Can't Delete Old Updates (winsxs Folder)

[Te3k]

Hello,

I used to be able to access an option in the Disk Cleanup tool (cleanmgr.exe) to delete old Updates files. Now, the tool merely scans for updates but does not display the appropriate checkbox. My winsxs folder is growing out of control. Installing a couple of recent updates (like 1GB of Office updates and a new 400MB driver package for my video card) is slowly eating away the remainder of my SSD.

The longest scan in cleanmgr is for Windows Update Cleanup, and I know there are a lot of updates to clean, but there is no option at the end of it to do anything about that.

There should be a checkbox in here for the updates. I was able to do this before and save 7GB in one bang, but now there's no option anymore and I have no idea why.



Where the heck is this tickbox?

Thanks.

 

[Brink]

Hello Te3k,

The tutorial below can help show you how to add it back.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/307546-windows-updates-remove-outdated-updates-windows-7-a.html

 

[Te3k]

Thanks for the link. I tried everything in that thread, with no success. The update has already been applied. Just in case, I tried to manually download and install it, but got a prompt saying it was already installed. Plus, I had run it before in the past. I was definitely running cleanmgr with administrator privileges.

The only thing I can think of is that the box isn't showing up because the scan's not detecting any available updates to remove (which is weird, because in that case it should be there anyway showing "0 bytes" like all the other ones). But this doesn't make sense to me, because it's been a few months since I've last run the cleaner and my winsxs directory has grown substantially since then (doubled). Plenty of updates have been installed.

Should it really be the case that if you're downloading a 1GB Office update that you should actually lose 1GB disk space? Shouldn't the new modules simply replace the old, resulting in a <1GB net disk-space loss? Or is a backup of the old update copied to the winsxs directory? It's starting to look frustratingly redundant.

 

[Brink]

Do you have all Windows Updates installed?

You might see if uninstalling and reinstalling this update with a restart between each may be able to fix and add it back.

 

[carwiz]

Yes, in most cases it stays there. The reason is that most updates have the option to uninstall so the previous version has to come from someplace. Check the size of your pagefile and consider moving temporary files off the SSD to a HDD.

Here's my C drive.

 

[Te3k]

Do you have all Windows Updates installed?

You might see if uninstalling and reinstalling this update with a restart between each may be able to fix and add it back.

Thanks.

I do have all updates installed. An uninstall/reinstall of that particular update (with reboots in-between) had no effect, but thanks for the suggestion.

Carwiz, my pagefile is disabled, as instructed by a SSD-optimisation guide I followed a few years ago (I've experienced no problems and I have 16GB RAM to compensate, although with just 6GB there were no problems either).

Honestly, it seems wasteful to have tens of gigabytes of data sitting on the disk "just in case I uninstall an update". I've never had reason to uninstall an update. This is something the user should have control over, not be forced to endure.

What would happen if I force-deleted the entire winsxs directory? Would that result in system crash, or would that merely preclude my ability to uninstall existing updates?

 

[Layback Bear]

I do not recommend doing this. Let Windows 7 take care of it.

]What would happen if I force-deleted the entire winsxs directory?

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whs​

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If you want to brick your system go ahead. But the smart man stays off winsxs which is about the most inportant folder in your system

I use Intel SSD's and this is the setting I use.
Notice I have it set to let Windows 7 take care of such thing.

Please read this Thread. It will explain better what Winxsx is and does.

http://www.sevenforums.com/general-...folder-not-actually-consuming-lots-space.html



This is what works for me; a tutorial by Bare Foot Kid.
It includes old Windows Update cleaning.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/76383-disk-cleanup-extended.html

 

[Te3k]

Thanks. The disk cleanup extended tutorial linked above did lead to a ton of options showing up in the dialog, but in the end, it didn't clean anything. I still have a 93% full disk, just like before, after reboot.

I understand that the winsxs directory is full of hardlinked files, but my disk space has been vanishing nonetheless. I'd love it if Windows 7 took care of winsxs like you recommend, but it just isn't doing that. It's getting to the point where perhaps I just won't install giant updates anymore, because old versions of them pile up on the drive.

As mentioned, I've already disabled the paging file, therefore it is currently set to 0MB. I freed more space by deleting all Windows backups, and allocating just 1% of the drive to that (the smallest setting). I'm contemplating disabling Windows backup entirely, because I never use it.

I used to have 20GB free. I haven't installed any new programs since then, yet I'm down to my last 8GB diskspace. The only thing I've done is install every update as it rolls out. I'm confident that they are responsible for my lack of space, and there doesn't seem to be anything I can do about it. Perhaps I'll need to reformat the drive and install a version of Windows with all updates slipstreamed so that I don't have doubles of them populating my Windows directory. It really is ridiculous of the system to go, "Hey, just in case you ever want to uninstall Windows Update KB259595 from 2010, I'll just go ahead and leave the other version here... times several hundred". If I want to make a backup I'll make one, but the operating system shouldn't be forcing me to do that on its own.

 

[Layback Bear]

I have found that Windows 7 will not do many things when a drive is that full.
To put it simple, Windows 7 need a little wiggle room to work properly.
Remove other things like programs until you get the free space back or get a bigger drive.

From post #8

I still have a 93% full disk, just like before, after reboot.

 

[Te3k]

Fine, I cleared it down to 82% full by reducing some things. I'm still not happy about not being able to remove old Windows Updates, which I think are hogging the drive.

Tell me, if you do the scan, will it even show up as an option for you if there are none to be removed? Will it say "Windows Update Cleanup: 0 Bytes" in the cleanmgr window after scan is complete? Or, will you just not see the checkbox? Because I'm concerned that I'm not seeing the checkbox at all (see OP), and I'd like to know if that's normal behaviour.

 

[UsernameIssues]

Fine, I cleared it down to 82% full by reducing some things. I'm still not happy about not being able to remove old Windows Updates, which I think are hogging the drive.

Tell me, if you do the scan, will it even show up as an option for you if there are none to be removed? Will it say "Windows Update Cleanup: 0 Bytes" in the cleanmgr window after scan is complete? Or, will you just not see the checkbox? Because I'm concerned that I'm not seeing the checkbox at all (see OP), and I'd like to know if that's normal behaviour.

Not for me. It always has 2 or 3 MB after a restart and rescan.

Did you ever get the Windows Update Cleanup option to show in the disk cleanup utility?

Edit: Scratch that. After several restarts, rescans and cleanups, the disk cleanup utility no longer offers an entry for Windows Update Cleanup. I can see it scan for WU files, but I guess if there are none to be cleaned, one sees what the OP sees.

 

[carwiz]

If I'm not mistaken, that's not all that's in Winsxs. It's what's call your side-by-side catalog. If you ever have a write corruption (disk or memory) Windows uses it to recover drivers. I have tons of programs and development packages on my system and you can see (above) I'm at less than 50% usage on a 120GB SSD. One space hog is your browser. Move the User Temp file that it uses off the SSD. It can frequently exceed 100-200MB per day. It adds up fast if you don't keep it clean. Also, frequent cleaning is hard on your SSD anyway.

You should manage your space or get a larger drive. But for sure, I wouldn't tamper with Winsxs. As all ready mentioned, you can't rely on the size displayed by Windows.

 

[Te3k]

Not for me. It always has 2 or 3 MB after a restart and rescan.

Did you ever get the Windows Update Cleanup option to show in the disk cleanup utility?

Edit: Scratch that. After several restarts, rescans and cleanups, the disk cleanup utility no longer offers an entry for Windows Update Cleanup. I can see it scan for WU files, but I guess if there are none to be cleaned, one sees what the OP sees.

View attachment 308663

View attachment 308664

Ah, okay. Thanks. Yes, I see it scan for Windows Updates, but then it displays no checkbox. I suppose this is typical (if not misleading) behaviour, then.

Carwiz, I run CCleaner regularly to remove temp files. I do maintain my system well. It's just that I have a 120GB SSD (110GB usable) with many things loaded on it, as this is a media-projects and school laptop. I have a couple of ongoing projects on the drive that are 10GB each, as well as large suites like Photoshop/Flash/Audition/Fruityloops. That's why space is of such concern. I offload my media libraries and so forth to my 5TB external dock, but I need to keep some things locally so that I can work on them on-the-go. I'm not looking to expand my SSD to be quite honest, even though 256GB drives are at a great pricepoint currently. My next upgrade will be to a reasonably-priced and fast 512GB drive, whose price will drop when consumer 1TB SSDs start rolling out.

What I was looking for specifically was a way to remove needless backups. E.g., if I download a 1GB update for Office, then I'd like it to replace what's installed—not duplicate it. I.e., if Office takes up 1.5GB and then is amended with a 1.0GB update, the install should still remain at about ~1.5GB... not 2.5GB, because the old components were mirrored into another section of the harddrive in case I decide to uninstall the latest update. This is silly behaviour. Does it really do that? Am I wrong? That's what my research turned up, and what seemed to happen after I installed big updates. I was looking for a way to battle that forced redundancy "feature" of Windows.

 

[NoelDP]

Office doesn't have updates anywhere near 1GB in size - even the Service Packs are at most about 400MB, and almost all of those updates would have been installed already, unless the Office install was new.
Most Office updates are well under 25MB in size, and often where a number of updates are related, the total update size change is significantly less than the quoted sum of the updates, since packages are re-used, or hardlinks created instead of generating new copies.

Even Office Pro 2013 x64 full install is under 1GB - so I don't know where you're getting you numbers from.

 

[Dan973]

Ok, The folder winsxs is totaly pissing me off and I am close to clueless about OS and how they work but am a logical person and know that something is wrong here. I need a tech savy person to tell me how to fix this. I have the same issue with my winsxs folder as mentioned in this thread. I wanted to DL a program and it told me that there is not enough room on my system. I have a mini laptop which doesnt have alot of room in the first place so i set out to find out whats the issue since i only have a few programs on my computer. Guess what. Winsxs is filled to the brim. Now I see that some answers are saying that there its not really using the space. Ok fine its not. Can someone tell my system that. When i look at the properties it shows that 80 percent of all my space is coming from this folder. I have update folders in there from a few years ago. Now again not being a Microsoft programer I believe that updates that were installed years ago are not needed. You would think someone at MS whould have said hey bill what do you think about deleting update folders from years ago so a persons system is not overloaded. I scroll down in the winsxs and can sit there for 20 mins as it scrolls through the updates, Are these folders really needed. I would think they arent since windows seemed to work before i updated these things. You cant delete, Move, Change the name and delete. SO is it designed that it will consume your resouses so you get mad and buy a new computer? I feel its a scam like the spyware downloaded on your system that gives you a pop up with a number to call in order to get your system cleaned for two hundred dollars. There has to be a way. Please dont tell me its not effecting my system really because it really is ...Thanks.

 

[NoelDP]

Do you have SP1 installed? Is it updated fully?
If so, then use the DiskClean utility and do a full cleanup of system files.

 

[mountthedragon]

To answer the question of what will happen if you force remove the WinSXS folder:

Using a VMWare, Windows 8.1, and Kali linux

I created a Windows 8.1 Virtual Machine and booted into Kali Linux.

Then I brought up the filesystem and removed the WinSXS folder from Windows 8.1.

See Attached for result.

Seeing that it is a virtual machine just revert to a snapshot

If anyone is still interested I will be trying to rebuild the WinSxS folder with just the bare necessities and see what happens. IF you are interested let me know and I will let you know. If enough respond I will post.

(This is my first post so if there any suggestions on how to improve my posting skills please let me know)

 

[mountthedragon]

Sorry guys i had the wrong attachment