Solved Tiny 11 Display Resolution Problem

Years ago I left Windows (mostly) and adopted Linux Mint as my OS. I’m anything but a power user, so I never have to use Windows again. However, there are programs that I still use. I use older programs very infrequently, so it’s easier to stick with them rather than face the learning curve that comes with something new. Infrequent use would probably mean facing that learning curve over and over. Instead I use Windows 10 in a virtual machine.

Security updates for Windows 10 end next year for older machines. That leaves me with two options. I could continue with Windows 10, since minimal use should create minimal risk. The alternative is to upgrade to a crippled version of Windows 11. When I chanced upon an article about Tiny 11, it seemed like the ideal solution.

I added a new VM and installed Tiny 11. It works great, but there is a problem. Even though I have an HD monitor, the only display resolution options are in a 4 x 3 format, not 16 x 9. That’s not the case with my current VM Windows 10 installation. I tried using the Intel Graphics Command Center to create a custom resolution, but I was still left with only 4 x 3 options. I can only view the full Windows 11 screen if the 4 x 3 image is stretched to fill the monitor. Otherwise I have to scroll up and down … not great when working on a photo.

Where does the problem lie? To find out I created a third VM using Tiny 10. The display resolution options are still 4 x 3. Windows 10 and Tiny 10 are installed in the same VM and run on the exact same hardware. The only variable seems to be the fact that a lot of the standard Windows OS has been stripped from Tiny 10.

Does anyone have suggestions on ways to get Tiny 11 to recognize that I have an HD monitor?

Thanks

Ditch pointless and barely supported Tiny 11 and upgrade to official version.

If Tiny 11 not working for you can learn how to create a custom debloated ISO file of Windows 11.

Learn how to create a custom debloated ISO file of Windows 11 in this tutorial. Streamline your Windows 11 experience with this step-by-step guide!

My goal is to have a Windows system that will run on older hardware (the Lenovo V570 was released 13 years ago). Windows 10 will run on older hardware, but there will be no security updates beginning next October. Windows 11 can be installed on unsupported hardware. However, Microsoft warns that there may be compatibility issues, and it won't guarantee security updates. Tiny 11 will run on older software and the developer has promised regular security updates, but there is a cosmetic issue with the display.

As things stand right now, installing the full Windows 11 OS is in third place. Continuing with Windows 10 without security updates is second, I think. Tiny 11 with a distorted screen is first by a nose.

My next step will be to install Windows 11. I haven't tried that yet, but perhaps the display resolution issue is not specific to Tiny 11. Maybe that is what Microsoft means when it warns of compatibility issues on older hardware. If that issue is one of the "features" of Windows 11 on older hardware, then Tiny 11 has the advantage over a bloated Windows 11 OS.

Les Izmore said:

My goal is to have a Windows system that will run on older hardware

Click to expand...

You can easily run the official windows 11 on almost any older hardware with rufus.



There are some exceptions, with older cpu's lacking the popcnt instruction that will be coming in a future update 24H2. But for the most part, anything semi recent will run windows 11 just fine.

It looks like that computer has a Intel Core i5-2410M which supports popcnt so you should be fine even later down the road.

I would recommend a ram upgrade and ssd if you can find some cheap deals.

Otherwise, "modern" desktops / laptops can be found for super cheap with intel 8th gen processors for example which are more than capable for running windows 11.

Les Izmore said:

....perhaps the display resolution issue is not specific to Tiny 11. Maybe that is what Microsoft means when it warns of compatibility issues on older hardware.

Click to expand...

In addition to my full supported devices I also run Window 11 on a lot of older hardware. Display resolution is not an issue with any of them. I'm currently testing Windows 11 24H2 Insider builds on my System Two with its 1st gen i5. About the only compatibility issue I've found is that, due to some older drivers it uses, I cannot enable Core Isolation > Memory integrity.

I'm not convinced that the full 11 will run worse on unsupported hardware than 10 X64.

The only exception I've read of is if Core Isolation is enabled. That may reduce performance with older CPUs. But there is no requirementto enable it.

Core Isolation was also available on 10, but often not enabled. It wasn't rare for software to install drivers that conflicted with it.

andrew,

Since my main OS is Linux, I launched my Windows 10 VM, then downloaded rufus. (version 4.5). I launched that program and rufus found my USB drive automatically. Next I opened the Windows 11 iso in the boot selection box, and rufus completed the remaining entries. Following the directions I found online (I'm new to rufus since my Linux OS allows me to burn an iso to a USB drive simply by right clicking on a downloaded file), I hit Start expecting to see the Windows Custom Installation menu in your post. That box never popped up. Can you tell me what I'm doing wrong?

Les Izmore said:

I hit Start expecting to see the Windows Custom Installation menu in your post. That box never popped up. Can you tell me what I'm doing wrong?

Click to expand...

Are you using the windows iso downloaded from here?


Are you using the latest version of rufus?


I wouldnt think making the drive on linux using rufus would matter, but everytime I have used rufus it was within windows.

That is where I downloaded the Windows 11 iso. I downloaded rufus from their website this morning, so it is the most recent version. Rufus is only available as a Windows program, so I'm running it in a Windows 10 VM. I've never needed to burn a custom iso (something that I can't do with Linux anyway, AFAIK), so this is my first experience with rufus The online directions make it sound easy to burn a custom iso. But, when I hit start I don't get the custom installation menu, and I can't figure out why.

Les Izmore said:

That is where I downloaded the Windows 11 iso. I downloaded rufus from their website this morning, so it is the most recent version. Rufus is only available as a Windows program, so I'm running it in a Windows 10 VM. I've never needed to burn a custom iso (something that I can't do with Linux anyway, AFAIK), so this is my first experience with rufus The online directions make it sound easy to burn a custom iso. But, when I hit start I don't get the custom installation menu, and I can't figure out why.

Click to expand...

Neither can I, it is working for me.....did you modify the name of the iso? Maybe because it is in a vm? but that should work.....

You can try other methods found here:

prior to clicking start, post a screenshot here

I'm running 11 on my 775 Build just Fine

After many attempts I decide to try rufus without going to the Windows 10 VM. When I moved from Windows to Linux Mint I set up a dual boot system. Later (but still years ago) I found it more convenient to set up a VM for Windows, avoiding the need for a reboot from Linux to Windows when I needed my old OS. It has been so many years since I've actually booted into Windows rather than Linux that I nearly forgot that it's still there. At this point it's basically an archive I've kept to preserve old files.

Thinking it was worth a try, I restarted the system and booted up Windows instead of Linux. And you know what? The problem was the virtual machine! Rufus doesn't work as advertised with VM Windows, but it works as it should outside the VM. I now have a USB with the Windows 11 custom installation. Next, I'm going to try Windows 11 in a virtual machine ... but not right away. Since Windows 10 security updates don't end for almost 10 months, I've got lots of time so I think I'll take a break.

Thanks to everyone who posted. Your ideas and suggestions are much appreciated.

Les Izmore said:

After many attempts I decide to try rufus without going to the Windows 10 VM. When I moved from Windows to Linux Mint I set up a dual boot system. Later (but still years ago) I found it more convenient to set up a VM for Windows, avoiding the need for a reboot from Linux to Windows when I needed my old OS. It has been so many years since I've actually booted into Windows rather than Linux that I nearly forgot that it's still there. At this point it's basically an archive I've kept to preserve old files.

Thinking it was worth a try, I restarted the system and booted up Windows instead of Linux. And you know what? The problem was the virtual machine! Rufus doesn't work as advertised with VM Windows, but it works as it should outside the VM. I now have a USB with the Windows 11 custom installation. Next, I'm going to try Windows 11 in a virtual machine ... but not right away. Since Windows 10 security updates don't end for almost 10 months, I've got lots of time so I think I'll take a break.

Thanks to everyone who posted. Your ideas and suggestions are much appreciated.

Click to expand...

I would do windows 11 as your main install on the disk, and use linux in a virtual machine using something like workstation. (vmware workstation which is free now)

Glad you got it working though. Not sure why rufus doesnt like a virtual machine. Very odd

andrew129260 said:

Glad you got it working though. Not sure why rufus doesnt like a virtual machine. Very odd

Click to expand...

I couldn't agree more. I even downloaded rufus 3.19 (before the custom option was moved from the main screen to a pop up) to see if that would work. Still no way to create a custom iso.

Update:

Now that I have rufus working, I was able to create a custom iso that bypassed Microsoft's system requirements. Once that was done I used imgburn to create a bootable iso. Next I created a new virtual machine for Windows 11, launched the new VM, and sat (and sat, and sat) as the new OS was installed. Once fully installed I was able to open the display resolution settings. Sad to say, they were the same 4x3 options I had with Tiny 11. While my old Windows 10 VM gives me 16x9 display options, the new Windows VM does not.

So, I will stick with the Windows 10 VM as long as there are security updates. After that, I think I'll go with Tiny 11 for those three or four times a year when I may need to run a Windows program.

[ Sigh! ]

what vm player are you using? Oracle, VMWare....?

I'm using Oracle VirtualBox.

so linux is your os and windows is the guest os (the vm), correct? have you tried all options listed here for resolution adjustments: