How to Reduce the Size of the C:\Windows\WinSxS\ Folder?

Ghot said:

I've used the method that @dalchina linked. In particular, this command...

Dism.exe /online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup /ResetBase

OK,
Last week I ran this command with /StartComponentCleanup, but without /ResetBase.
I ran it now again, just in case,
and then, I ran it with both /StartComponentCleanup and /ResetBase.

It finished quite fast, and after it finished I checked the free space on C:, and nothing changed, at all.

I then ran dism with the Analyze command:
dism.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /AnalyzeComponentStore

and the result is this:





As can be seen, Cache and Temporary Data is 0GB,
but Backups and Disabled Features is 1.57GB..

So can something be done to get rid of Backups and Disabled Features?

/ResetBase, which I have just ran, did not clean it..

spaceman5 said:

OK,
Last week I ran this command with /StartComponentCleanup, but without /ResetBase.
I ran it now again, just in case,
and then, I ran it with both /StartComponentCleanup and /ResetBase.

It finished quite fast, and after it finished I checked the free space on C:, and nothing changed, at all.

I then ran dism with the Analyze command:
dism.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /AnalyzeComponentStore

and the result is this:





As can be seen, Cache and Temporary Data is 0GB,
but Backups and Disabled Features is 1.57GB..

So can something be done to get rid of Backups and Disabled Features?

/ResetBase, which I have just ran, did not clean it..

The size of Windows winsxs had been reduced by the clean up.

The Cache and Temporary Data was eliminated.

The current displayed size is related to hard links.

The real overhead size now is 1.57 GB and not 5.7 GB




This is from the computer used to type this post:

Code:

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.17763.1577]
(c) 2018 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\WINDOWS\system32>Dism.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /AnalyzeComponentStore

Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool
Version: 10.0.17763.1518

Image Version: 10.0.17763.1577

[==========================100.0%==========================]

Component Store (WinSxS) information:

Windows Explorer Reported Size of Component Store : 11.70 GB

Actual Size of Component Store : 11.05 GB

    Shared with Windows : 5.85 GB
    Backups and Disabled Features : 3.38 GB
    Cache and Temporary Data : 1.81 GB

Date of Last Cleanup : 2021-03-12 16:51:35

Number of Reclaimable Packages : 1
Component Store Cleanup Recommended : Yes

The operation completed successfully.

C:\WINDOWS\system32>

The real overhead size = 3.38 GB + 1.81 GB = 5.19 GB

Due to hard links Windows Explorer Reported Size of Component Store : 11.70 GB.

Cache and Temporary Data : 1.81 GB (most can be cleaned up)

zbook said:

The size of Windows winsxs had been reduced by the clean up.

The Cache and Temporary Data was eliminated.
The current displayed size is related to hard links.
The real overhead size now is 1.57 GB and not 5.7 GB

OK then, I would really be happy to get rid of those 1.57GB..
Can it be done?

dalchina said:

which presumably means about 2.08Gb

Ja, reasonable.

See these links:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/win...-winsxs-folder
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/win...-windows-image
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/win...omponent-store


Free Up Drive Space in Windows 10
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/...8-831022bc9b32

Swordfishx86 said:

You can't use ordinary means to determine the size of the WinSxS-Folder because it contains a ton of hard links to files elsewhere in %windir%:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/tro...used-by-winsxs


Windows 10: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/win...-winsxs-folder

To find the real size run in PowerShell:

cd c:\windows\winsxs
ls -Recurse -File -force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | ? LinkType -ne HardLink | Measure-Object -Property Length -Sum


The PowerShell command does work, BUT... for anyone who, like me, prefers to keep an eye on the true size of the WinSxS folder on a more regular basis, there's this handy little tool that works multiple times faster:
https://schinagl.priv.at/nt/ln/ln.html

hdmi said:

there's this handy little tool that works multiple times faster:
ln - command line hardlinks

Handy versatile tool ��

[Wow, a forum that doesn't support unicode in 2021 :thumbdown: ]

So there's nothing more I can do about WinSxS? :/

spaceman5 said:

So there's nothing more I can do about WinSxS? :/

Have you run

Dism.exe /online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup /ResetBase

and

Dism.exe /online /Cleanup-Image /SPSuperseded

?

What is the output of

dism /online /cleanup-image /analyzecomponentstore

?

What is your goal? Why are you so concerned about the size of the Component Store?