Is it safe to cleanup WINSXS folder before inplace upgrade from Windows server 2008 R2 STD to 2012 R2?

Question

I am having a Windows server 2008 R2 STD server where I don't have enough free space for in-place upgrade to 2012 R2, Thought of cleaning up WINSXS folder as it occupies most of the space but fearing the upgrade may fail. Appreciate your advise on this.

Answer 1

@Suresh Ramasamy
Hi,
No, You can't just delete everything in the WinSxS folder.

Deleting files from the WinSxS folder or deleting the entire WinSxS folder may severely damage your system so that your PC might not boot and make it impossible to update.

You can, however, reduce the size of the WinSxS folder using tools built into Windows.

You could refer to the following official article as your reference:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/manufacture/desktop/clean-up-the-winsxs-folder

You can use Disk Cleanup to reduce the number of unnecessary files on your drives, which can help your PC run faster. It can delete temporary files and system files, empty the Recycle Bin, and remove a variety of other items that you might no longer need.

Hope above information can help you.

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Answer 2

Something here may help.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/storage/file-server/disk-cleanup#manually-add-disk-cleanup-to-an-earlier-version-of-windows-server

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