Myth: you can delete files from the huge WinSxS folder to free space

Myth: you can delete files from the huge WinSxS folder to free space — via Microsoft Learn

MythNeeds adminWindows 11Windows 10

WinSxS (the component store) looks huge, and tweak guides suggest deleting from it. Microsoft warns that deleting files from it, or the whole folder, can stop the PC booting and make it impossible to update. Windows already trims it automatically, and there are safe built-in ways to shrink it further.

What to do instead

Easy way: run Disk Cleanup (cleanmgr) → Clean up system files → tick Windows Update Cleanup → OK.
Command way (elevated): Dism.exe /online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup removes superseded component versions straight away.
Only if you're sure you'll never need to uninstall the updates you have now: Dism.exe /online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup /ResetBase. After this, the updates installed now can't be uninstalled (future updates still can be).

Windows already runs the StartComponentCleanup scheduled task on its own, waiting at least 30 days after an update before removing the old versions. Microsoft strongly recommends not disabling component cleanup.

Sources

Clean up the WinSxS folder — by Microsoft Learn

Source reviewed: 2026-11-02
Link checked: 2026-11-02
Tested hands-on: Not by Oddbyte.Me

Oddbyte.Me hasn't tried this on every Windows build, so keep the undo handy.

winsxsdisk spacedismcomponent storecleanupmyth

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MythAdmin

For years, Mac 'maintenance' advice was to run sudo periodic daily weekly monthly, or let a utility app do it. Apple stopped relying on these scripts and removed the periodic command entirely in macOS Sequoia. Housekeeping like log cleanup is handled automatically by other parts of macOS.

Myth: you can delete files from the huge WinSxS folder to free space — via Microsoft Learn

What to do instead

Sources

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