How to Reduce WinSXS Folder Size in Windows 10/8/7 OS.
In this tutorial, I 'll show to you how to reduce the size of the WinSXS folder in Windows 10/8 & 7 OS. The WinSxS folder (C:\Windows\WinSxS), is the location of the Component Store which used for Windows customization and updating.
For that reason, the WinSxS folder is an very important system folder and cannot be deleted, because it is used by Windows for several reasons. (e.g. when installing a Windows Update, when enabling or disabling a Windows feature, when uninstalling a problematic update, etc.)
Over time, the WinSxS folder may become big in size and this is happening because after installing an updated component, Windows still keeps the old version of the component for safety reasons and doesn't remove it. At least that was happening on Windows 7 & Vista OS.
Starting with Windows 8 (and then in Windows 10), Microsoft has added a scheduled task to automatically remove the old version of the updated component, after 30 days have passed since – the updated component – was installed.
In this tutorial, I 'll show to you how to delete the contents of the WinSXS folder in Windows 10/8 & 7 OS.
How to Clean UP the WinSXS Folder.
Method 1. Cleanup WinSXS folder with the Task Scheduler (Windows 10, 8)
Method 2. Cleanup WinSXS folder with the DISM tool (Windows 10, 8)
Method 3. Cleanup WinSXS folder with DISK CLEANUP tool (Windows 10, 8 & 7)
Method 1. How to Clean WinSXS folder by using the Task Scheduler in Windows 10, 8 & 8.1)
As I said above, in Windows 10 and in Windows 8 the WinSXS folder is scheduled to be cleaned automatically after 30 days of the installation of any Windows component. If you want to start the WinSXS cleanup process manually in Windows 10/8:
1. At the search box, type: task scheduler
2. Open Task scheduler
3. In Task Scheduler navigate from the left pane to:
- Task Scheduler Library\Microsoft\Windows\Servicing
4. Then right click at the StartComponentCleanup task on the right pane and choose Run.
5. The cleanup process takes time until complete. So, wait and continue your work.
Method 2. How to Clean WinSXS folder by using the DISM tool in Windows 10, 8 & 8.1
The second method to reduce the size of the WinSXS folder is to clean the old versions of the Windows components by using the DISM command line tool. To do that:
1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator. To do that:
a. In the Search box type: cmd (or command prompt).
b. Right click on the command prompt (result) and select Run as Administrator.
2. Inside the command prompt window, give the following command
- DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup
3. When the process is completed, restart your computer.
Method 3. How to Clean WinSXS folder by using the DISK CLEANUP in Windows 10/8/7.
1. In Windows Explorer right click at "Local Disk disk (C:)" and select Properties.
2. Click the Disk Cleanup button.
3. At "Disk Cleanup" window, click Clean up system files.
4. Check the Windows Update Cleanup checkbox and click OK. *
* Note for Windows 7 users: If you don't see the 'Windows Update Cleanup' option, then download and install the update KB2852386 from the link below:
5. When the Disk Cleanup operation finishes, reboot your computer to reconfigure Windows updates and complete the cleanup.
That's it! Let me know if this guide has helped you by leaving your comment about your experience. Please like and share this guide to help others.
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