How to clean up WindowsApps folder?

Mark0 · 30 Aug 2022

Hi,
I recently had an issue like yours, i.e. an orphaned package left behind after removing an app. In my case it was the Phone app.
The following did the job:

Code:

Remove-AppxPackage -Package Microsoft.YourPhone_1.22052.136.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe -AllUsers -Confirm

For the full explanation, you may want to take a look at:
Completely uninstall provisioned apps: how-to and detailed explanation
Cheers,
Mark

gerstemann · 08 Oct 2022

Thanks @einstein1969 and @aschield for making this big advancements for the script.

I also added the part for handeling different languages better. That was the reason the created script didnt work with my local version of Windows 11. Here is the complete Code. Can anyone test it because my windowsapps dir is clean now...

Code:

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:: By Einstein1969 for www.tenforum.com
::
%= CleanWA =% @set "Version=0.1.4.2 BETA"
::
:: Detect orphaned dirs in %ProgramFiles%\WindowsApps, check for integrity/consistency
::
:: Requirements: Save to UTF-8. Use Lucida Console Font in CMD window. Run with double click over icon script.
::         Windows 10 version 1511 (build number 10586) onward
::
:: history:
::   10/08/2022 0.1.4.2 BETA  added some stuff for taking correct ownership with different languages
::   10/08/2022 0.1.4.1 BETA  added some hints to take ownership  
::   04/02/2022 0.1.4 BETA    fix some minor bug and aesthetic improvements
::     /10/2021 0.1.4 BETA    fix bug for elevated char ;,=() &^
::   29/09/2021 0.1.3 BETA    Search for applications that do not have InstallLocation set.
::                            Enable support for Unicode UTF-8 and VT-ANSI
::   25/09/2021 0.1.2 BETA    removed debug, added run as administrator , thanks Matthew Wai
::   25/09/2021 0.1.1 BETA    add debug instruction for "file not found" bug/error.
::
:: ref: https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/4689-uninstall-apps-windows-10-a.html
:: ref: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/console/console-virtual-terminal-sequences
::
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
@echo off & setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion&color 1f&title CleanWA %Version%

Rem Choice the WindowsApps (WA) directory to check.
set "WA=%ProgramW6432%\WindowsApps"

set PromptLine=
copy /y nul "%TEMP%\yesnoall#.tmp" >nul
for /f "tokens=2* delims=#" %%A in ( '^<nul copy /-y nul "%TEMP%\yesnoall#.tmp"'
  ) do set PromptLine=%%A
del "%TEMP%\yesnoall#.tmp"
set PromptLine=%PromptLine: =%& rem delete spaces (for russian)
for /f "tokens=2-7 delims=[(/)]" %%A in ( "%PromptLine%"
  ) do if "%%~E" == "" ( set ans_yes=%%A& set ans_no=%%B& set ans_all=%%C
  ) else ( set ans_yes=%%A& set ans_no=%%C& set ans_all=%%E
)
set ans_y=%ans_yes:~0,1%& set ans_n=%ans_no:~0,1%& set ans_a=%ans_all:~0,1%

echo %ans_yes%, %ans_no%, %ans_all%
echo %ans_y%, %ans_n%, %ans_a%

Rem Check for Run as administrator.
call :Restart_as_Administrator %1

Call :video_setting

Rem check for permission on WA
if not exist "%WA%\." echo( & echo Error: Problem accessing "%WA%" & goto :the_end

echo(
echo   • Analyze "%WA%"
echo(

Echo     • Check for applications that do not have "InstallLocation" set.
echo(

rem create list of registered app
> "%tmp%\CleanWA.RegisteredApps.tmp.txt"  ^
 (
    rem exclude "system" applications in c:\windows folder
    powershell -Command "Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | ? { $_.SignatureKind -ne 'System' } | sort -property {$_.InstallLocation+' '} | ForEach-Object {'{0,-40}  {1,-20}  {2}' -f $_.name,$_.version,$_.InstallLocation}"
 )

type nul: > "%tmp%\CleanWA.RegisteredApps_good.tmp.txt"
type nul: > "%tmp%\CleanWA.RegisteredApps_NO_good.tmp.txt"
FOR /f "usebackq tokens=1,2,*" %%a in ("%tmp%\CleanWA.RegisteredApps.tmp.txt") do (
    if "%%c" equ "" (
        echo(    %CSI%7m? Warning: Registered app "%%a" does not have a "InstallLocation" set/defined. ?%CSI%27m
        echo(
        echo Rem Warning: Registered app "%%a" does not have a "InstallLocation" set/defined. >> "%tmp%\CleanWA.RegisteredApps_NO_good.tmp.txt"
    ) else echo(%%a %%b %%c >> "%tmp%\CleanWA.RegisteredApps_good.tmp.txt"
)

echo     v check finished.
echo(

echo     • Detect orphaned dirs
echo(

type nul > "%tmp%\CleanWA.report_orphans.tmp.txt"
set "dn=0" & rem number of folders/directories
set /A "Size=0, Totsize=0,dirsO"
FOR /f "tokens=*" %%z IN ('dir /b /o:n "%WA%"') DO (
  set /a "dn+=1"
 
  FOR /f "tokens=1-4" %%g in ('dir /S /W /-C "%WA%\%%z"') do (set "oldlineSize=!line!" & set line=%%i)
  call :pad dn 4
  set /A "size=!oldlineSize:~0,-4!+0, sizeMB=size/105"
  echo       • !dn! - Searching for folder:
  echo                "%%z" (about !SizeMB! MBytes^) %CSI%0K

  set "found="
  for /f "usebackq tokens=1,2,*" %%a in ("%tmp%\CleanWA.RegisteredApps_good.tmp.txt") do if not defined found (
        rem echo       • Pkg. InstallLocation "%%c" %CSI%0K %RI%
        set _V_=%%z
        set v1="x!_V_:%%a_%%b=!x"
        set v2="x!_V_!x"
        if !v1! NEQ !v2! (
        set Found=1
        rem echo(      %CSI%102m? Found an app that use this folder ?%CSI%44m : %CSI%102m"%%a"%CSI%44m version: "%%b" %CSI%0K
    )
  )

  if defined found (
    echo(%RI%%RI%%RI%
  ) else (
    rem check for unknown folder/dir
    rem known:_x64_, _x86_, _neutral_ .... others?
        set v1="x!_V_:_x64_=!x"
        set v2="x!_V_!x"
    set "OK=N"
        if !v1! NEQ !v2! set "OK=Y"
        set v1="x!_V_:_x86_=!x"
    if !v1! NEQ !v2! set "OK=Y"
    set v1="x!_V_:_neutral_=!x"
    if !v1! NEQ !v2! set "OK=Y"

    if !OK! NEQ Y (
        echo(
        echo       %CSI%43m? No Match folder: "%%z" ?%CSI%44m%CSI%0K
        echo(
        echo(
        ping -n 2 127.0.0.1 >nul
    ) else (
        echo(
        echo       %CSI%101m? orphans folder! ?%CSI%44m%CSI%0K
        echo(
        echo(
        rem why 105? 1024*1024/10000 ~ 105
        set /A "Totsize+=size, TotsizeMB=Totsize/105, dirsOrphans+=1"
        title CleanWA %Version% [Tot. space orphans: about !TotsizeMB! MB] [dirs/folder orphans: !dirsOrphans!]
        (
          echo rem folder "%%z" (about !oldlineSize! Bytes^, about !SizeMB! MBytes^)
          echo takeown /F "%WA%\%%z" /r /d %ans_y%
          echo icacls "%WA%\%%z" /t /grant %USERNAME%:F
          echo RD /Q /S "%WA%\%%z"
          echo(
                ) >> "%tmp%\CleanWA.report_orphans.tmp.txt"
    )
  )
  rem pathping 127.0.0.1 -n -q 1 -p 100 >nul
)
echo(
echo(
echo(
echo     v check finished.
echo(
echo dirs/folder orphans: !dirsOrphans!
echo(
echo Tot. space orphans: about !TotsizeMB! MB
echo(

>nul: copy /a "%tmp%\CleanWA.RegisteredApps_NO_good.tmp.txt" + /a "%tmp%\CleanWA.report_orphans.tmp.txt" "%tmp%\CleanWA.report.tmp.txt"

echo coping Report/script "%tmp%\CleanWA.report.tmp.txt" for offline delete in \Users\Public
copy "%tmp%\CleanWA.report.tmp.txt" \Users\Public
echo(
pause

start notepad "\Users\Public\CleanWA.report.tmp.txt"

:the_end
:: pause if double clicked on instead of run from command line.
echo %cmdcmdline% | findstr /I /L %comspec% >nul 2>&1
if %errorlevel% == 0 echo( & pause
exit /B 0
goto :eof
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::   SUBROUTINE   ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:Restart_as_Administrator
(Fsutil Dirty Query %SystemDrive%>Nul)&&(
        if "%1" neq "admin" (
        start /MAX %~f0 admin
        Exit
    )
)||(
    mode con cols=90 lines=20
    echo( & echo     It is necessary to start the script with administrative rights.
    echo( & echo     Please wait ... I am restarting the script with administrative rights.
    echo( & echo     Answer "YES" to the next User Account Control UAC request to continue
    echo(     running this script with administrative permissions. & echo(
    timeout /t 4
    powershell.exe -c "Start -WindowStyle Maximized -Verb RunAs cmd /c, ("^""%~f0"^"" -replace '[;,=() &^]', '^$0'), "admin" " & Exit
)
goto :eof
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:video_setting
    For /F %%a In ('echo prompt $E^| cmd') Do Set "ESC=%%a"
    set "CSI=%ESC%[" & set "RI=%ESC%M"
    set "echoVT=<nul set/p.="
        rem get windows size
    for /f "tokens=1,2 skip=3" %%A in ('powershell -command "$Host.ui.rawui.WindowSize"'
    ) do set /a windowWidth=%%A, windowHeight=%%B, sm_e=%%B - 3
    mode con: COLS=%windowWidth% LINES=%windowHeight%
    Rem Setting Scrolling Margins
    echo %CSI%4;%sm_e%r
    rem set UTF-8
    chcp 65001
    cls
goto :eof
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:pad
  set "pad=!%1!"
  for /L %%L in (1,1,%2) do set "pad= !pad!"
  set "pad=!pad:~-%2!"
  set "%1=!pad!"
goto :eof
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

DrStrange · 17 Jun 2023

Hi,
Thanks @einstein1969 and @aschield for this script.
I have your script named cleanup.bat in a folder at F:\Microsoft Windows OS\Windows 10\Tools along with other .bat scripts.
The other .bat scripts in that folder run without any error.
However, when I try to click on your script, Windows 10 popsup stating that Windows cannot find F:\Microsoft. I then tried to run your script from an admin command prompt enclosing the path to the script within quotation marks but I got the same popup. I get a different error if I copy your script into Program Files (x86). The script gives an error of "\cleanup.bat waas unexpected at this time". There is no popup from Windows 10. If I run the script from a sub-folder of Program Files (x86) eg C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Mail then your script gives the error \Windows was unexpected at this time.
It is only when I run your script from a path that has no spaces in it, then your script will run without error.

TheOneTrueSpLiT · 10 Jan 2024

mngerhold said:

I can only touch on it here, as it is complex, and it appears MS does not want you, the ordinary user, messing about - or they would have made it easier. What follows is only an extract from the enormous amount of information on the links already provided by others. Firstly, to see all the available apps, you must run Powershell as an administrator:
Get-AppxPackage -allusers * | Select Name, PackageFullName
will show a long list. I have removed everything I can (in the past, new rubbish may have appeared since), but there are still 121 (yes, one hundred and twenty one) apps listed. Many of these are services and other things one should not interfere with. To remove apps (packages) that are amenable, there are two steps:

First one must uninstall (for the current user) with something like
Get-AppxPackage *zunemusic* | Remove-AppxPackage
but that only uninstalls (despite the name of the command), it does not remove from disk. Once the app is not installed for any user (and that can be tricky), one can 'de-provision' it. To find out which apps are provisioned (ready to be installed for new users), use
Get-AppxProvisionedPackage -online | select packagename
Mine shows only two:

PackageName
-----------
Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge.Stable_93.0.961.44_neutral__8wekyb3d8bbwe
Microsoft.ScreenSketch_2020.814.2355.0_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe

These can be de-provisioned with something like :
Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -online -packagename <string>
but note that the command does not take wildcards as easily as the Get-AppxPackage command (the <string> must be the full package name). This operation prevents the app re-installing for new users. If it is not installed for anyone, it will (may) eventually disappear of its own accord from the WindowsApps folder. There will (I think) always be something left in that folder.

There are a number of (often Powershell-based) tools out there to help you, I have tried some but can't recommend any, as I have not tested them that much, I have done it the hard way. What is annoying is how multiple versions seem to hang about in the folder, no matter how many times one runs the built-in cleaup process, or uses DISM commands. My WindowsApps folder is only ~400MB, and I can't be bothered to trim that.

mngerhold - you are a genius, these commands did exactly as I wanted, as in DELETE the folders of apps I had uninstalled but were still present under WindowsApps and as such taking up disk space.

Many thanks,
Guy