How to clean the WinSxS folder in Windows 7 and 8
WinSxS folder resides in Windows 7 and Windows 8 operiating system ,WinSxS folder is in C:\Windows or your windows7 and windows8 operating system’s Windows folder. WinSxS folder stores dll and component files.WinSxS also stores older versions of all dll and component files and as a result grows and became large. In addition to that, a lot of space is taken up by the backup folder of WinSxS, and gradually increases the size of the WinSxS folder after you install a Service Pack for Windows 7 as a result degrading the performance of your PC .
When you installs Windows7 or Windows8 operating system in your PC WinSxs keeps the core system files in it. Once you install Windows7 or Windows8 updates or any Windows7 or Windows8 service pack,WinSxs increses in size as new core file sotores in it along with old files.As these are core set of system files for Windows, so do not try to delete anything yourself contained in the WinSxs folder. But you can save some space.
To do that follow the following steps :
Reduce the size of the backup folder
Go to run >>type cmd>>then type dism /online /cleanup-image /spsuperseded /hidesp
There is another way to permanently remove the backup files :
Go to accessrios>>System Tools>>Disk Cleanup>>Check the Service Pack Backup Files
In Windows 8, using the DISM command you can remove packages that you no need or want.
The command is DISM.exe /Online /Disable-Feature /Featurename:
Now the question what features you can disable?
Running The following command you will see all the available features:
DISM.exe /Online /English /Get-Features /Format:Table
Now seeing the list of feature you can disable a feature u not need :
DISM.exe /Online /Disable-Feature /Featurename:SimpleTCP /Remove