Clean up WinSxS in Windows 11 now: free up GB without deleting ⚡

Clean up WinSxS on Windows 11: +5 GB in minutes ✅

Want to free up hard drive space in Windows without deleting your personal files? An effective solution is to clean up the WinSxS folder, which often takes up a lot of space over time.

What is the WinSxS folder in Windows?

The WinSxS (Windows Side by Side) folder is located on the drive where your operating system is installed. This folder stores essential files for Windows recovery, updates, and previous versions of system components.

It's essential for Windows to be able to roll back changes or recover the system in the event of a crash. However, as files accumulate over time, they can consume a lot of disk space, causing storage issues.

Normally, you will find it on the route C:\Windows\WinSxS if your Windows is installed on drive C:.

Although the files appear to be duplicated, Windows uses hard links to avoid taking up extra space, keeping only one true copy per file.

Is it safe to delete the WinSxS folder?

It's not recommended to delete the WinSxS folder, as it's vital to Windows' operation. Deleting files from this folder can damage your system or prevent your PC from booting properly.

The safe way to free up space is to reduce the size of this folder using built-in tools, without deleting it completely. Below, we show you effective and safe methods for doing so.

1. Reduce WinSxS size with Task Scheduler

Task Scheduler allows you to run automatic cleanups to reduce this folder. Follow these steps to use it in Windows 11:

1. Seeks Task Scheduler in the start menu and open it.
2. Navigate to the route:
   Task Scheduler Library\Microsoft\Windows\Servicing\StartComponentCleanup
3. Select StartComponentCleanup and click the button Execute in the selected items section.

This will start the process of cleaning unnecessary files from WinSxS and freeing up valuable space.

2. Clean WinSxS with the Disk Cleanup tool

Disk Cleanup is a simple tool that removes temporary and system files to free up space. This is how it is used to reduce WinSxS:

1. Open File Explorer, right-click on your system drive (usually C:) and select PropertiesYou can also search for "Disk Cleanup" and open the utility.
2. In the properties, click the button Free up space or select the drive to clean and press accept.
3. Click on Cleaning system files to include critical Windows files.
4. Check all options except Recycle Bin and Downloads, then press Accept and confirm to delete the files.

This process cleans up obsolete files on the system, optimizing space in the WinSxS folder.

3. Clean the WinSxS folder with Storage Sense

Storage Sense is an automatic feature that frees up space by deleting temporary and unused files. To use it:

1. Click the Start button and open Configuration.
2. Select the option Storage in the side menu.
3. Click on Temporary files within storage usage.
4. Uncheck Recycle Bin and Downloads, leaving the other options selected.
5. Press Remove files to start cleaning.

Storage Sense helps keep your system clean and optimizes the size of WinSxS periodically.

4. Clean WinSxS using Command Prompt (CMD)

With CMD, you can run advanced commands to clean up WinSxS. Here's how:

1. Seeks Command Prompt, right click and choose Run as administrator.
2. Enter the command:
   DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup and press Enter.
3. To remove old components and free up even more space, use:
   DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup /ResetBase

These commands clean up obsolete component files and update the database to prevent future buildup.

Final tips for managing the WinSxS folder

Do not attempt to manually delete this folder or its files, as they are vital to Windows stability. Always use the official tools and methods described to keep your system optimized.

If you'd like to dig deeper or have questions about WinSxS management in Windows 11, comment below and we'll help you out! 💬