Can I delete .wim and .msi files?


  1. bendipa
    Posts : 55
    Windows 10 Pro 22H2, Linux Mint 21.2, Linux Manjaro 21.3
       New #1

    Can I delete .wim and .msi files?


    I seem to have a number of .wim files (I know what .wim files are), eg edge.wim. I have 3 of these all the same size, but different dates they were created. They are using 337 MB in total. I don't ever use Edge anyway. There are a number of other files like WindowsDefenderApplicationGuard.wim - several of these created last month and this month, about 37MB each one.

    Also there are a number of installer (msi) files. There are several C:\Windows\Installer files, with varying numeric names or referring to specific named applications I installed over time, including one huge Windows msi file of 197MB. The others are around 35 - 56MB each. Also there are some msi files (not in the Windows folder), but under a specific application path referring to that application by name, eg Max Audio installer (x64).msi.

    Together, all of these .msi files are taking up over 1GB of space.
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  3. Berton
    Posts : 14,035
    Win10 Pro and Home, Win11 Pro and Home, Win7, Linux Mint
       New #2

    How large is the drive they are on? At 1GB they really don't take up much room but when working in file managing the indexing of a drive can take a bit longer than if they didn't exist. I'd delete all but the last one [by the date] 'just in case' but more will probably be added over time with updates.
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  4. garlin
    Posts : 791
    Windows 7
       New #3

    The monthly LCU always includes a default (older) copy of Edge, distributed as edge.wim inside the MSU. For whatever reason, that's how Windows Update does it internally.
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