winsxs folder (in C:\Windows\winsxs ) cleaning support

[QWER DODO]

Hello,

 

 

For those who use windows Vista and older , (and maybe XP too ? ) , you may know the folder called "winsxs in C:\WINDOWS . You may also have noticed it takes several Gigs (GB) in your harddrive . Some persons have more than 10 or 20 GBs . (for me it is 8.30 GBs )

 

(picture taken in safe mode in a french Vista Home Premium 32 bits OS ).

 

That is due to this folder function : save several versions of files , dlls ... ( for example when you do an update or a new install ) to prevent from incompatibility and eventually backup . It grows with time (liked for moving from a Service Pack to another Service Pack ).

However those files stay for life in your system until you reinstall Windows and are not anymore useful but i'm not sure if it's safe to delete them .

 

I heard about a software that can delete about 30/40 % of it's size but i forget its name.

 

 

So ( !) I'm here and i ask if that is possible to integrate a cleaning module in CCleaner only for this folder ( which is huge ! )

 

Thanks . And you , what is this folder's size in your OS ?

[hazelnut]

Are you talking about Compcln.exe the vista service pack clean-up tool?

 

http://www.mydigitallife.info/2008/12/26/s...1-backup-files/

 

Otherwise C\.Windows is not and area to mess about in

[QWER DODO]

Are you talking about Compcln.exe the vista service pack clean-up tool?

 

http://www.mydigitallife.info/2008/12/26/s...1-backup-files/

 

Otherwise C\.Windows is not and area to mess about in

 

 

Thanks for quick answer . Yes i was talking about this command but not only : I tried VSP1cln.exe but it didn't work because i'm runing on SP2 so i tried compcln.exe (i didn't know this command's name on SP2) . I ran the command on this topic and it deleted arround 1 GB (see picture below)

 

 

 

However please notice that there is still 7.3 GB occupied by this folder so this process reduced its size by arround 12% (which is in all cases very good ). I don't want to "mess about in C:\WINDOWS " as you said .

 

 

I want to add i found some interesting links about this winsxs folder :

 

1) a guide how to clean it a little (i didn't tried it but read it ) :

http://www.msfn.org/board/guide-winsxs-dup...el-t109131.html

 

2) a HUGE HUGE discussion about this threat i hadn't enough courage to read it fully ( from 2007 until today ) : http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums...0cec8c3/#page:2

 

 

To conclude with , can I reduce this folder's size more or is it preferable to leave it as it is ? (and to not leave my original topic , if i can reduce its size more , does CCleaner can support if a module is added for this folder or is it good only with this command ? ) .

 

P.S : Does the windows "update" below stick to my problem (i found it on a discussion about winsxs cleaning , and i think it analyses unused files in this folder and other stuff) or am I wrong ?

link : this tool downlaod link

 

Thanks and sorry for that many questions in one post

[Andavari]

I can only imagine the Microsoft inquires if CCleaner was to all of a sudden mess around with that folder.

 

That folder on my XP Pro SP3 system is currently at 51.0 MB, and I've never payed it any attention whatsoever.

 

Is it more of a Vista issue with that huge GB mountain of data?

[QWER DODO]

I can only imagine the Microsoft inquires if CCleaner was to all of a sudden mess around with that folder.

 

That folder on my XP Pro SP3 system is currently at 51.0 MB, and I've never payed it any attention whatsoever.

 

Is it more of a Vista issue with that huge GB mountain of data?

 

 

Yes . That is only since Windows Vista OS , and higher . In Windows XP , this folder exists but isn't used that much (you speak in MBs ) . That is to protect system from unwanted programs to replace original dlls by their ones as i have understood. Microsoft considers this as a great progress in security , stability , compatibility ... but that is not users opinion.

 

 

P.S : Can someone answer to my second post ?

[hazelnut]

Glad you managed at least to clear 1GB off your computer.

 

I would be unwilling to suggest clearing out anymore files without more research.

 

Perhaps other users may have more suggestions here.