Yea I decided to use this computer to test just how far I can get deleting stuff. I'm right at 5.0 gb right now, and this "version" still has a lot of features since I'm making this for the computers here at work. My home version will be the stripped out anorexic one (That should be under 4 gb). I don't need free space, I just want it to be faster.
EDIT: In order to keep the aero theme with Desktop Composition you need the following:
C:\Windows\Resources\Themes\Aero\aero.msstyles
C:\Windows\Resources\Themes\Aero\en-US\aero.msstyles.mui
Everything else in the resources folder can be removed.
Delete at your own risk, I am not guaranteeing anything, simply stating that it worked for me.
I also removed C:\Windows\Media, C:\Windows\Cursors, everything in C:\Windows\Globalization except for the Sorting folder and its contents (2 files), C:\Windows\Web\Wallpaper, C:\Users\Default, C:\Recovery, C:\Windows\Help, everything in C:\Windows\Prefetch except the ReadyBoot folder and its contents (5 files) (I have Superfetch disabled), C:\Windows\Performance, and lots of empty folders.
The following folders contents mainly included images/videos. I believe this stuff is backups for Windows DVD Maker, but don't get mad at me if you lose your features in that program if you delete these folders. I deleted them and have recieved no errors, everything is still working fine. I apologize for them not being in order, but they're pretty much all in the same place.
C:\Windows\winsxs\amd64_microsoft-windows-o..calmediadisc-styles_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7000.0_none_4b557aba3d7eeab4
C:\Windows\winsxs\amd64_microsoft-windows-o..calmediadisc-wizard_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7000.0_none_e7143a843c39f235
C:\Windows\winsxs\amd64_microsoft-windows-o..yle-specialoccasion_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7000.0_none_71b7ba2ab870aeaa
C:\Windows\winsxs\amd64_microsoft-windows-o..disc-style-memories_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7000.0_none_c1ac984983d9f8ef
C:\Windows\winsxs\amd64_microsoft-windows-o..iadisc-style-oldage_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7000
C:\Windows\winsxs\amd64_microsoft-windows-o..iadisc-style-sports_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7000.0_none_325bd4999cb588dd
C:\Windows\winsxs\amd64_microsoft-windows-o..adisc-style-babyboy_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7000.0_none_61c9269a45ca1ed6
C:\Windows\winsxs\amd64_microsoft-windows-o..c-style-performance_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7000.0_none_8e1e7cbf4c46bd14
C:\Windows\winsxs\amd64_microsoft-windows-o..disc-style-babygirl_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7000.0_none_235091723734216c
C:\Windows\winsxs\amd64_microsoft-windows-o..ediadisc-style-pets_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7000.0_none_416b7e8018150f74
C:\Windows\winsxs\amd64_microsoft-windows-o..iadisc-style-travel_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7000.0_none_633b566deb4938cc
C:\Windows\winsxs\amd64_microsoft-windows-o..tyle-resizingpanels_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7000.0_none_2ce49743c8d7915c
C:\Program Files\DVD Maker\Shared\DvdStyles
The following I believe are backups of the Globalization themes and wallpapers
C:\Windows\winsxs\amd64_microsoft-windows-m..ttheme-za-component_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7000.0_none_13f4e75557f6ba3f
C:\Windows\winsxs\amd64_microsoft-windows-m..ttheme-us-component_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7000.0_none_13f4e75557f6ba3f
C:\Windows\winsxs\amd64_microsoft-windows-m..ttheme-gb-component_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7000.0_none_13f4e75557f6ba3f
C:\Windows\winsxs\amd64_microsoft-windows-m..ttheme-ca-component_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7000.0_none_13f4e75557f6ba3f
C:\Windows\winsxs\amd64_microsoft-windows-m..ttheme-au-component_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7000.0_none_13f4e75557f6ba3f
I believe these are backups of the welcome screen picture
C:\Windows\winsxs\amd64_setup-uxwizard-clientimages_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7000.0_none_155fcbaa22f4df0d
C:\Windows\winsxs\x86_setup-uxwizard-clientimages_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7000.0_none_b94130266a976dd7
I believe these are the backups for the user account pictures
C:\Windows\winsxs\amd64_microsoft-windows-usertiles_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7000.0_none_64194ad384311dfa
C:\Windows\winsxs\amd64_microsoft-windows-usertiles-client_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7000.0_none_f61e65140d437016
These are 2 logs that are 4 mb each (on mine)
I deleted MSDTC.log from C:\Windows\winsxs\amd64_microsoft-windows-com-dtc-runtime_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7000.0_none_e5db849554580198
And I deleted the following folder:
C:\Windows\winsxs\wow64_microsoft-windows-com-dtc-runtime_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7000
Im going to continue to go through more and more and will continue to update this thread as I find more things I can delete
I'm currently at 8.18 GB used with a 1024MB paging file, Office 2007 installed (Outlook, Word, Powerpoint, Access, Excel, lots of Office Tools [Clip Book etc]), Roxio 10 (EMC and Central Core), Adobe 8 Professional w/ Live Cycle Designer, Java 6 update 11, Panorama (A small program we use here at work), and I also still have Gadgets, Fax and Scan, Media Center, DVD Maker, WMP12, Solitare, etc... lots of features left and the filesize is way smaller. It is MUCH faster now than it was before.