WinSxS Folder: Clean Up and Compress in Windows 10 and 8.1

In this article we will talk about the WinSxS folder in Windows 10 and Windows 8.1, the reasons of its constant growth and ways to clean up it. The C:\Windows\WinSxS directory is the repository of Windows components. This directory contains DLLs, binary and XML files necessary for installation and operation of any Windows roles or features. When installing the Windows updates (usually this happens every month), the new version of the updated component is installed in the system, while the old one is saved to the WinSxS folder (it is necessary to provide compatibility and make it possible to roll back to the old versions of the components when you uninstall the problematic update). 

You can also analyze the size of the component storage (WinSxS folder) using the DISM command:

Dism.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /AnalyzeComponentStore
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Clean Up Component Store (WinSxS folder) in Windows 10 / 8.1

In my opinion, the fastest and easiest way to clear the component store (the WinSxS folder) is to run the DISM command:

Dism.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup
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The /StartComponentCleanup option has an additional /ResetBase option that allows you to remove all previous versions of components (after that you will not be able to remove installed updates or Service Packs, and the Uninstall button will disappear from the Uninstall an Update Control Panel item). The command looks like this:

Dism.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup /ResetBase
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You can also remove old update files using the “Disk Cleanup” wizard