When you purchase a new computer or reinstall your operating system, it often seems to have infinite amounts of disk space. As a user, you might wonder if you’ll ever need those 500 gigabytes or 1 terabyte of space. But things usually look different after you've used the computer for several months and installed various space-intensive applications. Your free disk space gradually shrinks in a seemingly inexplicable way. One reason for this is that the Windows operating system requires a significant amount of disk space to update and maintain system files.
Updates are often downloaded and installed in the background. If an update fails, you can usually restore the previous version of an application. This version is stored in a system folder called WinSxS. The folder has other important functions too. Over time, it takes up a considerable amount of disc space. This raises the question of when and under what circumstances you should clean up the WinSxS folder. Most importantly, however, you should never manually delete files from the WinSxS folder. This can significantly affect your system's ability to function.
WinSxS is a system folder in Windows. That’s why it’s located on the system partition. WinSxS stands for “Windows Side by Side,” which is a good description of the folder’s purpose: different versions of files are stored together, side by side. The folder is also called the component store. It primarily contains system files and can be several gigabytes in size.
The WinSxS folder stores the necessary files for system recovery. Specifically, it allows for the following applications:
Microsoft operating systems offer several options for cleaning up the WinSxS folder. You don’t need any third-party programs. There are hardly any differences between common Windows versions 8, 8.1, 10, and server versions. For all versions, the size of the system folders displayed in the Explorer does not necessarily match the actual disk space because of hard links to existing files.
Links are entries that refer to other files. A distinction is made between hard links and symbolic links (also called soft links). The contents of a file are stored separately from the metadata (name and path) in the file system. When you create hard links, a new name is entered that points to the location of an existing file. This entry is indistinguishable from the original file entry. By contrast, soft links contain only a reference to the original file entry. Soft links have the extension .lnk in Windows.
It's important not to delete unneeded program versions from the WinSxS folder until the system has been running stably for a long time. Otherwise, you may no longer be able to downgrade to an older version or remove updates.
You can use Disk Cleanup in Windows to clean up the WinSxS folder. You can also use this utility to clean up other Windows folders. You can open it from the search box or by typing cleanmgr.exe into the Windows command window. First, the system will ask you to select the drive you want to clean up. Next, you’ll be prompted to select the file types you want to delete. These include:
You can also see the amount of disk space that you’ll be able to free up. After selecting the file categories, click the OK button to confirm that you want to delete the files. The cleanup will run automatically.
You can find further options under “Clean up system files.” However, you need administrator-level privileges to access these options. The program will then restart and ask you to select the drive you want to clean up. Next, a window appears with options for additional file types to delete:
The command-line tool dism.exe is a practical alternative to clean up the WinSxS folder. To use it, you have to run the Command Prompt program (cmd.exe) as an administrator. The command Dism.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /AnalyzeComponentStore analyzes the WinSxS folder to determine how much disk space the folder is actually using. The output of the command provides useful information, such as the date of the last cleanup, and lists the components the disk space is being used for. The tool also allows you to clean up the WinSxS folder: Dism.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup
Further useful features of the program include:
You can also use compression to reduce the size of the WinSxS folder, just as you would with any other folder. First, open the properties of the folder from the context menu and choose the “Advanced” option. Then, place a checkmark next to “Compress contents to save disk space.”
Using systems with Windows 7 is generally no longer recommended. As of January 14, 2020, security updates have been discontinued for this version of the Windows operating system. In the event that you're still using Windows 7 as a standalone system for a specific application, we’ll briefly explain how to manage the WinSxS folder in Windows 7.
Disk cleanup is also available in this version and is very similar in appearance to the utility in other versions of Windows. That means you can use the tool as described above. The dism.exe tool was introduced with Windows 7. However, it doesn’t have the same range of features. For example, it's missing the options for scanning the folder and repairing errors.
If reducing the size of the WinSxS folder isn’t enough, there are other ways to free up disk space:
Sometimes cleaning up Windows folders isn’t enough. In these cases, reinstalling or resetting your system is a better alternative. There are also reset options that don’t remove your installed programs or personal files. These options differ slightly in Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 10.
Windows stores important system information in the WinSxS folder. If you delete or move the folder, certain processes may not be able to run properly. Why is that?
By default, Windows is installed on the first partition of the hard drive you’re using. These partitions are called disk drives or volumes. Together, they form a complete storage device. The first partition of a hard drive is usually given the drive letter “C.” The C:\Windows\ path contains most of the files and folders relevant to the operating system, including the WinSxS folder.
This content cannot be easily moved to other disk drives because components of the operating system will no longer find it. Therefore, it’s important to provide sufficient disk space for the system partition during installation.
The disk space of a hard drive must be managed in structures that are compatible with the operating system. One or more partitions are created for this purpose. Disk space is partitioned logically. Each partition is formatted with a file system that manages the folder structures and files, including their metadata. The hard drive maintains a partition table that lists all partitions.
Operating systems and other applications have long ceased to be rigid entities that are installed once and then used for years. Due to their complexity and ever-changing requirements, operating systems require continuous improvements or extensions. You have different options for implementing these improvements: Hotfixes (quick fixes for a specific error), updates (a scheduled update), and service packs (a collection of updates and hotfixes) access the information in WinSxS to determine the health of your system. If the folder is missing the required references, the operating system updates will either not be installed at all or will be installed incorrectly.
Updates and upgrades have different functions. An update improves the software and is usually limited to existing features. An upgrade replaces the software with a higher-quality version or a new version when it becomes available. Downgrading involves reverting software back to an older or less complex version and is performed when newer versions have bugs.
The modular design of software is the reason for the dependencies between software and libraries or system functions. Some functions, such as opening files or querying the system time, are required by multiple programs. The operating system makes these functions available through programming interfaces so that developers can import them into their software. Many function libraries are located in the WinSxS folder. If you carelessly delete these files, various programs may no longer be able to run.
Lack of available hard drive space is still a frequent problem these days, especially if you have a laptop or computer with an operating system installed on an SSD. By cleaning up the WinSxS folder, you can get rid of unneeded files. However, it’s important that you do not manually delete any content from the WinSxS folder. You should always use Windows tools to delete these files. If major updates have been installed recently, you should avoid deleting these files altogether. Otherwise, you won’t be able to remove updates that may contain bugs.
What happens when all your data is suddenly lost? By regularly creating backups, you won’t have to worry about that. But many users underestimate the importance of this. At the same time, backups on Windows are straightforward. It’s also easy to create backups on Windows 7. You only need to change a few settings.
Technical issues, hacker attacks, and malware can lead to costly and serious data loss at any time. To minimize the risks, it is recommended that you perform regular comprehensive backups. It is important to have a suitable backup strategy that properly meets your specific requirements.
In Windows 10, making a backup is the most secure way to protect your data in the event of a system crash or hardware issue. The Windows 10 backup allows you to save all your programs, private data, and system settings as an exact system image. If your computer or laptop gets damaged, the Windows 10 backup can easily be transferred to another device.
Windows Sandbox has been implemented in the operating system as of version 10 Pro. It allows users to install unsafe programs in an isolated environment, without affecting the actual operating system. The Windows feature is usually deactivated in the settings menu. Our step-by-step guide shows you how to turn on Windows Sandbox.
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