Tashreef Shareef says DISM command can shrink the WinSxS folder
Reclaiming ten gigabytes of disk space on a tight solid-state drive is entirely possible by targeting a massive operating system component store, as technology writer Tashreef Shareef reported in a column for MakeUseOf. Operating smaller storage hardware often forces users to hunt for hidden space consumers, and one system directory frequently dwarfs standard application installs through cumulative maintenance files.
The Tech TL;DR:
- The Windows WinSxS component store grows with every installed update and driver, frequently hoarding 15GB to 24GB of total capacity on modern consumer hardware.
- Running the built-in deployment image servicing and management utility via PowerShell removes older update caches while retaining a safe rollback baseline.
- Targeted cleanup commands provide an immediate alternative to waiting out the native 30-day automated system task schedule.
Uncovering the WinSxS Storage Footprint
System storage analysis often reveals that the Windows side-by-side component directory, located within the core operating system path, consumes massive amounts of capacity. Shareef reported finding the directory taking up nearly 24GB during a routine drive capacity audit. Because individual files inside the store utilize hard links connecting to other system locations, standard folder properties frequently misrepresent the actual physical footprint. To obtain an accurate assessment, administrators must open PowerShell with elevated permissions and execute the DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /AnalyzeComponentStore command.
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /AnalyzeComponentStoreExecuting the Targeted PowerShell Cleanup Command
Shrinking the directory requires running a specific deployment maintenance routine rather than performing manual file deletions that would break operating system stability. Shareef noted that attempting to wipe the directory manually destroys the system’s ability to roll back problematic builds. Instead, running the command DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup strips out older backup components while retaining the most recent update package as a safety net. Executing this specific command successfully recovered 10GB of storage space during testing, providing an immediate fix for hardware constrained by limited drive capacity.
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanupBypassing the Default Thirty-Day Scheduled Task Delay
Windows does include a native mechanism designed to handle component store maintenance automatically through the system Task Scheduler library under the servicing path. However, that automated routine enforces a mandatory 30-day waiting period following any update installation before purging outdated files. Manually invoking the deployment maintenance utility through the command line bypasses this artificial delay entirely. Users managing heavily constrained environments can also append the /ResetBase switch to remove all historical update baselines entirely, though this eliminates the option to roll back subsequent patches if system instability occurs.