Windows 7 Resetbase backport

[harkaz]

Some additional tests I performed today..

 

Windows Anytime Upgrade works perfectly.

 

MUI installation after running rebase will work in most scenarios, but it is not supported.

Even Microsoft recommends that you install MUIs before installing any update to OS.

 

OK, time for IE/WMF testing...

[harkaz]

A preview of the tool's help text:

(Ctrl+C escape character is disabled).

 

Windows 7 Resetbase Tool Version 1.0
Copyright © 2016 Charalampos Kazakos. All rights reserved.

This tool minimizes the disk footprint of the Windows 7 Component Store (winsxs).
It removes non-active versions of every installed winner in the component store.
In addition, the tool will remove all service pack backups and superseded updates.

Syntax: rebase -online|-image:path [-extreme|-decompress-base]

-online: Cleanup local system winsxs folder. Alternatively use the -image argument.
-image:path: Cleanup the winsxs folder of an offline Windows Image.
Provide path to the 'WINDOWS' directory inside the mounted image directory.

Optional Arguments:

-extreme: This option will compress all superseded base versions in the component store to save even more space.
This option should work flawlessly with the vast majority of future updates, with the exception of service packs.
Such cumulative updates are 'required for future installation of updates' and may force compressed, superseded base versions to become active, causing system instability.
It may also make future servicing of updates slightly slower on systems with lower resources.

-decompress-base: The effects of the -extreme option can be reverted at any time by using the -decompress-base argument instead of the -extreme argument. You must do this before installing any future service packs on your system.
After installing such updates you can recompress base versions with the -extreme argument again.

IMPORTANT: Save your work and close all open programs if you are using the -online option.
Your system will automatically restart when cleanup is complete.

CAUTION: You will be unable to uninstall previously installed updates after running this tool.
 

Is the text clear to you?

[vinifera]

results please

[harkaz]

Please be patient; testing is not fully automated.

[jaclaz]

Is the text clear to you?

It removes non-active versions of every installed winner in the component store.

winner?

 

-image:path: Cleanup the winsxs folder of an offline Windows Image.

Provide path to the 'WINDOWS' directory inside the mounted image directory.

Maybe it should be specified about which kind of image and if there are particular mounting requirements?

I presume that you are talking about WIM files mounted through DISM, but maybe other kind of images (let's say a VHD, either .vhd or .vhdx) can be used as well...

jaclaz

[harkaz]

@jaclaz "Winner" is an internal name at Microsoft for "component family". Maybe I should use this instead.

WIM mounting is the only one supported, although other mount types may be work just fine.

 

I have some issues with Windows Update - CBS finds some "inconsistencies" in the component store.

Namely it tries to open packages that correspond to removed payloads and it fails.

Consequently I need to further improve the method. Final release will delay a bit more.

[vinifera]

getting same crap when trying installing POSIE 11

[vinifera]

well I hit bit crappy setback...

i took basebuilds back to sxs

 

so now with base build files (of en_us, my language, and _none)

without backup folder, its all 1.85 GB on x86 OS

(was 750 MB but I think it was totaly broken hehehehe)

 

this is my final clean probably, so can't wait to see your results

[jaclaz]

@jaclaz "Winner" is an internal name at Microsoft for "component family". Maybe I should use this instead.

 

I see , it's not a good idea to use "internal" names in documentation/help, as an example my internal name for "Windows component family" is loser .

 

jaclaz

[harkaz]

I have good news for you: I fixed the bugs with WU, so now I only need to test the IE9/IE10, WMF stuff.

 

Checked compatibilty with Windows update cleanup addon -> ok so far, will recheck later.

 

Stay tuned

[harkaz]

IE/ WMF seem to work just fine.

 

Added the code to mark permanence. Everything works as it should.

 

Well, it's only error handling and we're done in here

[vinifera]

The SP1 RTM (MS) x86 image winsxs folder size is about 3985 MB. This is the "theoritical" minimum we could reach without removing components. Of course we cannot reach that size because of the compressed base versions and catalog/manifest files that must be present.

 

actually, being evil, theoretical size can be ~350 MB

but I haven't seen smaller than 500 MB if I remember correctly, this I'll inspect today

 

my bad, now I see SxS reduction to 114 MB - LOL

Edited December 24, 2015 by vinifera

[harkaz]

@vinifera That "theoretical" size is without removing components. If you remove components you can go <600MB as you mention.

[vinifera]

true, but some components are really unnecessary

 

i compared for example SP1 SxS with my fully updated and cleaned, the SP1+2015 is over 9 GB !!!!

f*** me  that is huge, my cleaned is 1.8 GB

 

and what components I ditched, the ones that nobody needs

 

1. language packs... OS uses english, and your keyboard uses your locale, everything else is not needed

2. filter out any other SKU that isn't yours, for example I use Pro, so any other... bye bye

3. WMP, WMC, who the hell use this ? - its obsolete, crappy and DRM-ed... bye bye

4. "Natural Language" for search, I never used it nor even know what the hell is it, all I know its half Gig of junk

5. dotNET 3 and 3.5, totally unneeded, v2 needs to stay

6. defragmenter, defender, system restore (which includes VSS and Backup/Recovery) - useless, if your system gets infected nice day restoring it with virus back init

7. Photoviewer - another total crap in MS line of products

 

there, all this listed removed, and everything else intact gets your SxS from 9 GB to 1.85 GB (if you keep backup folder)

 

 

hell I even left some .net 3 components, and IE

win update works without problem

manual update works without problem

 

and someone who has good programming skills, that can make app to filter out things like locale, builds, sku's

that would be it...

 

when I did full manual removal of things (not just SxS), I couldn't believe how many JUNK does Win7 has

its monstrosity..., there is no self-cleaning service at all which OS badly needs

Edited December 24, 2015 by vinifera

[harkaz]

Filtering locales is not needed as long as you have only one language installed. There are tools like RT7 lite or NTLite that will help you remove keyboard languages.

 

Removing unnecessary SKUs is something I will try in the future. There are specific "target-editions" which can be shown via DISM. The goal is to remove redundant Target editions.

 

Rebase will help you removing inactive builds.