Clean Up the WinSxS Folder

A question often asked is, “Can I delete the WinSxS folder to regain some disk space?” The short answer is no. You can, however, reduce the size of the WinSxS folder using tools built into the Windows operating system itself.

Windows 10 will automatically reduce the size of the WinSxS folder by using methods similar to the ones described in this topic, in addition to internal processes, such as uninstalling and deleting packages with components that have been replaced by other components with newer versions. Previous versions of some components are kept on the system for a period of time, allowing you to rollback if necessary. After a period of time, these older components are automatically removed from the installation.

Warning!

Deleting files from the WinSxS folder or deleting the entire WinSxS folder may damage your system and your PC might not boot or update.

There are a number of ways to start the cleanup of the component store, which uses a combination of package deletion and component compression to clean up the WinSxS folder:

Task Scheduler

The ‘StartComponentCleanup’ task was created in Windows 8 to regularly clean up components automatically when the system is not in use. This task is triggered by the operating system and will 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.

If you choose to run this task manually, the task will have a 1 hour timeout and may not completely clean up all files.

Run the StartComponentCleanup task in Task Scheduler to clean up and compress components

If Task Scheduler is not open, start the Task Scheduler.

Expand the console tree and navigate to

Task Scheduler library\Microsoft\Windows\Servicing\StartComponentCleanup.

Under Selected Item, click Run

schtasks.exe /Run /TN “\Microsoft\Windows\Servicing\StartComponentCleanup”
Note, the StartComponentCleanup task can also be started from the command line.

Dism.exe 

The /Cleanup-Image parameter of Dism.exe provides advanced users more options to further reduce the size of the WinSxS folder.

Using the /StartComponentCleanup parameter

Using the /StartComponentCleanup parameter of Dism.exe on a running version of Windows 10 gives you similar results to running the StartComponentCleanup task in Task Scheduler, except previous versions of updated components will be immediately deleted (without a 30 day grace period) and you will not have a 1-hour timeout limitation. From an elevated command prompt, type the following:

Dism.exe /online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup

Using the /ResetBase switch with the /StartComponentCleanup parameter

Using the /ResetBase switch with the /StartComponentCleanup parameter of DISM.exe on a running version of Windows 10 removes all superseded versions of every component in the component store. From an elevated command prompt, type the following:

Dism.exe /online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup /ResetBase

Warning, all existing service packs and updates cannot be uninstalled after this command is completed. This will not block the uninstallation of future service packs or updates.

Use the /SPSuperseded parameter

To reduce the amount of space used by a Service Pack, use the /SPSuperseded parameter of Dism.exe on a running version of Windows 10 to remove any backup components needed for uninstallation of the service pack. A service pack is a collection of cumulative updates for a particular release of Windows. From an elevated command prompt, type the following:

Dism.exe /online /Cleanup-Image /SPSuperseded

Warning!

The service pack cannot be uninstalled after this command is completed.

Disk Cleanup

You can use Disk Cleanup to reduce the number of unnecessary files on your drives, which can help your PC run faster. It can delete temporary files and system files, empty the Recycle Bin, and remove a variety of other items that you might no longer need. The option to cleanup updates helps reduce the size of the component store.

Run Disk Cleanup to delete system files

To delete system files run the steps as provided in Delete files using Windows built in Disk Cleanup tool.

Source: Microsoft