Clean WinSxS Folder (Windows Component Store)

The C:\Windows\WinSxS folder can grow extremely large over time, consuming significant disk space. This command uses DISM to clean up superseded Windows components, safely reclaiming gigabytes.

The Fix

dism /online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup /ResetBase

Why it works

• This DISM command removes all superseded versions of components in the component store, permanently reducing the size of the WinSxS folder without affecting system stability.

Verify

• After the command completes (it can take some time), run Disk Cleanup (cleanmgr.exe). You should see a new option, "Windows Update Cleanup," with a potentially large amount of space to recover.

Notes

• Requires Administrator privileges.
• This operation is irreversible; older versions of updates cannot be uninstalled after ResetBase.
• The process can take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours, depending on system age and available resources.

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