Windows Component Cleanup

Question

Our IT imaging team noticed that after multiple rounds of monthly Windows updates, the C:\Windows\WinSxS folder grows incredibly large, eating up precious solid-state drive space. What is the safe PowerShell or DISM command line to perform a component cleanup and permanently remove superseded update files?

Answer 1

Use DISM component cleanup against the running operating system. This removes superseded component versions from the WinSxS store while keeping the system in a supported state. Run the following command from an elevated Command Prompt or PowerShell session:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup

This performs a standard component store cleanup and removes older replaced component versions that are no longer needed after Windows updates.

If you want to permanently remove all superseded components and prevent uninstalling older updates or service packs, use:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup /ResetBase

The /ResetBase option significantly reduces WinSxS size because every currently installed update becomes permanent. After running it, previously installed updates can no longer be uninstalled, so it is best used only after validating system stability and patch compliance.

You can also automate the cleanup with PowerShell:

Start-Process dism.exe -ArgumentList '/Online','/Cleanup-Image','/StartComponentCleanup','/ResetBase' -Wait -Verb RunAs

Before cleanup, you can analyze the component store size with:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /AnalyzeComponentStore

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hth

Marcin