Solved Can I remove C:\Windows\winsxs

Simba49

New Member
I really wana free up those 20,000+ files and gain 4gig of hard drive space.

I only use my computer for internet (wireless) and printing...nothing else...please explain about that folder and if i can delete or not

Thanks,
Mike :D
 

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My Computers

System One System Two

  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
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    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
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    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
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    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
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    Thermaltake Core P3
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    Corsair Hydro H115i
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    Logitech wireless K800
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    Logitech MX Master 3
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    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
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    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy Y0F94AV
    CPU
    i7-7500U @ 2.70 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB DDR4-2133
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce 940MX
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    Conexant ISST Audio
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    17.3" UHD IPS touch
    Screen Resolution
    3480 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    512 GB M.2 SSD
Hmm, yes i've seen that article also. I've been studying this topic for awhile now though. It seems to only affect framework. I do not use framework in any way.

The only things i do on my computer are internet browsing and printing.
 

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Mike,

This folder holds alot of the .DLL files that Vista needs to operate. Deleting it would be pointless anyway. Vista will just recreate the winsxs folder with the default contents. :sarc:

Have you tried all the other means to free up space on the hard drive?
1. Disk Cleanup: How to Use Disk Cleanup in Vista
2. CCleaner is a great program for cleaning up temp junk. http://ccleaner.com/
2. Uninstall programs that you do not use.
3. etc.....

Shawn
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy Y0F94AV
    CPU
    i7-7500U @ 2.70 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB DDR4-2133
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce 940MX
    Sound Card
    Conexant ISST Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17.3" UHD IPS touch
    Screen Resolution
    3480 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    512 GB M.2 SSD
4 GIG is not alot of space. Deleteing system directories is not a good idea if you are not sure what they do just to free space.

To clean the harddrive using the built in cleaner,

Click on my computer.
Right click on the C: drive (or whatever drive your system is on)
Click on the Disk Clean up Button.
The rest is straight forward.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Self Built
    CPU
    I5 3570K
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte Z77-DS3H
    Memory
    4 x 4GB corsair ballistix sport DDR3 1600 Mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte Geforce GTX 660 TI
    Sound Card
    creative x-fi
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Primary CiBox 22" Widescreen LCD ,Secondary Dell 22" Widescreen
    Screen Resolution
    Both 1680 x 1050
    Hard Drives
    2 x 500G HD (SATA) 1 x 2TB USB
    PSU
    Corsair HX 620W ATX2.2 Modular SLI Complient PSU
    Case
    Antec 900 Ultimate Gaming Case
    Cooling
    3 x 80mm tri led front, 120mm side 120mm back, 200mm top
    Keyboard
    Logik
    Mouse
    Technika TKOPTM2
    Internet Speed
    288 / 4000
    Other Info
    Creative Inspire 7.1 T7900 Speakers
    Trust Graphics Tablet
Hmm, yes i've seen that article also. I've been studying this topic for awhile now though. It seems to only affect framework. I do not use framework in any way.

The only things i do on my computer are internet browsing and printing.

Sorry to ask, but why do you have Vista Ultimate then.. lol?
 

My Computer

Hmm, yes i've seen that article also. I've been studying this topic for awhile now though. It seems to only affect framework. I do not use framework in any way.

The only things i do on my computer are internet browsing and printing.

If i remember correctly, a lot of programs use the frame work. Such as internet explorer 7.0

also if you have Vista Ultimate, and you don't like all the neat effects, why didnt you just buy Vista Home Basic? or go back to Windows ME?
 

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I never said i didnt like the effects or anything, i only stated what i used it for. I have deleted the folder and nothing has happened except give me space (not that i need it).
 

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actually, my WinSXS is taking up a lot of space, it's taking 9GB!!! The more updates I throw at the system, the more this thing will expand. Is there a way to size this behemoth down or delete it?

I want my space back!
 

My Computer

System One

  • CPU
    AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ 2.53GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M3A AM2+
    Memory
    4 GB Kingston DDR2-667
    Graphics Card(s)
    Sapphire ATi Radeon HD 3650
    Hard Drives
    Hitachi 320 GB SATA HDD w/ 16MB cache
There's a way, if you have linux installed in the same system with double boot. You just have to boot in Linux, and with a file management tool (I use Dolphin within Kubuntu-64) locate the desired file and delete it. Although it's a little risky to delete files randomly, you can just delete the video and audio files that occupy more than half a Gig and it's totally safe.
 

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I know this thread is old, but it is a related problem.

I have been getting a lot of pop ups, etc recently so, naturally ran a scan to see if I had any problems. I used the AVG Free software, which I have not had any problems with before. I made sure it was fully updated before the scan started.

Twice now I have tried, and each time it has got stuck at the same point. The current object it is trying to scan is located in the location that is the subject of this thread. Specifically it is the x86_wsdapi_31bf3856ad364e35_6.0.6001.18000_none_beb38cd34d56a01d
folder that it is stuck on.

Can anybody help me with my problems?

Thanks,

Lewis
 

My Computer

I never said i didnt like the effects or anything, i only stated what i used it for. I have deleted the folder and nothing has happened except give me space (not that i need it).


I wonder if your computer still works:huh:
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    gateway/m6881
    CPU
    centrino core 2 duo 2.2ghz T7500
    Memory
    3GB
    Hard Drives
    500GB WD
    Mouse
    logitech
    Internet Speed
    fios 35MB not!!!!
Hi,

We should not randomly delete the files inside winsxs folder because,

The Winsxs folder, stores multiple copies of dll's in order to let multiple applications run in Windows without any compatibility problem. If you browse inside, you will see what look like a lot of duplicate dlls, each having the same name. These are actually, different versions of the same files which are being stored; as different programs may require different versions. In short, Winsxs, which stands for 'Windows Side By Side', is Vista's native assembly cache. Libraries which are being by multiple applications are stored there.

In Vista, there isn't a 'dllcache' folder and nor can you find the 'i386' folder, where the system caches (like in XP) all it's source modules. It is this WinSxS folder which stores the shared components of side-by-side applications. These files can be multiple versions of the same assembly or application. Every side-by-side assembly has a unique identity. One of the attributes of the assembly identity is its version. side-byside assemblies are used by the operating system as fundamental units of naming, binding, versioning, deployment, and configuration. The Winsxs folder includes all manifests, optional components and 3rd party Win32 files.

So obviously you cannot delete this directory or move it elsewhere. Nor is it advisable to delete anything here, as such a step could probably make your applications un-workable or even break your system! If you have many applications installed, you can expect to have a jumbo sized winsxs folder.

If you delete components from the WinSxS folder like the manifets or the assemblies, etc, you could be in trouble. Each system would react differently. What may work for one could break another! For instance, if you install a program that requires that particular assembly, which you may have deleted, then that program will just not run! Compressing the folder is also a no-no, as it could cause problems during WindowsUpdates or while installing a Hotfix

Got it :)

edit: install sp2, it is having a command line toll compcln.exe that will automatically run in backgroung and delete your unwanted restore point and temperory files, and orphaned files inside winsxs directory.
That will free up your space much more :)
 
Last edited:

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System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Wipro
    Motherboard
    Intel dq35j0
    Memory
    8 Gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    inter express chipset
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Wipro
    Screen Resolution
    1024*768
    Hard Drives
    500 gb
    Keyboard
    DELL
    Mouse
    Dell
    Internet Speed
    100 mbps(office lan)
This is a clear case of the tail wagging the dog. If your physical setup isn't sufficient for the system, get a new one that is or expand it, assuming that's possible.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Operating System
    Win 10 Pro x64 x 2
    Manufacturer/Model
    Alienware ALX x58
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i7-975 Extreme O/C to 4.02 GHz, 8MB Cache
    Motherboard
    Asus® P6T Deluxe V2 X58 LGA1366
    Memory
    24GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3 SDRAM at 1600MHz - 6 x 4096MB
    Graphics Card(s)
    1792 MB NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 295 Dual Core
    Sound Card
    Onboard Soundmax® High-Definition 7.1 Performance Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung XL2370 HD LED backlit 23" W/S 2ms response time
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    2 x 500gb SATA II
    1 x 1TB SATA II
    1 external eSATA LaCie 3TB
    (Non-RAID)
    PSU
    Alienware® 1200 Watt Multi-GPU
    Case
    Unique
    Cooling
    4 case fans @ CPU water cooling.
    Internet Speed
    1gb/s up and down
deltatux, I am afraid you'll have to live with it. winsxs will grow forever. I have seen it as large as 15GBs. If you delete it, your system will come to a screeching halt immediately. If you delete any part of it, it will come to a screeching halt a little later. If you like to reinstall Vista, that's the way to go.
If you really need more HDD space, buy a second HDD. I am sure there is room in your box for it. You can get 640GBs for a mere $68 ( Newegg.com - Western Digital Caviar Green WD6400AACS 640GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive (bare drive) - Internal Hard Drives ).
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Dell
    CPU
    Q6600
    Memory
    4GB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP w2207h
    Hard Drives
    2x250GB HDDs
    1x60GB OCZ SSD
    6 external disks 60 to 640GBs
    Other Info
    Also 1xHP desktop, 1xHP laptop, 1xGateway laptop
I never said i didnt like the effects or anything, i only stated what i used it for. I have deleted the folder and nothing has happened except give me space (not that i need it).


I wonder if your computer still works:huh:

LOL - as Brink already said, Vista just created a new generic one. That's a nice game - now you see it, now you don't.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Dell
    CPU
    Q6600
    Memory
    4GB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP w2207h
    Hard Drives
    2x250GB HDDs
    1x60GB OCZ SSD
    6 external disks 60 to 640GBs
    Other Info
    Also 1xHP desktop, 1xHP laptop, 1xGateway laptop
Look on Vista like Mother Nature. We all know it isn't good to mess with Mother Nature, now don't we?
 

My Computer

System One

  • Operating System
    Win 10 Pro x64 x 2
    Manufacturer/Model
    Alienware ALX x58
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i7-975 Extreme O/C to 4.02 GHz, 8MB Cache
    Motherboard
    Asus® P6T Deluxe V2 X58 LGA1366
    Memory
    24GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3 SDRAM at 1600MHz - 6 x 4096MB
    Graphics Card(s)
    1792 MB NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 295 Dual Core
    Sound Card
    Onboard Soundmax® High-Definition 7.1 Performance Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung XL2370 HD LED backlit 23" W/S 2ms response time
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    2 x 500gb SATA II
    1 x 1TB SATA II
    1 external eSATA LaCie 3TB
    (Non-RAID)
    PSU
    Alienware® 1200 Watt Multi-GPU
    Case
    Unique
    Cooling
    4 case fans @ CPU water cooling.
    Internet Speed
    1gb/s up and down
this is my folder stats

wholy cow
 

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My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    gateway/m6881
    CPU
    centrino core 2 duo 2.2ghz T7500
    Memory
    3GB
    Hard Drives
    500GB WD
    Mouse
    logitech
    Internet Speed
    fios 35MB not!!!!
pacinitaly, you are the lucky one.

winsxs.png
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Dell
    CPU
    Q6600
    Memory
    4GB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP w2207h
    Hard Drives
    2x250GB HDDs
    1x60GB OCZ SSD
    6 external disks 60 to 640GBs
    Other Info
    Also 1xHP desktop, 1xHP laptop, 1xGateway laptop
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