I am having similar problem with trying to remove files from Winsxs folder using StartComponentCleanup. I started task Scheduler wiith 14994 fies and ran StartComponentCleanup as administrator, after 2 hours i stopped it and still had 14,994 files. Clean Up the WinSxS Folder Task Scheduler. The StartComponentCleanup task was created in Windows 8 to regularly clean up components. The /Cleanup-Image parameter of Dism.exe provides advanced users more options to further reduce. Disk Cleanup. You can use Disk Cleanup to reduce the.
Windows 10 has a feature built into the Disk Cleanup tool called Clean Up System Files that not many people take full advantage of. This feature is designed to help you regain valuable hard disk space by removing system files that are no longer necessary to the functioning of the operating system—old installation files, Windows Update leftovers, and outdated device drivers, just to name a few.
Dec 03, 2015 How to clean up WinSxS folder in Windows 10. The Disk Cleanup dialog will appear. Tick the item called 'Windows Update Cleanup': That's it. This will remove files which are not critical to the functioning of the operating system and which are used only as. In Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016, you have a number of ways to start the cleanup of the component store, which use a combination of package deletion and component compression to clean up the WinSxS folder. For more information about the Windows Component Store (WinSxS folder), see: Manage the Component Store.
In this article, I'll take a closer look at the Disk Cleanup tool and then focus in on the Clean Up System Files feature. As I do, I'll give you a little background on the types of files that this tool is designed to remove from your hard disk.
Note: Before you attempt any of the steps shown in this article, I recommend that you restart your system to ensure that any pending Windows Update operations are complete and to ensure you are beginning with a clean slate.
The WinSxS folder
If you used the Windows operating system back in the Windows 9.x days, you're familiar with the term DLL Hell. This situation arose when you installed different programs that included updated versions of DLL (Dynamic Link Library) files with the same name as files already on the system. These duplicate files would wreak havoc with applications and the operating system. For example, an application would look for a specific version of a DLL file, but find a newer version that was recently updated by another program. Since the version was different, the application would act strangely or crash altogether.
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By the time Windows Vista was introduced, Microsoft had solved the problem by creating a new technology called componentization, which uses a folder called WinSxS, which allows the operating system to store and keep track of all kinds of operating system files, DLLs included, with the same name but different versions. (WinSxS is short for Windows Side-by-Side and refers to using files with the same name but with different version numbers at the same time in the operating system.)
As things evolved, the WinSxS folder also became the perfect place to store files added to the operating system by Windows Update. As you probably know from firsthand experience, Microsoft releases a multitude of updates every month to keep up with bugs, new applications, and security problems, just to name a few of the reasons for regular updates. To make sure that the updates don't cause compatibility problems, all kinds of duplicate files get stored in the WinSxS folder so that everything can continue to function correctly. Furthermore, many Windows updates are designed such that if they do cause unanticipated compatibility problems, they can be uninstalled and the files can be reverted to a previous state.
While this is a pretty simplified description of the WinSxS folder, the general idea I want to convey here is that the WinSxS folder can grow so large that it takes up a good chunk of hard disk space. The problem gets compounded by the fact that the WinSxS folder is used to store so many files. This means that old files as well as files that are no longer necessary can still be taking up hard disk space.
For instance, Figure A shows the WinSxS folder properties dialog on a system that began as a Windows 7 system, which was upgraded to Windows 8.x and again to Windows 10. As you can see, the WinSxS folder on this system contains 60,209 files and takes up a grand total of 6.73 GB of hard disk space.
Figure AThe WinSxS folder can be quite large.
If you want more technical details about the origin of componentization and the WinSxS folder, you can view this 2008 post from the Ask the Core Team blog on the Microsoft TechNet site.
The Disk Cleanup tool
The Disk Cleanup tool has been around for quite some time. Its job is to make it easy to clean out old and unnecessary files that can clog up your hard disk. It's the perfect place for the Clean Up System Files feature to live, since it's designed to weed through the WinSxS folder and eliminate waste. Rather than just jumping straight into the Clean up system files feature, let's look at the Disk Cleanup tool as a whole and then delve into the how the feature works.
To easily run the Disk Cleanup tool, launch File Explorer, select This PC, and select Local Disk (C:). To continue, select the Drive Tools Manage tab and click the Cleanup button, as shown in Figure B.
Figure BYou can launch Disk Cleanup from within File Explorer.
Once you launch Disk Cleanup, it will begin to analyze the files on your hard disk to determine what can be safely removed, as shown in Figure C.
Figure CThe Disk Cleanup tool will scan your hard disk and locate files that can be removed to free up space.
Once the disk space analysis is complete, you'll see the main Disk Cleanup interface (Figure D), which essentially lists the categories or locations containing unnecessary files on your hard disk that can be removed. Adjacent to each category you'll see the size of the unnecessary files as well as a check box that allows you to specify that you want to remove those files.
Figure DThe main feature of the Disk Cleanup interface is the Files to delete scrolling list.
Beneath the list is a number indicating the total amount of disk space you'll gain by removing the selected files. And below that is the description panel, which offers more details about the selected category. The categories in the list will depend on what the Disk Cleanup tool found on your hard disk. Table A shows some of the most common categories you will find in Disk Cleanup, along with the descriptions provided.
Table AMost common categories listed in the Disk Cleanup tool
As you select the various categories in the list, a View Files button may appear. Play pc games on android. If it does, you can click it to launch a separate File Explorer window that will show the unnecessary files stored in that location. Keep in mind that the View Files button is not available for all of the categories.
The Clean Up System Files feature
If you refer back to Figure C, you'll see the Clean Up System Files button next to the View Files button. Note: This button is flagged with the UAC (User Account Control) icon. Depending on your UAC setting you may see a UAC prompt when you select that button.
When you click the Clean Up System Files button, Disk Cleanup will display a screen similar to the one shown in Figure B as it analyzes additional locations on your hard disk to determine what can be safely removed. When the main Disk Cleanup interface returns, you'll see several additional categories. Table B shows some of the most common categories in Disk Cleanup's Files To Delete list after you click the Clean Up System Files button.
Table BCategories that appear in Disk Cleanup when you select the Clean Up system files buttonRunning Disk Cleanup
When you select some or all of the various categories, take note of them and the value in the Total Amount Of Disk Space You Gain row. On my example system, I selected all the categories, and Disk Cleanup reported that I would gain 2.90 GB of disk space. When you're ready, click OK. Disk Cleanup will prompt you to confirm that you want to permanently delete the selected files, as shown in Figure E.
Figure EDisk Cleanup will prompt you to confirm the permanent delete operation.
When you click Delete Files, Disk Cleanup will go to work cleaning up all the files in the categories you selected, as shown in Figure F.
Figure FDisk Cleanup will remove any unnecessary files.The end result
When Disk Cleanup is done, the dialog will just close. Unfortunately, you won't receive any feedback on the success of the operation. However, you will want to restart your system once Disk Cleanup completes its operation. After your system restarts, check the results manually by launching Disk Cleanup, selecting the categories you selected the first time through, and taking note of the value in the Total amount Of Disk Space You Gain row.
As you can see in Figure G, on my example system I went from 2.90 GB down to 55.2 MB—which means that I gained approximately 2.8 GB of hard disk space. A very good gain indeed!
Figure GWinsxs Folder Cleanup Windows 10 LaptopTo check your results, rerun Disk Cleanup.
I then went back to the WinSxS folder properties dialog and discovered that the number of files only dropped from 60,209 to 57,993 and the size of the WinSxS folder only dropped from 6.73 GB to 5.78 GB—a small gain. As you survey your results, keep in mind that the Clean Up System Files feature will remove files from the WinSxS folder only if they're no longer needed by the system. You may find that a lot of files have been removed from your system or you may find that very few files have been removed from your system.
Winsxs Folder Cleanup Server 2008Other WinSxS folder cleanup methods
If you have a modest reduction of the size of the WinSxS folder after running Disk Cleanup, stand by for my next article. In it I'll cover some other cleanup methods that directly target the WinSxS folder. Stay tuned!
What's your take?
Have you used Disk Cleanup's Clean Up System Files feature in Windows 10? If so, what kind of disk savings did you encounter? Please take a moment to share your experiences and advice with fellow TechRepublic members.
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Most of you may have noticed the WinSxS folder in Windows 10/8/7 and been surprised at its size. For those who have not, the folder is situated at C:WindowsWinsxs and has a whopping size ! Mine is almost 5 GB and has around 6000 folders & 25000 files and occupies almost 40% of the Windows folder! While the size of this Winsxs folder, in XP is around 25-50 MB; its large size in Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7 and Windows Vista, is intriguing, to many ! Check the image below.
So what is the mystery of this Winsxs folder in Windows Vista and later? Let us find so, in this post.
The WinSxS folder, stores multiple copies of dll, exe and other system files in order to let multiple applications run in Windows without any compatibility problem. If you browse inside, you will see what look like a lot of duplicate files, each having the same name. These are actually, different versions of the same files which are being stored; as different programs may require different versions.
WinSxS folder Windows 10/8/7
In short, Winsxs, which stands for ‘Windows Side By Side’, is Windows native assembly cache. Libraries which are being by multiple applications are stored there. This feature was first introduced, in Windows ME and was considered as Microsoft’s solution to the so-called ‘dll hell’ issues that plagued Windows 9x.
In Winsxs the ‘backup’ folder is the largest as can be noticed in the image below.
Again, as can be seen in the image below, in the Winsxs folder, the ‘Other’ File types takes the bulk of the space. These primarily consist of .imd, .ngr, .csd, .dll, .dll.mui, .exe and such other file types.
In Windows 7 and later, there isn’t a ‘dllcache’ folder and nor can you find the ‘i386’ folder, where the system caches (like in XP) all it’s source modules. It is this WinSxS folder which stores the shared components of side-by-side applications. These files can be multiple versions of the same assembly or application. Every side-by-side assembly has a unique identity. One of the attributes of the assembly identity is its version. “Side-by-side assemblies are used by the operating system as fundamental units of naming, binding, versioning, deployment, and configuration. The Winsxs folder includes all manifests, optional components and 3rd party Win32 files”.
But, why so many subfolders, and why keep so many different versions of the same dll, exe or other files ?
As mentioned, Windows stores the old dll‘s and library components in the WinSxS folder. Now if a newer version of this file is a part of the OS, but a particular application requires a particular older version for running, then the older version from the winsxs folder will be used, leaving the newer version in its present place, for other applications which may require it.
So obviously you cannot delete this directory or move it elsewhere. Nor is it advisable to delete anything here, as such a step could probably make your applications un-workable or even break your system! If you have many applications installed, you can expect to have a jumbo sized winsxs folder. This WinSxs folder cannot reside on any other volume than the system volume. This is because of the NTFS hard links. If you try to move the folder, it may result in Windows updates, service packs, features, etc, not installing correctly.
If you delete components from the WinSxS folder like the manifests or the assemblies, etc, you could be in trouble. Each system would react differently. What may work for one could break another! For instance, if you install a program that requires that particular assembly, which you may have deleted, then that program will just not run! Compressing the folder is also a no-no, as it could cause problems during WindowsUpdates or while installing a Hotfix.
The safest way to clean it, is by simply uninstalling applications which you don’t require. However, this too is not fool-proof, as many applications still leave behind their files here, since they may be shared between other applications. So the probability of dud unused dll‘s being left behind is quite high.
We would not advice the use of WinSxS cleanup tools like WinsxsLite as you could end up breaking your Windows.
And if you are into trying out new software or installing and uninstalling frequently, you may notice that your Winsxs size is indeed large, as Windows will store multiple copies of these dll files, in order to let multiple applications without compatibility problem.
WinSxs Folder Cleanup
Windows 8.1 introduced a new command line option for DISM.exe, /AnalyzeComponentStore. Running this command, will analyze the WinSxS folder and tell you whether a Component Store Cleanup is recommended or not. It is present in Windows 10 as well.
In Windows 8/8.1/10, open Disk Cleanup Tool and use the Windows Update Cleanup option to clean the WinSxS.
Microsoft released an Update that added the Windows Update Cleanup option to Disk Cleanup tool in Windows 7.
You can now also clean up WinSxS in Windows Server 2008 R2 with new the new Update.
Here are some other options you may consider to free up disk space – some routine and some extreme:
Update 1 From TechNet Blogs : One of the largest changes between previous versions of Windows and Windows 7 / Vista was a move from an INF described OS to componentization. All of the components in the operating system are found in the WinSxS folder – in fact we call this location the component store. Each component has a unique name that includes the version, language, and processor architecture that it was built for. The WinSxS folder is the only location that the component is found on the system, all other instances of the files that you see on the system are “projected” by hard linking from the component store.
Now that you know why the store can grow to be so large, your next question is probably to ask why we don’t remove the older versions of the components. The short answer to that is reliability. The component store, along with other information on the system, allows us to determine at any given time what the best version of a component to project is. That means that if you uninstall a security update we can install the next highest version on the system – we no longer have an “out of order uninstall” problem. It also means that if you decide to install an optional feature, we don’t just choose the RTM version of the component, we’ll look to see what the highest available version on the system is.
The only way to safely reduce the size of the WinSxS folder is to reduce the set of possible actions that the system can take – the easiest way to do that is to remove the packages that installed the components in the first place. This can be done by uninstalling superseded versions of packages that are on your system. Service Pack 1 contains a binary called VSP1CLN.EXE, a tool that will make the Service Pack package permanent (not removable) on your system, and remove the RTM versions of all superseded components. This can only be done because by making the Service Pack permanent we can guarantee that we won’t ever need the RTM versions.
Update 2 From E7 Blogs : “Modularizing” the operating system was an engineering goal in Windows Vista. This was to solve a number of issues in legacy Windows related to installation, servicing and reliability. The Windows SxS directory represents the “installation and servicing state” of all system components. But in reality it doesn’t actually consume as much disk space as it appears when using the built-in tools (DIR and Explorer) to measure disk space used. The fact that we make it tricky for you to know how much space is actually consumed in a directory is definitely a fair point! The WinSxS directory also enables offline servicing, and makes Windows Vista and later “safe for imaging”.
There have been several blogs and even some “underground” tools that tell you it’s ok to delete the WinSxS directory, and it’s certainly true that after installation, you can remove it from the system and it will appear that the system boots and runs fine. But as described above, this is a very bad practice, as you’re removing the ability to reliably service, all operating system components and the ability to update or configure optional components on your system. Windows only supports the WinSxS directory on the physical drive in its originally installed location.
Conclusion
Let the WinSxS folder be as it is! https://rmtree724.weebly.com/blog/free-online-castle-building-games.
Learn about the Sysnative folder here.
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