How to reduce the .exe size of a program in C#

Question

I am trying to make a single file executable in C#. The program does not have alot of code, yet the output is around 50mb even when I am using PublishTrimmed. Is there a way I can decrease the size of this? Thanks.

Configuration: Debug | Any CPU Target Framework: net core 3.1 (windows) Target Runtime: win x-64 Deployment Mode: Single File / Self Contained

Answer 1

Set the configuration to Release instead of Debug.

You can disable Self Contained when the user has the appropriate .net runtime installed. This can save a lot of space.

If your exe contains resources such as videos, it may not be able to shrink.

Self Contained also has many benefits and saves a lot of trouble, you can check the official documentation for details.