Does Slipstreaming Hotfixes Increase ISO Size?

[jamieo]

It seems unneeded to remove the files that are exact duplicates of files that are required in system32 etc. Removal of those will not make the wim any smaller and I have long suspected that they do not take up any disk space once installed either (hard linked?) but I have not tested that...

The main thing would be to remove those files that do not have duplicates in use. Such as older versions etc. If you look in the SP1 dvd (which is bigger for this very reason), it seems every file has it's RTM ancestor backed up next to it.

[LeveL]

LeveL, winsxs contains backup of all windows files, so yes they are doubled, even without any integrations. You can't simply delete those, they are read during component configuration like the one in Control Panel, or when installing a new hotfix.

However some of them are obsolete versions and that is the option I'm considering. Also I'll try to revisit that component which removes 98% of winsxs, if I manage not to break hotfix installations (doubtful).

winsxs\Backup is just a backup of core system files.

Yeah I did delete 1,700+ files in the folder "Windows\winsxs\Backup" and it made no difference to the WIM image size.

But because of that - I know the OLD hotfix backup files cannot possibly be stored there, maybe not even the uninstall files either, because why would removing that backup folder save no space in the WIM image *if* the old DLL's and EXE's were all stored there? Surely if the old hotfix DLL and EXE files etc are stored in "winsxs\Backup" then this is the only place they are going to be stored? I can't see Vista having a "backup files of backup files". Anyway, I have already checked this with a program to find duplicate files and indeed, whats in the "winsxs\backup" folder is NOT duplicated anywhere else in the WIM image. Not according to the dupe file checker anyway.

Its so much harder than it was on XP. On XP, 99% of the hotfix CAT files are here:

C:\WINDOWS\system32\CatRoot\{F750E6C3-38EE-11D1-85E5-00C04FC295EE}

This indicates which hotfixes are installed and whats not (although these are not backups they are just CAT files) I guess on nLited installs nLite has already taken care of all the duplicate files and the hotfix uninstall files?

This is why its hard on Vista - because you search the whole C drive for a KB****** number you have installed the hotfix for = no results! So then how can you possibly know where the backup files are? Or even the CAT files for the Hotfixes?

Its driving me mad now with these hotfix uninstall files - where oh where could they all be?

It seems unneeded to remove the files that are exact duplicates of files that are required in system32 etc. Removal of those will not make the wim any smaller and I have long suspected that they do not take up any disk space once installed either (hard linked?) but I have not tested that...

I am only ever talking about the Backup folder inside winsxs, nothing else.

winsxs is a scary folder to mess with, in fact I do not even delete the Backup folder itself, just its contents, leaving an empty Backup folder there.

Removing the contents of "Windows\winsxs\Backup\*.*" from the WIM image does not decrease the WIM image size no, but it does really speed up your install time, because its 1,700 less files that need to be expanded!

Also, yes those 1,700+ dupe files in "Windows\winsxs\Backup" (which my dupe file finder says are not dupes) do take up space on your hard disk when Vista is installed, about 300Mb to 400mb. Thats with all the November and previous hotfixes, I am not sure how big it is on a default install with no hotfixes.

The main thing would be to remove those files that do not have duplicates in use. Such as older versions etc. If you look in the SP1 dvd (which is bigger for this very reason), it seems every file has it's RTM ancestor backed up next to it.

I have not had a chance yet to look at a SP1 DVD but you're right... if we can somehow find out which OLD files are there, not just "duplicated" and "useless" files, they can be deleted and it will save maybe 150Mb in the WIM image.

What has really thrown me back is discovering that winsxs\Backup seems to not even contain any duplicated files and yet it saves nothing on the size of the WIM image when you remove the Backup folder, as in this image, it starts at "Catalogs" and there is no "Backup" folder in sight meaning the Backup folder has no duplicate files, apparently...

Edited December 1, 2007 by LeveL

[LeveL]

BUMP

Anyone know where Vista stores all those useless old backup files for Hotfix uninstallations?

I don't want to ever uninstall any hotfixes and thus do not want the extra "old" versions of any files as backups taking up space, its the difference between being able to make a CD sized functional ISO and not being able to, those backup files add at least 150Mb to the ISO.

[sonnet]

BUMP

Anyone know where Vista stores all those useless old backup files for Hotfix uninstallations?

I don't want to ever uninstall any hotfixes and thus do not want the extra "old" versions of any files as backups taking up space, its the difference between being able to make a CD sized functional ISO and not being able to, those backup files add at least 150Mb to the ISO.

Did anyone find a solution to remove the old files replaced by the hotfixes?Even after install is not possible locate and delete this files?

[LeveL]

Did anyone find a solution to remove the old files replaced by the hotfixes?Even after install is not possible locate and delete this files?

Nope, Microsoft have made it extremely tough for some reason.

It was easy with XP, there were references to all the KB****** numbers in the WINDOWS folder.

Not anymore with Vista though.

Yes, you CAN delete useless backup files from the installed Windows, you can even delete them from your mounted WIM image and they won't expand at all but lol, this is the entire problem because deleting those old backups does not save you any space on the ISO whatsoever, all it does is speeds up the install a bit (because its 1700 less files to expand thats all)

You can just mount the WIM image on the command line with the WAIK tools and delete the contents of this folder:

Windows\winsxs\Backup\*

I leave the Backup folder there but delete every single file inside it, but like I said this only speeds up the install time, it does not take one single byte off the size of the ISO.

Maybe Nuhi is already working on this... I am out of the game im afraid, I have no clue why Windows is still storing "Backups of backups" or where these old backup files are.

Have you ever looked inside that folder "Windows\winsxs\Backup" ??? ITS A TOTAL MESS! Theres 1700 files there and they all have absoluely gigantic filenames that do not even mention which KB hotfix they belong to, or what belongs to what, or anything, these "files" arn't even *.* files because they do not even have extensions on them.

I gave up on it. How can you know whats what when theres 1700 files there and none of them even hint at KB numbers?

Its crap the way Vista installs, I hate it!

[nuhi]

Yeah I will give it another shot very soon.

Problem is even if you delete just winsxs\Backup (some) hotfixes won't install. But lets put backup aside, it's not as problematic or pointless as dual Sp and dual integrated hotfixes files.

I can understand if you installed them on a live machine and want to uninstall, fine, but give us some switch to skip backing up old files when integrating at least.

[jimagas]