How To Perform WinSxS Cleanup To Free Up Space On Windows 10

If you get exposed to WinSxS Windows 10 Folder, then you’ll be amazed to see its size. The particular folder is located at C >>Windows >>Winsxs & in most of the cases, it occupies space more than 5GB. The folder is developed to store certain system components & a variety of temporary and backup files. With time, the WinSxS folder grows quite large and occupies a crucial amount of disk space.

In this article, we’ll be discussing different ways to perform WinSxS Folder cleanup & reclaim unnecessary occupied storage space on Windows 10.

Before Moving Forward

Let’s go through some crucial points about WinSxS Folder:

1. You can’t delete the WinSxS folder, but you can certainly take steps to clean it & reduce its size.

2. It contains several important components & updates files of the OS, which might be needed to resolve common system issues.

3. WinSxS Folder is certainly one of the places you should not touch to keep your system safe & sound.

4. However, with each passing day, the WinSxS folder keeps getting larger & takes approx. 40% of your drive space.

5. Whenever you install a new update, the associated files get stored in the WinSxS folder, so you can access them as an when required.

6.Though the WinSxS folder contains quintessential files and components, you can certainly work to reduce its size without hampering the system’s stability.

So, without further ado, let’s learn how to perform WinSxS Cleanup!

How To Do WinSxS Folder Cleanup Using Disk Cleanup Tool?

Well, you can use the built-in tool, Disk Cleanup to safely clean up old Windows updates folders & other useless files from WinSxS Folder.

STEP 1- Go to the Start menu & search for the Disk Cleanup option.

STEP 2- Open the Windows Disk Cleanup Tool, & choose the drive you wish to clean.

STEP 3- Hit the Clean up system files button & check the ‘Windows Update Cleanup’ option. Hit the OK button to start freeing up space by cleaning system files stored in the WinSxS folder.

If you do not see the ‘Windows Update Cleanup’ option on your system, then the probability is there are no WinSxS Folder files that are needed to be deleted safely!

How To Do WinSxS Folder Cleanup Using DISM Command?

Well, you can also use the command-line tool – DISM to clean up and free up precious space from WinSxS Folder.

STEP 1- Go to the Start menu & search for Command prompt, right-click on the top result & Run as Administrator.

STEP 2- Now copy & paste the command line mentioned below & hit the Enter button.

Dism.exe /online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup

STEP 3-  Once the DISM tool finishes WinSxS Folder scanning, you’ll be displayed with all the components and files stored in the WinSxS Folder. You will also see the recommendation to cleanup WinSxS Folder or not.

STEP 4- Once you review them, follow the command lines mentioned below to perform WinSxS Folder cleanup on Windows 10.

Dism.exe /online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup

(This command line would clean all the previous versions of updated components)

DISM.exe /online /Cleanup-Image /SPSuperseded

(This command line would help you remove files needed for the uninstallation process. This would not install any currently installed service packs.)

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

(Running this command line would help you deleted all the old versions of every component stored on WinSxS Folder)

This WinSxS Folder cleanup could take some time, depending on your system & how much you’re deleting, but believe us that extra space would totally be worth it!

Want To Recover More Disk Space On Windows 10?

Well, if you wish to clean and free up more space on your Windows 10 machine. Then, try using a dedicated PC Cleaner tool that can help you find and reclaim unnecessary occupied space on your system. It features plenty of modules such as Disk Cleaners, Windows Optimizers, Registry Optimizers, Common Issues Fixer, Regular Maintenance & much more. All these modules are further categorized into various optimization tools such as Shredder, Duplicates Cleaner, Driver Updater, Game Optimizer, Startup Manager, Uninstaller & so on.

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