Will Integrating Updates Reduce WinSxS Size?

[Jody Thornton]

In XP (using nLite), I am familiar with using slipstreaming to reduce the size of the $hf_mig$ folder. I wonder if slipstreaming Vista updates into the source have the same exact effect on the WinSxS folder?

[MagicAndre1981]

no, the WinSxS folder will grow and increase the ISO/WIM size a lot.

[Jody Thornton]

Really? Wow that's disappointing. So what will shrink it from the start? What is the benefit to slipstreaming?

I thought if service pack leftovers could be clean, that maybe there are some updates that could be cleared too.

[bphlpt]

From my very limited understanding of WinSxS, regardless of whether the updates are slipstreamed or installed later, files are kept in WinSxS so that they are able to be uninstalled or reinstalled later, or in case they are needed during the install of future updates. MS introduced the ability to clean out some of these "obsolete" files in Win8, which shrinks the WinSxS folder somewhat and they have recently backported that to Win7, but not to Vista AFAIK.

Cheers and Regards

[Jody Thornton]

Wow - this is VERY disappointing. I'll take a look at the WinSxS removal features in vLite, but they sound dangerous.

[MrJinje]

N/M what I posted don't work on vista LOL.

Edited December 7, 2013 by MrJinje

[MagicAndre1981]

in 8.1 you use DISM with /ResetBase to remove old files, but this is really a 8.1 feature only.

[Jody Thornton]

Yes that I'm familiar with. But thanks nonetheless.

[vinifera]

rt7lite shrinks SxS but it only works for win7/sp1

[Jody Thornton]

I was able to find v1.8 of WinSxS Lite which seems to do a credible job of searching out what componenets are obsolete, and then it can delete them (Almost like DISM for Vista...lol, but not really). I may try that and see if Windows Updates work afterwards.