[Guide] WinSxS Dupe removel

[aviv00]

The process mentioned above might cause serious system issues. You might want to try the following procedure instead:

http://windowsfixup.com/2009/05/winsxs-fol...disk-space-fix/

Agreed, this tool was able to delete 600 MB in my winsxs reducing a vlited 7 RC installation to a fantastic 3.2 GB !

64bit ?

i did 3.2gb too with 32bit but not with the tool

btw the guide is meant to be post-install

64bit ultimate.

Vlited with this conf.

Removed hiberfil and pagefile.

Then used winsxslite.

I think I used your guide but made the system instable.

No problem with this tool AFAIK.

I think this is the slimmest installed size I know.

BTW if someone knows how to remove other components (IE, firewall, update) please let me know.

sorry duno if its possible maybe sidebar but firewall ...

anyways this footprint really nice how much it in iso file ?

another thing i dont understand the hard linking with winsxslite

does it already hard linked ?

Edited May 7, 2009 by aviv00

[darkon11]

ISO is about 1.8 GB.

I don't understand completely the hard linking.

For what I know the links show as the real files increasing a lot the size on disk.

Reducing is made AFTER installation, but there's a way to make it before using imagex (I'm trying right now).

[LeveL]

feathers

Quack. What are "feathers"?

[aviv00]

hey level

sorry meant features in Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Programs and Features

Edited August 20, 2009 by aviv00

[Jatin Beniwal]

Is there any chances it can support windows 7 too?

[aviv00]

Is there any chances it can support windows 7 too?

how u mean ?

this guide can do on any os u like

just remember remove all the dupes are not safe so make backup for few days

so if will have problem u could restore it

or make checkpoint of dupes removal so u will see when the os getting unstable for ur demands

Edited August 24, 2009 by aviv00

[CrendKing]

As far as I know, all the component files in WinSxS are hard links to the files in other directories, i.e. different file entry in the file system but pointing to the same data blocks. If you just remove one entry (the ones under the WinSxS directory), the actual data are not erased, and you should not get any extra free space. How do you manage to get the cut off? Thanks!

You can view the hard links in your file system by installing Link Shell Extension.

Here's Wikipedia page about hard link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_link

[aviv00]

vista didnt work well with hard link

the file process on it was very slow

windows 7 got improved and know to handle it better

NTFS system duno to handle it good enuf and show the right space that used

anyways this guide is good for who use lot of MS apps

and his winsxs dir is going high cos that

the iso wont change cos the dupe deletion

but its will improve installation time

its will improve AV scan time

i duno if its improve the performance of the Windows

maybe less files make the windows work faster less dll to load and search

but its improve the feeling when ur windows is dupeless and save 4 giga hard links of dupes

like movies sound drivers langs and more stuff that not needed to back-upped

and i really dont understand how hard link supposed to fix the hell DLL problem

or recover the system from damage failures

if the file damage the dupe will damage too cos its the same

and if u have DLL hell problem why its need to be 2 files that are the same [sometime there are dupes 4 times]

if there another file that is diff then other dll files then its should be

one dll for original one another for updated dll file

in reality they have 1 original in system32 one in winsxs for dupe

and one updated in winsxs and system32

if the os need the original go directly to winsxs original dir if to the update go directly to system32

the hard link system is not needed at all!

Edited August 25, 2009 by aviv00

[CrendKing]

Point me out if I understand you incorrectly. Since the files under System32 and the files under WinSxS are hard links, and based on the definition of hard link, once the WinSxS files change, the System32 files change automatically, since they are pointing to the same data block. Therefore you will never get an updated file in System32 while still have the original one in WinSxS.

I'm not Microsoft people. In my opinion, WinSxS is what they use to do package and version controls, as well as some level of backup. As the softwares are becoming bigger and bigger, we need multiple library files to collaborate with each other, and we need to make sure they always have the compatible version. Without WinSxS, the system cannot have two "msvcp.dll" files with different versions in System32. Rather, they have to name them msvcp80.dll and msvcp90.dll respectively, which is not scalable solution.

I mean, WinSxS is not a bad solution, and it does not take extra space. I do not know how bad does Vista support hard links (since I never had problem with it), but removing dupe in WinSxS is not always good. Use it when you are sure you will not need those files.

Edited August 25, 2009 by CrendKing

[aviv00]

Point me out if I understand you incorrectly. Since the files under System32 and the files under WinSxS are hard links, and based on the definition of hard link, once the WinSxS files change, the System32 files change automatically, since they are pointing to the same data block. Therefore you will never get an updated file in System32 while still have the original one in WinSxS.

yes u got it, that make hard link not usable cos if u want to save old dll then save it why dupe if before

I'm not Microsoft people. In my opinion, WinSxS is what they use to do package and version controls, as well as some level of backup. As the softwares are becoming bigger and bigger, we need multiple library files to collaborate with each other, and we need to make sure they always have the compatible version. Without WinSxS, the system cannot have two "msvcp.dll" files with different versions in System32. Rather, they have to name them msvcp80.dll and msvcp90.dll respectively, which is not scalable solution.

try take original wim of windows 7 or vista and check with whereisit

how much dupes files in 64bit just 10% from it not dupes

in 32bit case is much less 5-7% is not dupes check for ur self

I mean, WinSxS is not a bad solution, and it does not take extra space. I do not know how bad does Vista support hard links (since I never had problem with it), but removing dupe in WinSxS is not always good. Use it when you are sure you will not need those files.

WinSxS is gr8 but why to all the files :|

Edited August 26, 2009 by aviv00

[joesi]

I tried using both winsxslite as well as this method by aviv00 to change a win7x64 install. (I dd this in an attempt to fix the 800+MB of file size that is added to my drive after installing 30 or so small windows updates.)

for aviv00's, the program (whereisit) wasn't allowed to delete any of the files, even though I gave the command prompt commands and they executed successfully.

for winsxslite, phase 1 didn't seem to work (kept saying "could not find file "c:\""), and while phase 2 scan seemed to work (it said it would change 800-900MB of stuff I think), it was let with some files that couldn't be reverted, and couldn't be replaced. If a reschedule was executed, then absolutely everything fubars up (almost no executable file will run in windows anymore).

Even ignoring the few files it left stuck, the windows directory wasn't any smaller after the change. In fact, it was actually a bit larger.

I am aware that these are both rather old, but have not heard of alternatives. I thought I'd let people know that this didn't work for me, and very likely wouldn't work for you (unless something is pointed out that i should do different of course).

Edited February 12, 2011 by joesi

[aviv00]

use the old wimfilter so then u will be able to delete the files

else u will have to takeown and permission

[vinifera]

small bump

I managed to delete (with this method) only 200MB on w7 SP1 after the **** thing grew over 4GB

so all in all not really worth it

but with SxS cleaner for 7SP1 it did remove ~2.5GB making SxS folder ~1.5GB in size

rebooted ok, CP with progs and features still works ok

only didn't test win updates

still In my opinion, removing only .net 3.5 with RT7lite is best solution as it shrinks WinSxS folder down to 800MB by default (atleast did to me/tested only in VM)

Edited April 27, 2011 by vinifera

[aviv00]

its old method try the newer one

[vinifera]

and that one is ???