

Third-party ISOs are potentially dangerous

You never know what's been changed

First things first, you've probably seen a few custom ISOs around the web that modify WIndows in one way or another. A good example is Tiny11, which I've gone hands-on with to compare the size against Windows 11 proper. These ISOs may be tempting since they do all the hard work for you, but make no mistake, they're not without drawbacks.

While the developers of these ISOs can claim they only make some specific changes, there's no telling how a Windows ISO has been modified unless you know how to dive into all the files and see everything that's different. That's not easy, and for most people, you're only going to know once you've installed it, at which point you might already have some unwanted software on your PC. It's a big risk that my colleague Elliot Alexander has written about at length.

Even if there's no malware in these ISOs, many times these custom ISOs may not work with Windows Update, or the changes they make can be undone by an update, so it's likely not worth the risk in the end.

Creating your custom ISO is a nightmare

I wouldn't wish it on anyone

So, you can't download third-party custom ISOs, so what if you make your own, as I wrote about in my guide? 

Well, I can't actually get behind that method. While it works, it's a very lengthy process, and my example in that guide was just for installing some software.

 If you want deep customizations like disabling certain features or apps, it takes that much longer.

But the worst part is what you don't see in that article. Prior to writing it, I did a lot of testing with different methods. In fact, I tried working on that article a year ago and we didn't publish it at the time because I could not get it to work. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

 Custom Windows ISOs are tempting, but could potentially contain unwanted software or changes that may not be apparent until after installation.

 Creating your own custom ISO is a lengthy process with potential pitfalls, such as large file sizes or failed installations.

 For most users, modifying Windows after installation with tools like WinUtil or Start11 is simpler and safer than dealing with custom ISOs.

As much as I love Windows 11, it's not a perfect operating system, and I know many others feel even more strongly about it than I do. There are many ways in which you can modify or customize Windows to make it suit your tastes, and recently, I wrote a guide on how to create a custom Windows ISO with the programs you want.

But I want to be totally clear in saying that just because I wrote that guide, it doesn't mean I think creating a custom ISO is a good idea. In fact, I much prefer customizing Windows after the fact over using a custom Windows ISO, and I have a few reasons for that.

Third-party ISOs are potentially dangerous

You never know what's been changed

First things first, you've probably seen a few custom ISOs around the web that modify WIndows in one way or another. A good example is Tiny11, which I've gone hands-on with to compare the size against Windows 11 proper. These ISOs may be tempting since they do all the hard work for you, but make no mistake, they're not without drawbacks.

While the developers of these ISOs can claim they only make some specific changes, there's no telling how a Windows ISO has been modified unless you know how to dive into all the files and see everything that's different. That's not easy, and for most people, you're only going to know once you've installed it, at which point you might already have some unwanted software on your PC. It's a big risk that my colleague Elliot Alexander has written about at length.

Even if there's no malware in these ISOs, many times these custom ISOs may not work with Windows Update, or the changes they make can be undone by an update, so it's likely not worth the risk in the end.

Creating your custom ISO is a nightmare

I wouldn't wish it on anyone

So, you can't download third-party custom ISOs, so what if you make your own, as I wrote about in my guide? 

Well, I can't actually get behind that method. While it works, it's a very lengthy process, and my example in that guide was just for installing some software.

 If you want deep customizations like disabling certain features or apps, it takes that much longer.

But the worst part is what you don't see in that article. Prior to writing it, I did a lot of testing with different methods. In fact, I tried working on that article a year ago and we didn't publish it at the time because I could not get it to work. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

 Custom Windows ISOs are tempting, but could potentially contain unwanted software or changes that may not be apparent until after installation.

 Creating your own custom ISO is a lengthy process with potential pitfalls, such as large file sizes or failed installations.

 For most users, modifying Windows after installation with tools like WinUtil or Start11 is simpler and safer than dealing with custom ISOs.

As much as I love Windows 11, it's not a perfect operating system, and I know many others feel even more strongly about it than I do. There are many ways in which you can modify or customize Windows to make it suit your tastes, and recently, I wrote a guide on how to create a custom Windows ISO with the programs you want.

But I want to be totally clear in saying that just because I wrote that guide, it doesn't mean I think creating a custom ISO is a good idea. In fact, I much prefer customizing Windows after the fact over using a custom Windows ISO, and I have a few reasons for that.

Third-party ISOs are potentially dangerous

You never know what's been changed

First things first, you've probably seen a few custom ISOs around the web that modify WIndows in one way or another. A good example is Tiny11, which I've gone hands-on with to compare the size against Windows 11 proper. These ISOs may be tempting since they do all the hard work for you, but make no mistake, they're not without drawbacks.

While the developers of these ISOs can claim they only make some specific changes, there's no telling how a Windows ISO has been modified unless you know how to dive into all the files and see everything that's different. That's not easy, and for most people, you're only going to know once you've installed it, at which point you might already have some unwanted software on your PC. It's a big risk that my colleague Elliot Alexander has written about at length.

Even if there's no malware in these ISOs, many times these custom ISOs may not work with Windows Update, or the changes they make can be undone by an update, so it's likely not worth the risk in the end.

Creating your custom ISO is a nightmare

I wouldn't wish it on anyone

So, you can't download third-party custom ISOs, so what if you make your own, as I wrote about in my guide? 

Well, I can't actually get behind that method. While it works, it's a very lengthy process, and my example in that guide was just for installing some software.

 If you want deep customizations like disabling certain features or apps, it takes that much longer.

But the worst part is what you don't see in that article. Prior to writing it, I did a lot of testing with different methods. In fact, I tried working on that article a year ago and we didn't publish it at the time because I could not get it to work. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

 Custom Windows ISOs are tempting, but could potentially contain unwanted software or changes that may not be apparent until after installation.

 Creating your own custom ISO is a lengthy process with potential pitfalls, such as large file sizes or failed installations.

 For most users, modifying Windows after installation with tools like WinUtil or Start11 is simpler and safer than dealing with custom ISOs.

As much as I love Windows 11, it's not a perfect operating system, and I know many others feel even more strongly about it than I do. There are many ways in which you can modify or customize Windows to make it suit your tastes, and recently, I wrote a guide on how to create a custom Windows ISO with the programs you want.

But I want to be totally clear in saying that just because I wrote that guide, it doesn't mean I think creating a custom ISO is a good idea. In fact, I much prefer customizing Windows after the fact over using a custom Windows ISO, and I have a few reasons for that.

Third-party ISOs are potentially dangerous

You never know what's been changed

First things first, you've probably seen a few custom ISOs around the web that modify WIndows in one way or another. A good example is Tiny11, which I've gone hands-on with to compare the size against Windows 11 proper. These ISOs may be tempting since they do all the hard work for you, but make no mistake, they're not without drawbacks.

While the developers of these ISOs can claim they only make some specific changes, there's no telling how a Windows ISO has been modified unless you know how to dive into all the files and see everything that's different. That's not easy, and for most people, you're only going to know once you've installed it, at which point you might already have some unwanted software on your PC. It's a big risk that my colleague Elliot Alexander has written about at length.

Even if there's no malware in these ISOs, many times these custom ISOs may not work with Windows Update, or the changes they make can be undone by an update, so it's likely not worth the risk in the end.

Creating your custom ISO is a nightmare

I wouldn't wish it on anyone

So, you can't download third-party custom ISOs, so what if you make your own, as I wrote about in my guide? 

Well, I can't actually get behind that method. While it works, it's a very lengthy process, and my example in that guide was just for installing some software.

 If you want deep customizations like disabling certain features or apps, it takes that much longer.

But the worst part is what you don't see in that article. Prior to writing it, I did a lot of testing with different methods. In fact, I tried working on that article a year ago and we didn't publish it at the time because I could not get it to work. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

 Custom Windows ISOs are tempting, but could potentially contain unwanted software or changes that may not be apparent until after installation.

 Creating your own custom ISO is a lengthy process with potential pitfalls, such as large file sizes or failed installations.

 For most users, modifying Windows after installation with tools like WinUtil or Start11 is simpler and safer than dealing with custom ISOs.

As much as I love Windows 11, it's not a perfect operating system, and I know many others feel even more strongly about it than I do. There are many ways in which you can modify or customize Windows to make it suit your tastes, and recently, I wrote a guide on how to create a custom Windows ISO with the programs you want.

But I want to be totally clear in saying that just because I wrote that guide, it doesn't mean I think creating a custom ISO is a good idea. In fact, I much prefer customizing Windows after the fact over using a custom Windows ISO, and I have a few reasons for that.

Third-party ISOs are potentially dangerous

You never know what's been changed

First things first, you've probably seen a few custom ISOs around the web that modify WIndows in one way or another. A good example is Tiny11, which I've gone hands-on with to compare the size against Windows 11 proper. These ISOs may be tempting since they do all the hard work for you, but make no mistake, they're not without drawbacks.

While the developers of these ISOs can claim they only make some specific changes, there's no telling how a Windows ISO has been modified unless you know how to dive into all the files and see everything that's different. That's not easy, and for most people, you're only going to know once you've installed it, at which point you might already have some unwanted software on your PC. It's a big risk that my colleague Elliot Alexander has written about at length.

Even if there's no malware in these ISOs, many times these custom ISOs may not work with Windows Update, or the changes they make can be undone by an update, so it's likely not worth the risk in the end.

Creating your custom ISO is a nightmare

I wouldn't wish it on anyone

So, you can't download third-party custom ISOs, so what if you make your own, as I wrote about in my guide? 

Well, I can't actually get behind that method. While it works, it's a very lengthy process, and my example in that guide was just for installing some software.

 If you want deep customizations like disabling certain features or apps, it takes that much longer.

But the worst part is what you don't see in that article. Prior to writing it, I did a lot of testing with different methods. In fact, I tried working on that article a year ago and we didn't publish it at the time because I could not get it to work. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

 Custom Windows ISOs are tempting, but could potentially contain unwanted software or changes that may not be apparent until after installation.

 Creating your own custom ISO is a lengthy process with potential pitfalls, such as large file sizes or failed installations.

 For most users, modifying Windows after installation with tools like WinUtil or Start11 is simpler and safer than dealing with custom ISOs.

As much as I love Windows 11, it's not a perfect operating system, and I know many others feel even more strongly about it than I do. There are many ways in which you can modify or customize Windows to make it suit your tastes, and recently, I wrote a guide on how to create a custom Windows ISO with the programs you want.

But I want to be totally clear in saying that just because I wrote that guide, it doesn't mean I think creating a custom ISO is a good idea. In fact, I much prefer customizing Windows after the fact over using a custom Windows ISO, and I have a few reasons for that.

Third-party ISOs are potentially dangerous

You never know what's been changed

First things first, you've probably seen a few custom ISOs around the web that modify WIndows in one way or another. A good example is Tiny11, which I've gone hands-on with to compare the size against Windows 11 proper. These ISOs may be tempting since they do all the hard work for you, but make no mistake, they're not without drawbacks.

While the developers of these ISOs can claim they only make some specific changes, there's no telling how a Windows ISO has been modified unless you know how to dive into all the files and see everything that's different. That's not easy, and for most people, you're only going to know once you've installed it, at which point you might already have some unwanted software on your PC. It's a big risk that my colleague Elliot Alexander has written about at length.

Even if there's no malware in these ISOs, many times these custom ISOs may not work with Windows Update, or the changes they make can be undone by an update, so it's likely not worth the risk in the end.

Creating your custom ISO is a nightmare

I wouldn't wish it on anyone

So, you can't download third-party custom ISOs, so what if you make your own, as I wrote about in my guide? 

Well, I can't actually get behind that method. While it works, it's a very lengthy process, and my example in that guide was just for installing some software.

 If you want deep customizations like disabling certain features or apps, it takes that much longer.

But the worst part is what you don't see in that article. Prior to writing it, I did a lot of testing with different methods. In fact, I tried working on that article a year ago and we didn't publish it at the time because I could not get it to work. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

 Custom Windows ISOs are tempting, but could potentially contain unwanted software or changes that may not be apparent until after installation.

 Creating your own custom ISO is a lengthy process with potential pitfalls, such as large file sizes or failed installations.

 For most users, modifying Windows after installation with tools like WinUtil or Start11 is simpler and safer than dealing with custom ISOs.

As much as I love Windows 11, it's not a perfect operating system, and I know many others feel even more strongly about it than I do. There are many ways in which you can modify or customize Windows to make it suit your tastes, and recently, I wrote a guide on how to create a custom Windows ISO with the programs you want.

But I want to be totally clear in saying that just because I wrote that guide, it doesn't mean I think creating a custom ISO is a good idea. In fact, I much prefer customizing Windows after the fact over using a custom Windows ISO, and I have a few reasons for that.

Third-party ISOs are potentially dangerous

You never know what's been changed

First things first, you've probably seen a few custom ISOs around the web that modify WIndows in one way or another. A good example is Tiny11, which I've gone hands-on with to compare the size against Windows 11 proper. These ISOs may be tempting since they do all the hard work for you, but make no mistake, they're not without drawbacks.

While the developers of these ISOs can claim they only make some specific changes, there's no telling how a Windows ISO has been modified unless you know how to dive into all the files and see everything that's different. That's not easy, and for most people, you're only going to know once you've installed it, at which point you might already have some unwanted software on your PC. It's a big risk that my colleague Elliot Alexander has written about at length.

Even if there's no malware in these ISOs, many times these custom ISOs may not work with Windows Update, or the changes they make can be undone by an update, so it's likely not worth the risk in the end.

Creating your custom ISO is a nightmare

I wouldn't wish it on anyone

So, you can't download third-party custom ISOs, so what if you make your own, as I wrote about in my guide? 

Well, I can't actually get behind that method. While it works, it's a very lengthy process, and my example in that guide was just for installing some software.

 If you want deep customizations like disabling certain features or apps, it takes that much longer.

But the worst part is what you don't see in that article. Prior to writing it, I did a lot of testing with different methods. In fact, I tried working on that article a year ago and we didn't publish it at the time because I could not get it to work. 

ad code here

ad code here

ad code here

Tap Here

ad code here

ad code here

ad code here