The /Cleanup-Image parameter of Dism.exe provides advanced users more options to further reduce the size of the WinSxS folder. The StartComponentCleanup task can also be started from the command line. Under Selected Item, click Run schtasks.exe /Run /TN "\Microsoft\Windows\Servicing\StartComponentCleanup" For more information, see Start Task Scheduler.Įxpand the console tree and navigate to Task Scheduler Library\Microsoft\Windows\Servicing\StartComponentCleanup. If Task Scheduler is not open, start the Task Scheduler. Run the StartComponentCleanup task in Task Scheduler to clean up and compress components If you choose to run this task, the task will have a 1 hour timeout and may not completely clean up all files. When run automatically, the task will wait at least 30 days after an updated component has been installed before uninstalling the previous versions of the component. The StartComponentCleanup task automatically cleans up components when the system isn't in use. 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: Task Scheduler
To learn about finding the size of your WinSxS folder, see Determine the actual size of the WinSxS folder.ĭeleting files from the WinSxS folder or deleting the entire WinSxS folder may severely damage your system so that your PC might not boot and make it impossible to update.
You can also reduce the size of a Windows image using some of the same techniques, as discussed in Reduce the Size of the Component Store in an Offline Windows Image.
After a period of time, these older components are automatically removed from the installation. Previous versions of some components are kept on the system for a period of time, allowing you to rollback if necessary.
Windows also uses internal processes to reduce the size of the WinSxS folder, such as uninstalling and deleting packages with components that have been replaced by other components with newer versions. The operating system automatically reduces the size of the WinSxS folder by using methods similar to the ones described in this topic. For more information about the WinSxS folder, see Manage the Component Store. This topic is about the different ways to reduce the size of the WinSxS folder on a running Windows 10, or later, installation.ĭon't delete the WinSxS folder, you can instead reduce the size of the WinSxS folder using tools built into Windows.