Optimizing WinSXS folder

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SCSIraidGURU

New Member
I noticed the Windows Side By Side folder is growing. How can I optimize it or move it to its own partition?
 

My Computer

System One

  • CPU
    pair of Intel E5430 quad core 2.66 GHz Xeons
    Motherboard
    Supermicro X7DWA-N server board
    Memory
    16GB DDR667
    Graphics card(s)
    eVGA 8800 GTS 640 MB video card
    Hard Drives
    SAS RAID
That sucks.
 

My Computer

System One

  • CPU
    pair of Intel E5430 quad core 2.66 GHz Xeons
    Motherboard
    Supermicro X7DWA-N server board
    Memory
    16GB DDR667
    Graphics card(s)
    eVGA 8800 GTS 640 MB video card
    Hard Drives
    SAS RAID
It is mainly used to repare software installations (Micro$oft and Others)
If you delete it or part of it, WIndows will still run, but if you go into problems, you have to run the original cd/dvd of each software used, etc...
Also, you cannot run SFC /scannow anymore.

You can use Windows Installer CleanUp to clean it, but don't expect to save more than 200 MB, maybe more if you're lucky.

Description of the Windows Installer CleanUp Utility

Download:

http://download.microsoft.com/downl...sicuu2.exe

BTW, if you reinstall a prog in another location that the previous one, you have twice the dlls and other stuff in this folder :)
 

My Computer

System One

I don't remember the last time I used sfc/scannow on a workstation. I really just want apps installed were I want it not in a second folder.
 

My Computer

System One

  • CPU
    pair of Intel E5430 quad core 2.66 GHz Xeons
    Motherboard
    Supermicro X7DWA-N server board
    Memory
    16GB DDR667
    Graphics card(s)
    eVGA 8800 GTS 640 MB video card
    Hard Drives
    SAS RAID
Yep, but i am not really convinced that "all" the Micro$oft apps will work without it.

EDIT:
I've been a bit deeper with SXS and apparentely it is "called" by almost all Micro$oft progs, except maybe Internet Explorer.
So my advise would be not to touch this folder.

Maybe this proggy could optimize it better: http://www.vizioncore.com/vOptimizer.html
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

I don't need a way to repair apps. If they break, I uninstall and reinstall them. I will be loading over 130 A/V and CAD apps over the next few months. Duplicate files just waste space. They should give advanced users the option of not using this method.
 

My Computer

System One

  • CPU
    pair of Intel E5430 quad core 2.66 GHz Xeons
    Motherboard
    Supermicro X7DWA-N server board
    Memory
    16GB DDR667
    Graphics card(s)
    eVGA 8800 GTS 640 MB video card
    Hard Drives
    SAS RAID
SCSIraidGURU said:
I don't need a way to repair apps. If they break, I uninstall and reinstall them. I will be loading over 130 A/V and CAD apps over the next few months. Duplicate files just waste space. They should give advanced users the option of not using this method.
Click to expand...

Every single last Microsoft Windows based program uses the WinSxS folder, they created it because some programs do need multiple versions of one .dll file to run properly...

Microsoft knew if they updated something like XP with a new version like Vista that prevented every current program from using it there would be major backlash from the community, The answer was Windows Side-by-Side.

This works by redirecting system-calls to the older version of the file located in WinSxS so the program would always work regardless if they completely changed its API.
 

My Computer

System One

It just does not allow O&O defrag to keep C: clean. I do Complete/name defrag and its in three areas.
 

My Computer

System One

  • CPU
    pair of Intel E5430 quad core 2.66 GHz Xeons
    Motherboard
    Supermicro X7DWA-N server board
    Memory
    16GB DDR667
    Graphics card(s)
    eVGA 8800 GTS 640 MB video card
    Hard Drives
    SAS RAID
I did that. It still did not clean up the files.
 

My Computer

System One

  • CPU
    pair of Intel E5430 quad core 2.66 GHz Xeons
    Motherboard
    Supermicro X7DWA-N server board
    Memory
    16GB DDR667
    Graphics card(s)
    eVGA 8800 GTS 640 MB video card
    Hard Drives
    SAS RAID
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