Update for cleaning winsxs windows 7. WinSxS what is this Windows folder, how to clean it? Why is it constantly increasing

Many users are perceived almost as a standard of "fluidity" and a tendency to gradually litter with unnecessary files. Unfortunately, there is some truth in such beliefs.

That is why the popularity of various kinds of optimization programs, which allow keeping the population of this garbage under relative control, does not diminish in any way. But some users have little of their functionality, and therefore they decide to take matters into their own hands. The results can be disastrous.

For example, they often delete the WinSxS directory. What kind of folder is this, why deleting it can affect the performance of your system by no means the most the best way? Let's find the answer to this question in our article.

What it is?

To understand why it is so important, it would be a good idea to first figure out its purpose. First you need to go back a little, telling about the history of Windows OS. The fact is that the release of the notorious Windows XP has become a truly significant event: the line of 9x systems was completely closed, after which NT varieties became the main ones.

But the problem is that many of the functions that were in demand in older versions are needed for one reason or another in new systems. As a rule, this is due to compatibility issues, for which the same Internet Explorer old bugs from old versions were carefully transferred.

So, the WinSxS directory has become a repository of such ancient elements. What is this folder? Is it just a systemic "dump"? No, it's not that simple.

Modifying Description Files

When the OS came out Windows Vista, profound changes took place in the core of the system, which did not appear outwardly in any way. So, earlier all the components were described by INF files, while in Whist the practice “binary file + XML” was first introduced. This bundle contains almost everything from registry keys to system settings.

All these bundles are stored in WinSxS. What kind of folder is this, in simpler terms? It can be called an important system store, which contains all the information about the system. In fact, this directory is a miniature OS. Now it is clear what the consequences will be caused by its removal?

Most often, after such a barbaric step, the system will not work at all. And if by some miracle some of its functions remain, then it will still be impossible to fully work on it.

Can it be cleaned?

Oddly enough, but such an operation is quite acceptable. Over time, the size of this folder begins to grow rapidly. This is due to the fact that new connections arise between the system components, and some of them are already outdated.

Do not forget that the system is constantly changing and improving: for example, when you install updates, not only new, but also old versions appear in the folder system files... This is done to make it possible to rollback to the old view of the system.

Simply put, as a result of maintenance and customization, the volume of this directory will continually grow until one day it exceeds all reasonable limits. But before cleaning WinSxS, there are a few simple rules to remember.

Firstly, only system utilities from Microsoft itself should be used for its "sanitation". Secondly, manual change its components are unacceptable, since the consequences of such "creativity" will be unpredictable. Thirdly, if you do not understand the meaning of this cleaning, and the size allows, it is better to completely abandon such an idea. You will definitely not increase the performance, but you can earn problems in abundance.

How is cleaning done?

We have already said that before cleaning WinSxS, you need to use the services of a special utility. It is hidden in the depths of the system, and therefore ordinary users do not even suspect about its existence. It is called DISM, and currently its eighth version is included in Windows.

For the utility to start, you need to have administrator rights. To start it in this mode, perform the following operations: click on the "Start" button, and in the menu that opens, find the search string. Enter the word "CMD" into it, press the "Enter" button.

A list of found elements will appear in the right part of the window, among which there will be a file of the same name. Right-click on it, and in the drop-down context menu select "Run as Administrator".

First, we find out if the cleaning operation is really necessary at a particular moment. To do this, you need to use the following command: "Dism.exe / Online / Cleanup-Image / AnalyzeComponentStore".

After that, several incomprehensible lines will appear, the meaning of which we will now explain. So, after the line “Component Store information ”, you should be interested in the very first value. At the end there is some value in Gb. This is the size of the WinSxS directory. We have already told what kind of folder it is, and the decision to clean it up should be made by you just after familiarizing yourself with its dimensions.

The second line shows the real size of all components, which should be guided by. Finally, the very last value is the number of those system files that have been replaced with new ones, and therefore they can be removed painlessly.

The first way

It is the most simple and effective. So, to make the Windows 7 WinSxS folder smaller, run a command prompt in administrative mode. Enter the following command into it: "Dism.exe / Online / Cleanup-Image / StartComponentCleanup". A little time will pass, after which the system will inform you about the completion of the operation.

Attention! If you performed the operation using the first method, then all other actions can be omitted, since they will no longer make sense.

Second way

Run the emulator again command line in the "Administrator" mode. Enter the command "cleanmgr" into it, then press the "Enter" key. The utility will start. In the latest versions of Windows, it can even determine the size of old files system updates that can be painlessly removed from the OS.

The third way

This method is intended to remove all old versions of components that are no longer needed. It is extremely useful for computer owners who have been running the same version of Windows for several years.

Important! If you follow our advice, you will not be able to roll back the update. The warning is all the more important because recently Windows 7 users suffered a series of system failures associated with the unsuccessful KB2859537 patch. However, if everything is fine with your OS, then the WinSxS folder (we will tell you how to reduce it) may be revised.

This operation is performed by the command "Dism.exe / Online / Cleanup-Image / StartComponentCleanup / ResetBase". The gain in the amount of free disk space will directly depend on the total number of updates that you have installed since the installation of the system itself. It happens that the size of the freed space is measured in gigabytes.

Should I clean it?

So, after all of the above, you may well be in some difficulty. And this is understandable: on the one hand, the gain in the amount of freed up space attracts, but on the other ... What will you do if some update file turns out to be problematic?

If there is a corresponding WinSxS file, then there is nothing to worry about. But when it is not there, in some cases only reinstalling the system can help. So before this operation, we strongly advise you to decide whether you really need this bit of free space. Moreover, as you know, in Windows 8 WinSxS is partially optimized systemic means so don't worry too much about her.

The size of modern hard drives personal computers can reach several terabytes, which is good news, but whatever one may say, they cannot stretch. And when there is little disk space left, the idea of ​​what to do next and where to put the content begins to worry the user more and more.

With the custom section, everything is simple. In the end, some of the files can be moved to some removable media. But what about the system partition? Alternatively, you can delete restore points, which is generally not recommended, as well as unused programs. The latter does not suit all users, and besides, the program to be removed should take up a lot of disk space.

In general, the logic is as follows - the larger the program, the more useful it is.

There is another way - to clear the "temporary" WinSxS system folder located in the Windows directory. If you have been using an operating system for a long time, you will probably find that its size is several gigabytes. There were users whose WinSxS weighed two dozen gigabytes. Removing the "junk" accumulated in WinSxS is also an option, but you need to approach it with extreme caution.

Clearing this system directory is not the same as getting rid of the contents of the TEMP folder. Why this is so, first, let's find out what the WinSxS folder is and what it is for in general.

WinSxS what is this folder

The WinSxS folder first appeared in Windows Vista and contained configuration information operating system and its components. In subsequent versions of Windows, the purpose of the WinSxS folder, by and large, has not changed.

Yes, it has been optimized, but the files it contains are still of considerable value to the system, and therefore deleting them with crooked hands can lead to sad consequences. The contents of the WinSxS directory are represented by old system update components that store information for system recovery config files as well as hard symbolic links or Hard Links.

Despite the seeming uselessness, the old update components can even be very useful. If problems arise during the next Windows update, you can always roll back to older versions and thereby restore the normal operation of the system.

Now it's not hard to understand the reasons why the WinSxS folder takes up so much space on your hard drive. Its growth is directly proportional to the frequency of updates. Old system components are archived and copied to the WinSxS directory, which actually leads to its increase. In reality, however, its size rarely exceeds 15 GB. Besides file managers including Explorer, you are tricked into oversizing the WinSxS folder by about 40 percent.

That 40 percent is symbolic link files that do not contain actual data, but only refer to them. The "real" files can be located in other system directories, for example, in Windows, ProgramData, etc. Firstly, removing links to the size of WinSxS will not affect in any way, and secondly, this can again lead to problems.

If you are Windows user 8, it's also worth considering whether there is any point in cleaning up this folder at all. The fact is that, unlike Windows 7 in the eighth version, the cleaning of "extra" files is performed automatically according to the specified settings of the task scheduler.

Cleaning up winsxs

Thus, it makes sense to clean up the WinSxS folder only in two cases. Either the WinSxS folder has really taken on "rampant" sizes, which is more typical for the seventh Windows versions, or you value each gigabyte so much that you are ready to risk the performance of your system. There are several ways to clean up the WinSxS directory. The easiest, but not the most effective method is to use the system utility cleanmgr, also known as Disk Cleanup. To run it, in the Run box, enter the command cleanmgr and press enter. Do you recognize?

Winsxs cleaner - DISM

Another way is much more efficient. This time we'll use the DISM console utility. We will remove all update versions without waiting for the scheduled operation. To do this, run the following command in a command line running as administrator:

DISM.exe / online / Cleanup-Image / StartComponentCleanup

For removing archive files generated during the service pack installation process is answered by another command. To do this, enter the following line on the command line:

Attention! After running this command, you will not be able to remove the already installed service packs and revert to their old versions. By the way, you will receive such a message (as in the screenshot) if there is nothing to delete.

You can also uninstall old versions for each component. To do this, use this command:

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

The consequences will be exactly the same as in the case of using the command DISM.exe / online / Cleanup-Image / SPSuperseded .

What else can you do to clean up the WinSxS folder. The latest versions of Windows have this useful function how to enable / disable system components on demand. If you open Control Panel and then go to the "Programs and Features" section, you will understand what it is about. Some of these components, even if not checked, are still present on the disc. You do not need to connect to the Update Center to download them, you can install them directly from the disk. So, they are located in the WinSxS folder.

If the component files take up a lot of disk space, you can delete them. To do this, we will again use the already familiar DISM utility. Launch the console and enter the following command:

DISM.exe / Online / English / Get-Features / Format: Table

This will display a list of components, as well as their state. Enabled - enabled, Disabled - disabled. To remove a component from the system, use the following command:

DISM.exe / Online / Disable-Feature / featurename: NAME / Remove

Keyword NAME here means the name of the component. For example, we need to remove the Microsoft-Hyper-V-All module.

DISM.exe / Online / Disable-Feature / featurename: Microsoft-Hyper-V-All / Remove

Now if you run the Get-Features command again, you will see that the component status has changed to "Disabled with Payload Removed" which means "disabled with removal of useful files."

Outcome:

As you can see, there is nothing difficult about this. We have tested all the options described above, and found them quite effective and efficient. But the most important thing is that our actions did not lead to any negative consequences for the operating system.

Anything that remains in the WinSxS folder should not be deleted. And one moment. Do not use random utilities found on the Internet to clean up this folder.

Experience has shown that the use of such "cleaners" often led to a complete reinstallation of the system. Also, pay attention to the fact that in none of the well-known optimizers you will find functions for cleaning the WinSxS directory.

Many are faced with the problem of lack of free hard disk space. Especially often the disk on which the operating system itself is installed becomes clogged. This is due to the fact that there are a lot of folders on it, which the system itself fills with the information it needs. This problem It is also relevant for Windows 7. You can clean up system folders from unnecessary garbage either manually or using special programs.

Windows 7 system folders: the need to clean up and the possible consequences

Each of the system folders has its own purpose and stores information of a certain kind. Before clearing the disk, carefully read what function this or that folder is responsible for, otherwise you may lose important data or severely harm the operating system, which will lead to its breakdown:

System Volume Information - by default, this folder is hidden so that the user does not accidentally add unnecessary files to it and damage existing ones. It stores restore points that are created periodically after a certain period of time. Thanks to them, in the event of an unrecoverable error in the system, you can roll back all changes and updates to Windows and everything in it until the moment when everything worked fine. So think about whether to delete restore points, maybe someday they will be very useful to you;

Temp - This folder is also hidden by default. It contains all temporary files, that is, information about passed games, application settings, cache, passwords, and more. You can clear the entire folder or delete only some of its components, if you are sure that they are definitely not needed anymore;

Temporary internet files is one of the subfolders located in the Temp folder. It stores all temporary files related to the browser: passwords, history, cache, cookies, modules and add-ons. Also, if you are using offline mode in Internet browser Explorer, after deleting this folder, previously saved sites will no longer be available without an Internet connection;

Winsxs is a folder that stores information about system updates. If you install updates, this folder will retain the previous version of the updated process or program. It is needed in order to roll back the computer to a previous version in case of an unsuccessful system update, when no errors occurred. It is worth cleaning it only if you are not going to update your computer, since there is always a risk of getting a critical error during the update;

AppData - this folder stores data about all third-party programs. If you have installed any application or game, then all settings and actions performed will be recorded in this folder... You can selectively delete files belonging to programs you no longer use;

System32 is a very important folder and should only be cleaned as a last resort. It contains data on system settings and many programs installed in Windows by default ("Notepad", "Calculator" and others);

Drivers is a subfolder located in the System32 folder. Responsible for storing most of the drivers installed on the computer;

Pagefiles.sys is not a folder but a file. It is needed for swap random access memory... The point is that many computers do not have enough RAM to run large programs. For such cases, this file exists. It is not recommended to delete it, as after that some applications will stop working due to lack of RAM;

Assembly - it contains one of the Microsoft versions.NET Framework, which is responsible for the compatibility of various programs written in different programming languages. Deleting this folder may cause the system to freeze or some third-party applications may not turn on;

Installer is a folder containing applications necessary for the correct removal or updating of other programs. It also stores patches, updates and other files intended for the full operation of applications;

DriveStore - a folder with drivers necessary for the correct operation of such computer components as a video card, processor, keyboard, mouse. If updating the current drivers leads to the failure of one or another component, then drivers of previous versions are also stored in this folder, just in case;

Downloads is the folder where all files are downloaded by default. If you started the browser for the first time without assigning a different folder through the settings, then all downloaded files will be sent to this location. This is one of those folders that you need to clean up regularly;

folders with media files - this item includes folders such as "Videos", "Music", "Pictures". By default, they store desktop screensavers, standard pictures, videos and Windows music 7. Their contents can be safely deleted or moved to a more free disk;

Windows is a folder, the deletion of files of which will certainly lead to a breakdown of the operating system. It is not worth clearing up disk space at the expense of the contents of this folder;

Downloaded Program File - this folder contains modules downloaded when using the Internet, that is, ActiveX controls and Java applications;

"Trash" - the folder where files are sent before they are permanently deleted. This folder should be cleaned as often as possible, almost daily;

"Quick Access" is the folder where thumbnails are stored recently open files for quick access to them;

"Desktop" - everything that you save to the desktop is also transferred to the disk with the operating system in the "Desktop" folder of the same name.

Video: what files can be deleted on the system drive

What not to do when cleaning up system folders

Please read the specifics of the above folders carefully. Before clearing one of them, consider if its contents will be useful to you in the future. Some folders, like Windows or System32, shouldn't be touched at all. And don't try to clean up folders by simply deleting their contents. This will lead to the fact that the remnants of them will remain in the computer's memory, which in the future will begin to litter and overload the system. There are only a few folders that you can clean up manually:

"Basket";

"Downloads";

"Images";

"The documents";

"Video";

"Music";

"Desktop";

Temp and Temporary internet files;

AppData.

Do not under any circumstances delete the folders themselves, this will lead to critical errors in the operation of the system, you only need to erase their contents. Also, before clearing system folders, make sure you can free up memory by other methods, for example, by uninstalling third-party applications and games.

Methods for cleaning up Windows 7 system folders

If you do decide to clear HDD from accumulated third-party files, it is easiest to use the built-in Windows functions... There are two initial options - standard and advanced cleaning.

Standard cleaning

By using the standard cleaning method, you will get rid of following files and folders:

Downloaded Program File;

cache, temporary browser files loaded in offline pages;

game statistics, application settings, temporary files created by various applications;

"Basket";

"Fast access";

system restore points.

To spend standard cleaning hard disk, follow these steps:

Right-click on the disk you want to clean up and go to the "Properties" section.

Opening the properties of the system disk

In the window that opens, go to the "General" section.

Go to the "General" section

In the Disk Cleanup section, select the files you want to get rid of and click OK.

Select the files you want to delete

Also, if you go to the "Advanced" tab, you can delete all system restore points except the last one. To do this, in the "System Restore and Shadow Copies" section, click the "Cleanup" button.

Click the "Clear" button in the "System Restore and Shadow Copy" section

Extended cleaning

Using the advanced cleaning option, you will delete the following folders and files:

temporary files created when installing third-party programs;

Debug dump files - files created by the Windows debugger, a program that deals with errors in the system;

old files of the Chkdsk application - excess leftovers of files that appeared on the computer during a hard disk check;

files from the previous version of Windows - located in the Windows.old folder if you updated the version of the operating system;

error reports, history of errors encountered;

system update log - files designed to resolve errors that occurred when updating Windows.

To perform Advanced Disk Cleanup, follow these steps:

Open through Windows search"Command line". Click on its icon with the right mouse button and select the "Run as administrator" section.

Run "Command Line" as administrator

Type in the cleanmgr command and press the Enter button on your keyboard.

We register the cleanmgr command

In the list that opens, select the drive you want to clean up and click OK.

Select the disk on which to perform cleaning

Check the files you want to erase and click OK. Selecting the files to be deleted

Video: how to clean a disk using Windows

Disk cleanup using third-party programs

Before proceeding with manual cleaning of each folder separately, you should use the special third party programs created for automatic search and cleaning the disk from unnecessary files:

Download CCleaner from the developer's official site and install it on a free disk.

Download the CCleaner app

Launch the application and go to the "Cleaning" section.

Go to the "Cleaning" section

On the left side of the program there is a list, here we mark all the sections that we want to get rid of.

Selecting the sections to clear

We press the button "Analysis" and wait for the end of the process.

Press the button "Analysis"

Press the button "Clear". In the top header of the program, we can see how much memory is approximately free on the computer.

Before deleting files, you can view their details

Video: Deleting System Files Using CCleaner

Features of cleaning individual system folders

If the previous cleaning methods did not solve your problem or you need to clean one of the folders selectively, then find it in the sections below and follow the instructions.

But many folders are hidden by default so that the user doesn't accidentally damage them. To display hidden folders v general list do the following:

Open File Explorer.

Opening the explorer

Expand the Tools menu.

Expand the "Service" menu

Go to the "Folder Options" section.

Go to the section "Folder options"

In the window that opens, go to the "View" section.

Go to the "View" section

Uncheck the box next to the words "Hide system-protected files" and put it in front of "Show hidden files, folders and disks ".

Changing the parameters of hidden folders

Winsxs

Cleaning the Winsxs folder on Windows 7 is done through a standard disk cleanup. This method has already been described above. Before starting the cleanup, you are presented with a list of files that you can delete. Check the section "Files of the backup copy of the update package" in it.

We mark the "Files of the backup copy of the update package"

Video: how to empty the Winsxs folder in Windows 7

System Volume Information

To clear the System Volume Information folder, you must first access it:

Click on the folder with the right mouse button and go to the "Properties" section.

Open the properties of the System Volume Information folder

In the window that opens, go to the "Security" section.

Go to the "Security" tab

Click on the "Change" button.

Press the button "Change"

In the opened settings, click on the "Add" button.

Click the "Add" button

In a special field, enter the name of your account and click the OK button.

We register the username

In the list "Permissions for the group ..." put a tick in front of the words "Full access".

We issue full access to folder

We press successively the buttons "Apply", OK.

Now let's move on to the properties of the computer.

Go to computer properties

Go to the "System Protection" section.

Go to the "System Protection" section

Select the disk containing the System Volume Information folder and click the "Configure" button. We indicate the path to the folder.

Press the button "Configure"

In the window that opens, click the "Delete" button. We can also set the maximum amount of memory allocated for this folder by moving the corresponding slider.

We successively press the buttons "Apply", OK.

DriversStore

To delete outdated drivers from a repository called DriversStore, do the following:

Open a command prompt as administrator through Windows search.

Opening the command line

Write the command pnputil.exe –e and press Enter on your keyboard. This command will open you a list of all drivers installed on your computer. Remember the number of the one you want to delete.

We register the command pnputil.exe –e

Close the command line and reopen it also as administrator.

Add the command pnputil.exe -d Oem # .inf, where instead of the pound sign (#) there will be the number of the driver to be removed. If you try to remove the driver connected to this moment to the device's computer, a notification will pop up. Remove the device, or use the –f code in the command to remove the affected driver. But remember that without a driver, the connected device may stop working.

We register and execute the command

Installer

The Installer folder may contain files necessary for the system or programs, but there is a special third party application PatchCleaner, which will automatically determine what can be removed from the content:

Download the PatchCleaner app from any trusted site.

PatchCleaner searches for obsolete update files and allows you to move them to another media or completely remove them

Launch the program and click the Browse button to start searching for the folder.

Click the Browse button

We indicate the path to the Installer folder.

Specify the path to the Installer folder

After the program analyzes the folder, information will appear about how many files are still in use and how many of them can be deleted. The program will also calculate how much disk space will be freed. Press the Delete button.

Press the Delete button

We confirm the action by clicking the Yes button.

We confirm the action by clicking on the Yes button

Pagefile.sys

If you are sure that the computer can handle the required tasks without the Pagefile.sys paging file, you can remove it by following these steps:

We open the properties of the computer.

Go to the section " Extra options systems ".

Go to the section "Additional system parameters"

In the window that opens, go to the "Additional" section and click the "Options" button.

Press the button "Options"

In the window that opens, go back to the "Additional" section and in the subsection " Virtual memory"Press the" Change "button.

Click the "Change" button in the "Advanced" tab

Uncheck the box next to the words "Automatically select the amount of swap memory" and select the option "No swap file", press the "Set" button.

Setting the required parameters

We reboot the computer. Sys file will disappear, and with it the additional RAM.

Restart your computer

Folders with history, cache and browser cookies

Browser files can take up a lot of disk space. The easiest and safest way to remove them is through the settings of the browser itself: We mark the files. which need to be removed from the browser history

Select the "For all time" parameter and press the "Clear history" button.

We set the parameter "For all time" and clear the history

Disk cleanup problems

If after you have removed any files from system folder, there were errors or the computer began to slow down, there is only one thing to do - to perform a system restore. This could have happened due to incorrect disk cleaning or deletion required files... System recovery is only possible if the computer has restore points:

Start your computer in safe mode.

We start the computer in safe mode

Search Windows for the System Restore app.

Open the "System Restore" application

In the window that opens, click on the "Next" button.

Press the button "Next"

Select one of the restore points. It is better to roll back the system to the point where all processes worked as well as possible.

Choosing a restore point

Video: Windows 7 Recovery

What to do if there is no "Clean up system files" button

If you try to free up disk space after standard method cleaning, you are faced with the absence of the "Clean up system files" button, which means that you have disabled UAC (User Account Control), and the program starts immediately with the ability to clean up system files. That is, pressing the "Clear system files" button gives you administrator rights and, along with them, the ability to edit and clear system folders. But if UAC is disabled, then you have access to changing system files immediately and you do not need to press any additional buttons.

If the button "Clean up system files" is missing, User Account Control is disabled

If you want to clean up disk space or are sure that a part of the virus has survived in the system files, then the operating system itself has a standard and extended disk cleanup function for this case. You can also use third-party programs or clear each folder separately. But do not delete everything, otherwise it will lead to a breakdown of the computer, and the only way out is to roll back the system to the last restore point.

Many users, when the windows winsxs folder was found on the computer, wondered what it was for.

Often, the data in it is large enough, so users want to delete it to save disk space.

Can this be done, and if so, how?

Definition

What is this folder, what is it for and what files does it contain? Can you clean it completely? After all, it is impossible to do this by pressing the Delete button as usual.

This folder contains backups all operating system files. It is difficult to overestimate the importance of such a folder, since it is from this folder that, in case of malfunctions, the system performs its own elimination and restoration. The data that is stored in it is the data before the installation of the last update.

That is, every time the user makes a system update, data about file updates is written to the discussed folder. These files themselves are saved there in their original form. Thanks to this phenomenon, it is possible to delete the changes made.

This saves the last valid copy of the material. That is, before installing the update for the first time, the data about the original version is saved. But when installing the second update - the data after the first update (if it worked properly).

That is, it is important to keep in mind that only the latest update option can be deleted using this folder. You will not be able to "roll back" the program to the original version. This can only be done by reinstalling.

By the way, with this functionality and under this name, this folder is available only in operating rooms. Windows systems 7, 8, 8.1, 10. Moreover, in latest version operating system, this folder also contains the files required to reinstall the entire operating system. That is, it is from it that the data for automatic recovery Windows.

Every time, after updating Windows, information about the files being changed is saved in this folder, so that, if necessary, it would be possible to roll back the changes made.

The essence of the problem and features of its solution

If the computer is actively used and updates are installed regularly, the folder can fill up very quickly. Moreover, its weight can become very significant - several gigabytes. It starts to take up a lot of disk space and the user may want to delete it.

Should I do it? That's a moot point. If after latest updates the computer is working fine, all programs have been checked and no bugs have been found in them, then a "rollback" of the system is not needed and the folder can be deleted.

But if there are difficulties and problems in the updated programs, then you should not clear the data store. And also, you do not need to do this until you are convinced that absolutely all updated programs are working properly. Otherwise, errors may appear in the future, and you will have to reinstall the program, since it will be impossible to restore it.

You can clear the folder using the tools preinstalled in the operating system. Download special utilities it is not necessary for this. Thus, if the computer is working fine. Then you can proceed to this procedure.

It is very important to remember that it is forbidden to delete such a folder or even files from it in the usual way. That is, by default, the system will not allow the user to do this. However, if you install special utilities and ask for special permissions (similar to TrustedInstaller), you can still uninstall it.

If it is removed in this way, the operating system will no longer boot. This is due to the fact that any files from this folder are almost always used when downloading. If you have deleted the directory completely, the system will not find the required file at some point and will not boot.

How to reduce the size of the WinSxS folder in Windows. How to clean winsxs.

Why is the WinSxS folder growing? Every time, after updating Windows, information about the files being changed is saved to this folder, so that, if necessary, it would be possible to roll back the changes made.

Cleaning up using the command line

Deleting files and cleaning the folder using the algorithm below is safe for your computer. They will not do significant harm. So in this case only unnecessary backups are deleted, but not the system files for loading.

• Log in to the system under the name of the Computer Administrator;
• Run the Run function - you need to hold down the Win + R buttons on the keyboard at the same time;
• A small Run window will open, equipped with an input field;
• Write the combination msconfig in it;
• Press Enter on the keyboard or Run in the box with the input line:
• In Windows 10, you can click on the Start button and write the command line phrase, as a result the same window will open;
• A window with a black background will open, this is the Command Line window;

<Рис. 1 Командная строка>

• In the input field, enter the combination Dism.exe / online / cleanup-image / AnalyzeComponentStore;
• Press Enter;
• The command starts analysis of the data store, that is, the directory that you want to clear;
• A notification will appear on a black background that the storage needs to be cleaned (this always happens);
• Enter the exe / online / cleanup-image / StartComponentCleanup combination in the input field;
• Press the Enter button on your keyboard;
• Now the system of automatic cleaning of the desired storage from all unnecessary ones has started. backup files, while all the necessary boot data is saved;
• As soon as the process is completed, the system will notify about it.

<Рис. 2 Очистка завершена>

You can now exit the Command Prompt application and restart your computer. Check the contents of the folder. Now its "weight" should be much lower, since all possible unnecessary files left.

An interesting characteristic of this approach is that it cannot be used too often. Otherwise, it may slightly increase in "weight" if there are no backup copies of updates in it. That is, it is necessary to carry out cleaning only when the content of the directory is very significant (the content volume within 7 GB is considered normal and does not have a negative effect on the operation of the system).

Cleaning with a utility

Clearing this directory in this version of the operating system has some peculiarities. In order to make it, you need to install the update KB2852386. It is optional, because many users do not have it, but it is it that adds the necessary function to the utility for cleaning the disk.

Downloading the update

How do you install such an update? Proceed according to the following algorithm:

1. Open the control panel;
2. Go to the System Updates item (you can do this by simply finding such an item through the search engine in Explorer, you can also find it through the search in the Start menu);
3. Having opened the System Update Center in one way or another, click on the Search for updates button which is available in the window that opens;
4. Wait a little while the search is complete;

<Рис. 3 Центр обновлений>

1. Click on the Optional updates item;
2. Scroll the list to the side to see the endings in the names of the updates (this is where their numerical and alphabetic designations are located);
3. Find the update with the corresponding number;

<Рис. 4 Выбор обновлений>

1. Click on it and install the update;
2. As soon as the system notifies you of the end of the download and installation, close all windows.

After that, you need to restart your computer. Now the changes have taken effect and you can proceed to deleting unnecessary data from the catalog.

Cleaning in Windows 7

After the computer has been restarted, unnecessary data from the storage can be deleted using special cleaning programs. hard disk... It is through it that all operations with the system files in this OS are done.

Do the following:

1. Open the program to clean up the hard disk (to start it, use the search in the Start menu);
2. Find the button Clean up system files, click on it;
3. A small menu will open, in which you need to click on the Updates cleaning section (depending on the features of the system, this item may have a different name - Updates backup files);

<Рис. 5 Работа в Windows 7>

1. Press the OK button and wait until the uninstallation is completed, which will notify you of the system.

Restart your computer and check the properties of the WinSxS folder. Its volume should be very significantly reduced, sometimes almost by half.

Cleaning in Windows 8, 8.1

In these versions of the operating system, the cleaning utility is included in the standard, required installation, service pack. That is, you do not need to download anything extra. Use the following instructions to clear the data store:

1. Open the start menu;
2. Start typing the "disk cleanup" combination;
3. As soon as the corresponding utility appears in the list of search results, launch it by clicking the mouse button;
4. Find the System Files Cleanup section in the window that opens;
5. Click on it and in the list that opens, select the Cleaning of operating system updates section;

<Рис. 6 Манипуляции в Виндовс 8>

1. Wait until the OS notifies the user that cleaning is complete, and then restart the device for the changes to take effect.

As in the previous cases, after checking the properties of the folder, it will become obvious that the number of files in it has significantly decreased.

Features of Windows 8.1

Exclusively in this operating system, there is another way to clean this system folder. He, like the very first described method, assumes the use of the command line. Proceed according to the following instructions:

1. Log into the system under account Administrator (otherwise the method will not work);
2. Start the Command Prompt using one of the methods described above, or by simultaneously pressing the Win and X keys;
3. In the menu that opens, find the Command line (administrator) item and click on it;
4. In the Command line input field, write the combination dism.exe / Online / Cleanup-Image / StartComponentCleanup / ResetBase;
5. If you print the combination dism.exe / Online / Cleanup-Image / AnalyzeComponentStore, you can find out how many megabytes it occupies the "problem" directory, that is, how much it has;

<Рис. 7 Работа в Виндовс 8.1>

1. Then press the Enter button on your keyboard.

The cleaning program has started. Since as soon as it ends, that is, all files will be deleted, the disappearance of which will not damage the system, the Command Prompt window will notify you of the end of cleaning. Now you can close this window and restart your computer.

After checking the properties of the directory, it turns out that its weight has decreased significantly. This method is completely safe. But, like the first method, it is not worth using it too often, since this can even lead to an increase in the weight of such a data archive.

Automatic deletion

To prevent the storage capacity from growing uncontrollably, it is recommended to configure the self-cleaning function of unnecessary documents, files and data in it. To configure this feature, you need the operating system's task scheduler.

Search for the Task Scheduler application using the Start menu search engine. Run the application. In the list on the right side of the window, select the Create section simple task.

<Рис. 8 Автоматическая очистка>

Generate the StartComponentCleanup task in the Microsoft \ Windows \ Servicing branch. Set the time period as desired, but not too often. Click OK and restart the device for the changes to take effect.

<Рис. 9 Создание задачи>

Clearing the #WinSxS folder

Most frequent question on Windows 10: How to # clean the WinSxS folder. The fact is that in the process of updating the component, Windows does not remove previous versions... This is necessary so that, if necessary, it would be possible to roll back the updated components. This fills up the disc quickly and needs to be cleaned periodically. In no case should you delete the WinSxS folder! In the video, I'm talking about two ways to clean the Windows WinSxS folder.

Many users, while optimizing the amount of disk space that Windows 7 occupies, are surprised to find that the winsxs folder has a huge size, which, moreover, grows over time. Naturally, they are faced with the questions of what it is for, whether it can be removed. According to the OS developers, this folder contains information about all updates installed on the system. This explains the growth of its size - the older Windows, the more updates were installed in it. But the answer to the question about its removal and cleaning is not so simple and requires clarification.

Removing and cleaning winsxs

We immediately answer the question, can this folder be deleted? No! This will inevitably cause unstable Windows work 7 or even its collapse with the impossibility of recovery. Attempts to manually clean it by deleting files to the trash or using various third-party cleaning utilities like CCleaner will lead to the same effect. It is unlikely that any of the users, let alone disk cleaning programs, know which files from this folder can be deleted to reduce its size, and which cannot. The fact is that among the files of this folder there are fresh updates, and there are also obsolete ones, which became unnecessary for the system and were subsequently replaced with newer ones. These files take up a lot of space and could be gotten rid of, but there is no way to distinguish them from the required updates.

How to properly empty a folder

In October 2013, Microsoft released the KB2852386 update (optional), which was intended to solve the problem with neatly cleaning the winsxs folder. Therefore, those users who are going to competently clean this folder are strongly advised to install it if it is not already installed. But only for the installation and operation of this update, it is required that ServicePak1 (SP1) be installed in Windows 7. The update is functional on both 32-bit Windows and 64-bit.

Installing update KB2852386

It is not advisable to download this update using one of the browsers. The best way install it - use staff funds Windows. To do this, in the Control Panel, open the "Windows Update" section.

In this window, you need to click on optional ads, in response to this, a list of them will be displayed. In it you need to find KB2852386, mark it with a checkbox and click the "Install updates" button. Then you need to wait for the update process to complete and reboot.

The winsxs cleaning process

When the KB2852386 update is installed, the process of removing outdated updates is performed as follows. We call Explorer by clicking on "Computer", in the explorer window, right-click on the system disk and select "Properties" in the context menu that appears. In the properties window, open the "General" tab and click on the "Disk Cleanup" button.

In addition, disk cleanup can be performed from the command line, if you run the system utility cleanmgr from it in administrator mode and set the system disk. In either case, the process of scanning the system disk will start to detect folders and files that can be removed from the disk without harming the functioning of the system.

Upon completion of the scan, a list of objects will be displayed that can be deleted and thereby reduce the amount of the occupied part of the system disk. The user should mark those objects that he is going to delete, and click the "OK" button. It is necessary to mark the item "Cleaning Windows updates". If there are no outdated updates in the winsxs folder, then this item will not be in the list of deleted ones.

By clicking "OK", the cleaning utility will start the process of deleting the selected objects. It can take quite a long time. After completing it, you should restart your computer.

Using DISM

This utility appeared in Windows distributions starting from 8. But according to information from the Internet, it can be used in the seven. You just need to download and install it. What is its functionality? And here you can delete temporary files, logs, cache, compress the installed system with an indication of the compression ratio, disable and delete unnecessary services and, of course, uninstalling updates. But first you need to download it and place it in the Windows \ System32 folder.

The utility runs in command line mode as administrator. Before starting cleaning, you should analyze the folder and find out if it needs to be cleaned. The command format of this utility does not differ in variety and looks like:

Dism.exe / Online / Cleanup-Image / command option

Further we will omit full format command and provide only the option of the command being described. In any case, the utility responds with a window with the result of the command, in which the line "operation completed successfully" appears.

Analysis of the contents of the winsxs folder is performed using the option
/ AnalyzeComponentStore
after executing this command, we get an analysis report:

From it you can see that you can painlessly clean backups and disabled components, cache and temporary data, saving a little over 1 GB on this. The report contains the line "It is recommended to clean the component store: Yes", which means that you can run the cleanup command.

To do this, execute the command with the option

/ StartComponentCleanup

It starts the process of deleting unnecessary files, and at its end a screen is displayed with a message about the successful completion of the deletion.

The process of cleaning up the directory can be continued by issuing the command to delete the archived files that were created during the updates. The option for this command is:

Removal of obsolete versions of system components can be performed using the command with the option

/ StartComponentCleanup / ResetBase

Now let's turn to correcting the list of installed OS components. Of course, this is usually done using the "Enable or Disable Windows components"From the Programs and Features section of Control Panel. However, even if a component is not marked as to be deleted in the list provided by Windows, it may still be present in the winsxs folder. To see full list components stored in this folder, you need to execute the command by specifying the option

/ Online / English / Get-Features / Format: Table

Selecting components from the resulting table that the user does not need, he can erase them in winsxs and reduce its size using the command, the options of which are as follows

/ Online / Disable-Feature / featurename: name / Remove

where name is the name of the component to be removed.

Do I need to clean the folder at all?

If you look at things soberly, then you can answer this question like this:

• Periodically, even for a very long time installed system- No. Attempts to save several gigabytes of disk space with modern volumes hard drives will not lead to anything, except for wasting time, wear and tear of the disk and the deprivation of the ability to roll back unnecessary updates. It should also be borne in mind that many file managers, including Explorer, overestimate its size by about 40%.
• If the 7 was installed less than 2 years ago, then the size of this folder is unlikely to exceed 2-3 GB and there is no need to clean it.
• It's another matter when the remaining free volume of the system disk is so small that it leads to brakes during operation. In this case, these very freed up several gigabytes can give an increase in performance.