De fleste af jer har måske bemærket WinSxS-mappen^{(WinSxS folder)} i Windows 11/10/8/7 og er blevet overrasket over dens størrelse. For dem, der ikke har, er mappen placeret på C:\Windows\Winsxs og har en kæmpe størrelse! Min er næsten 5 GB og har omkring 6000 mapper & 25000 filer og optager næsten 40% af Windows -mappen! Mens størrelsen af ​​denne Winsxs- mappe, i XP, er omkring 25-50 MB; dens store størrelse i Windows 11 . Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7 og Windows Vista er spændende for mange! Tjek billedet nedenfor.

So what is the mystery of this Winsxs folder in Windows 11/10? Let us find so, in this post.

 

Hvad er WinSxS-mappen i Windows 11/10

WinSxS -mappen^{(WinSxS folder)} gemmer flere kopier af dll-, exe- og andre systemfiler for at lade flere programmer køre i Windows uden kompatibilitetsproblemer. Hvis du søger inde, vil du se, hvad der ligner en masse duplikerede filer, som hver har samme navn. Disse er faktisk forskellige versioner af de samme filer, som bliver gemt; da forskellige programmer kan kræve forskellige versioner.

Winsxs, som står for 'Windows Side By Side' , er Windows native assembly cache. Biblioteker, der bruges af flere applikationer, er gemt der. Denne funktion blev først introduceret i Windows ME og blev betragtet som Microsofts løsning på de såkaldte 'dll-helvede'-problemer, der plagede Windows 9x .

I Winsxs er 'backup'-mappen den største, som det kan ses på billedet nedenfor.

Igen, som det kan ses på billedet nedenfor, i Winsxs-  mappen, tager 'Andre '^{(’ File)} filtyper størstedelen af ​​pladsen. Disse består primært af .imd , .ngr , .csd , .dll , .dll.mui , .exe og sådanne andre filtyper.

I Windows 7 og nyere er der ikke en 'dllcache'-mappe, og du kan heller ikke finde mappen 'i386', hvor systemet cacher (som i XP) alle dets kildemoduler. Det er denne WinSxS- mappe, der gemmer de delte komponenter af side-by-side applikationer. Disse filer kan være flere versioner af den samme samling eller applikation. Hver side-by-side samling har en unik identitet. En af egenskaberne ved samlingsidentiteten er dens version.

“Side-by-side assemblies are used by the operating system as fundamental units of naming, binding, versioning, deployment, and configuration. The Winsxs folder includes all manifests, optional components, and 3rd party Win32 files”, says Microsoft.

Men hvorfor så mange undermapper og hvorfor beholde så mange^{(so many)}  forskellige versioner af den samme dll, exe eller andre filer?

Som nævnt gemmer Windows de gamle dll'er og bibliotekskomponenter i WinSxS-  mappen. Hvis nu en nyere version af denne fil er en del af operativsystemet, men en bestemt applikation kræver en bestemt ældre version for at køre, så vil den ældre version fra  WinSxS- mappen blive brugt, mens den nyere version efterlades på sin nuværende plads, til andre applikationer, der kan kræve det.

Er det sikkert at slette WinSxS-mappen?

Du kan naturligvis ikke slette denne mappe eller flytte den et andet sted hen. Det er heller ikke tilrådeligt at slette noget her, da et sådant trin sandsynligvis kan gøre dine applikationer ubrugelige eller endda ødelægge dit system! Hvis du har mange programmer installeret, kan du forvente at have en WinSxS - mappe i jumbostørrelse. Denne WinSxs-mappe kan ikke ligge på nogen anden diskenhed end systemdiskenheden. Dette er på grund af NTFS -harde links. Hvis du forsøger at flytte mappen, kan det resultere i, at Windows -opdateringer, servicepakker, funktioner osv. ikke installeres korrekt.

Hvis du sletter komponenter fra WinSxS-  mappen som manifester eller samlinger osv., kan du være i problemer. Each system would react differently. What may work for one could break another!For eksempel, hvis du installerer et program, der kræver den pågældende assembly, som du måske har slettet, så kører det program bare ikke! Komprimering af mappen er også et nej-nej, da det kan forårsage problemer under WindowsUpdates eller under installation af et hotfix.^{(Compressing the folder is also a no-no, as it could cause problems during WindowsUpdates or while installing a Hotfix.)}

Den sikreste måde at rense den på er ved blot at afinstallere programmer, som du ikke har brug for. Dette er dog heller ikke idiotsikkert, da mange applikationer stadig efterlader deres filer her, da de kan deles mellem andre applikationer. Så sandsynligheden for, at dud ubrugte dll'er bliver efterladt er ret høj.

Vi vil ikke anbefale brugen af ​​WinSxS-oprydningsværktøjer som WinsxsLite, da du kan ende med at ødelægge din Windows.^{(We would not advise the use of WinSxS cleanup tools like WinsxsLite as you could end up breaking your Windows.)}

Og hvis du er til at prøve ny software eller ofte installerer og afinstallerer, kan du måske bemærke, at din Winsxs-  størrelse faktisk er stor, da Windows gemmer flere kopier af disse dll-filer for at tillade flere programmer uden kompatibilitetsproblemer.

WinSxS-mappeoprydning^{(WinSxS Folder Cleanup)} i Windows 11/10

Windows 8.1 introducerede en ny kommandolinjemulighed for DISM.exe , /AnalyzeComponentStore . Hvis du kører denne kommando, analyseres WinSxS- mappen og fortæller dig, om en Component Store-oprydning^{(Component Store Cleanup)} anbefales eller ej. Det er også til stede i Windows 11/10 .

• I Windows 11/10/8.1/8 skal du åbne Diskoprydningsværktøj^{(Disk Cleanup Tool)} og bruge indstillingen Windows Update Cleanup til at rense WinSxS .
• Til Windows 7 udgav Microsoft en opdatering, der tilføjede muligheden Windows Update Cleanup til Diskoprydningsværktøjet .
• Windows Server - brugere kan nu også rydde op i WinSxS i Windows Server med den nye opdatering.

Her er nogle andre muligheder, du kan overveje for at frigøre diskplads^{(free up disk space)} - nogle rutinemæssige og nogle ekstreme:

1. Kør Diskoprydningsværktøj^{(Disk Cleanup tool)}
2. Afinstaller ubrugte applikationer
3. Flyt sidefil til et andet drev
4. Deaktiver dvaletilstand
5. Brug den dedikerede dumpfil-indstilling til at fange hukommelsesdumpfiler på en anden diskenhed på systemet.
6. Deaktiver systemgendannelsespunkter
7. Overfør^(Offload) brugerprofil- og programfilmapper til en anden enhed på systemet.

Opdatering 1 fra TechNet Blogs:^{(Update 1 From TechNet Blogs:)} En af de største ændringer mellem tidligere versioner af Windows var et skift fra et INF beskrevet OS til komponentisering. Alle komponenterne i operativsystemet findes i WinSxS- mappen - faktisk kalder vi denne placering for komponentlageret. Hver komponent har et unikt navn, der inkluderer den version, sprog og processorarkitektur, som den er bygget til. WinSxS -^(WinSxS) mappen er den eneste placering, hvor komponenten findes på systemet, alle andre forekomster af filerne, som du ser på systemet, "projiceres" af hårde links fra komponentlageret.

Nu hvor du ved, hvorfor butikken kan vokse til at blive så stor, er dit næste spørgsmål sandsynligvis at spørge, hvorfor vi ikke fjerner de ældre versioner af komponenterne. Det korte svar på det er pålidelighed. Komponentlageret, sammen med anden information om systemet, giver os mulighed for til enhver tid at bestemme, hvad den bedste version af en komponent til projektet er. Det betyder, at hvis du afinstallerer en sikkerhedsopdatering, kan vi installere den næsthøjeste version på systemet - vi har ikke længere et "ude af drift afinstallationsproblem". Det betyder også, at hvis du beslutter dig for at installere en valgfri funktion, vælger vi ikke bare RTM - versionen af ​​komponenten, vi vil se på, hvad den højest tilgængelige version på systemet er.

Den eneste måde at reducere størrelsen på WinSxS- mappen på er at reducere antallet af mulige handlinger, som systemet kan udføre - den nemmeste måde at gøre det på er at fjerne de pakker, der installerede komponenterne i første omgang. Dette kan gøres ved at afinstallere erstattede versioner af pakker, der er på dit system. Service Pack 1 indeholder en binær kaldet VSP1CLN.EXE , et værktøj, der vil gøre Service Pack -pakken permanent (kan ikke fjernes) på dit system og fjerne RTM - versionerne af alle erstattede komponenter. Dette kan kun gøres, fordi ved at gøre Service Pack permanent; vi kan garantere, at vi aldrig får brug for RTM- versionerne.

Opdatering 2 fra E7 Blogs^{(From E7 Blogs)} : " Modularisering^{(Modularizing)} " af operativsystemet var et teknisk mål i Windows Vista . Dette skulle løse en række problemer i ældre Windows relateret til installation, servicering og pålidelighed. Windows SxS- biblioteket  repræsenterer "installations- og servicetilstanden" for alle systemkomponenter. Men i virkeligheden bruger den faktisk ikke så meget diskplads, som den ser ud, når man bruger de indbyggede værktøjer ( DIR og Explorer ) til at måle brugt diskplads. Det faktum, at vi gør det vanskeligt for dig at vide, hvor meget plads der forbruges i en mappe, er en rimelig pointe! WinSxS biblioteket muliggør^(WinSxS) også offline service og gørWindows Vista og senere "sikker til billedbehandling".

Der har været adskillige blogs og endda nogle "underjordiske" værktøjer, der fortæller dig, at det er ok at slette WinSxS-  biblioteket, og det er helt sikkert rigtigt, at du efter installationen kan fjerne det fra systemet, og det vil se ud til, at systemet starter og kører fint . Men som beskrevet ovenfor er dette en meget dårlig praksis, da du fjerner muligheden for pålidelig service, alle operativsystemkomponenter og muligheden for at opdatere eller konfigurere valgfrie komponenter på dit system. Windows understøtter kun WinSxS- biblioteket på det fysiske drev på dets oprindeligt installerede placering.

Konklusion^(Conclusion)

Lad WinSxS-mappen være som den er!

Lær om mapperne Sysnative, Panther-mappen^{(Panther folder)} og mapperne Catroot & Catroot2^{(Catroot & Catroot2 folders)} her.^{(Learn about the Sysnative folder, Panther folder and Catroot & Catroot2 folders here.)}

Yderligere læsninger:^{(Additional reads:)}

Analyze Windows Component Store or WinSxS in Windows WinSxS folder cleanup in Windows Add Windows Update Cleanup option to Disk Cleanup tool in Windows Clean up WinSxS Directory on Windows Server

WinSxS Folder in Windows 11/10 explained

Most of you may have notіced thе WinSxS folder in Windows 11/10/8/7 and been surprised at its size. For those who have not, the folder is situated at C:\Windows\Winsxs and has a whopping size! Mine is almost 5 GB and has around 6000 folders & 25000 files and occupies almost 40% of the Windows folder! While the size of this Winsxs folder, in XP, is around 25-50 MB; its large size in Windows 11. Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, and Windows Vista, is intriguing to many! Check the image below.

So what is the mystery of this Winsxs folder in Windows 11/10? Let us find so, in this post.

 

What is WinSxS folder in Windows 11/10

The WinSxS folder, stores multiple copies of dll, exe, and other system files to let multiple applications run in Windows without any compatibility problem. If you browse inside, you will see what looks like a lot of duplicate files, each having the same name. These are actually, different versions of the same files which are being stored; as different programs may require different versions.

Winsxs, which stands for ‘Windows Side By Side’, is Windows native assembly cache. Libraries that are being by multiple applications are stored there. This feature was first introduced, in Windows ME and was considered as Microsoft’s solution to the so-called ‘dll hell’ issues that plagued Windows 9x.

In Winsxs, the ‘backup’ folder is the largest, as can be noticed in the image below.

Again, as can be seen in the image below, in the Winsxs folder, the ‘Other’ File types take the bulk of the space. These primarily consist of .imd, .ngr, .csd, .dll, .dll.mui, .exe and such other file types.

In Windows 7 and later, there isn’t a ‘dllcache’ folder and nor can you find the ‘i386’ folder, where the system caches (like in XP) all it’s source modules. It is this WinSxS folder that stores the shared components of side-by-side applications. These files can be multiple versions of the same assembly or application. Every side-by-side assembly has a unique identity. One of the attributes of the assembly identity is its version.

“Side-by-side assemblies are used by the operating system as fundamental units of naming, binding, versioning, deployment, and configuration. The Winsxs folder includes all manifests, optional components, and 3rd party Win32 files”, says Microsoft.

But, why so many subfolders and why keep so many different versions of the same dll, exe, or other files?

As mentioned, Windows stores the old dlls and library components in the WinSxS folder. Now if a newer version of this file is a part of the OS, but a particular application requires a particular older version for running, then the older version from the WinSxS folder will be used, leaving the newer version in its present place, for other applications which may require it.

Is it safe to delete WinSxS folder?

Obviously, you cannot delete this directory or move it elsewhere. Nor is it advisable to delete anything here, as such a step could probably make your applications un-workable or even break your system! If you have many applications installed, you can expect to have a jumbo-sized WinSxS folder. This WinSxs folder cannot reside on any other volume than the system volume. This is because of the NTFS hard links. If you try to move the folder, it may result in Windows updates, service packs, features, etc., not installing correctly.

If you delete components from the WinSxS folder like the manifests or the assemblies, etc., you could be in trouble. Each system would react differently. What may work for one could break another! For instance, if you install a program that requires that particular assembly, which you may have deleted, then that program will just not run! Compressing the folder is also a no-no, as it could cause problems during WindowsUpdates or while installing a Hotfix.

The safest way to clean it is by simply uninstalling applications that you don’t require. However, this, too, is not fool-proof, as many applications still leave behind their files here, since they may be shared between other applications. So the probability of dud unused dll‘s being left behind is quite high.

We would not advise the use of WinSxS cleanup tools like WinsxsLite as you could end up breaking your Windows.

And if you are into trying out new software or installing and uninstalling frequently, you may notice that your Winsxs size is indeed large, as Windows will store multiple copies of these dll files, in order to let multiple applications without compatibility problems.

WinSxS Folder Cleanup in Windows 11/10

Windows 8.1 introduced a new command-line option for DISM.exe, /AnalyzeComponentStore. Running this command, will analyze the WinSxS folder and tell you whether a Component Store Cleanup is recommended or not. It is present in Windows 11/10, as well.

• In Windows 11/10/8.1/8, open Disk Cleanup Tool and use the Windows Update Cleanup option to clean the WinSxS.
• For Windows 7, Microsoft released an update that added the Windows Update Cleanup option to the Disk Cleanup tool.
• Windows Server users can now also clean up WinSxS in Windows Server with new the new Update.

Here are some other options you may consider to free up disk space – some routine and some extreme:

1. Run Disk Cleanup tool
2. Uninstall unused applications
3. Move Page file to another drive
4. Disable hibernation
5. Use the dedicated dump file option to capture memory dump files on another volume on the system.
6. Disable system restore points
7. Offload user profile and program file directories to another volume on the system.

Update 1 From TechNet Blogs: One of the largest changes between previous versions of Windows was a move from an INF described OS to componentization. All of the components in the operating system are found in the WinSxS folder – in fact, we call this location the component store. Each component has a unique name that includes the version, language, and processor architecture that it was built for. The WinSxS folder is the only location that the component is found on the system, all other instances of the files that you see on the system are “projected” by hard linking from the component store.

Now that you know why the store can grow to be so large, your next question is probably to ask why we don’t remove the older versions of the components. The short answer to that is reliability. The component store, along with other information on the system, allows us to determine at any given time what the best version of a component to the project is. That means that if you uninstall a security update, we can install the next highest version on the system – we no longer have an “out of order uninstall” problem. It also means that if you decide to install an optional feature, we don’t just choose the RTM version of the component, we’ll look to see what the highest available version on the system is.

The only way to safely reduce the size of the WinSxS folder is to reduce the set of possible actions that the system can take – the easiest way to do that is to remove the packages that installed the components in the first place. This can be done by uninstalling superseded versions of packages that are on your system. Service Pack 1 contains a binary called VSP1CLN.EXE, a tool that will make the Service Pack package permanent (not removable) on your system, and remove the RTM versions of all superseded components. This can only be done because by making the Service Pack permanent; we can guarantee that we won’t ever need the RTM versions.

Update 2 From E7 Blogs: “Modularizing” the operating system was an engineering goal in Windows Vista. This was to solve a number of issues in legacy Windows related to installation, servicing, and reliability. The Windows SxS directory represents the “installation and servicing state” of all system components. But in reality, it doesn’t actually consume as much disk space as it appears when using the built-in tools (DIR and Explorer) to measure disk space used. The fact that we make it tricky for you to know how much space is consumed in a directory is a fair point! The WinSxS directory also enables offline servicing, and makes Windows Vista and later “safe for imaging”.

There have been several blogs and even some “underground” tools that tell you it’s ok to delete the WinSxS directory, and it’s certainly true that after installation, you can remove it from the system, and it will appear that the system boots and runs fine. But as described above, this is a very bad practice, as you’re removing the ability to reliably service, all operating system components and the ability to update or configure optional components on your system. Windows only supports the WinSxS directory on the physical drive in its originally installed location.

Conclusion

Let the WinSxS folder be as it is!

Learn about the Sysnative folder, Panther folder and Catroot & Catroot2 folders here.

Additional reads:

Analyze Windows Component Store or WinSxS in Windows WinSxS folder cleanup in Windows Add Windows Update Cleanup option to Disk Cleanup tool in Windows Clean up WinSxS Directory on Windows Server

Related posts

• Sådan bruger du Charmap og Eudcedit indbyggede værktøjer i Windows 11/10

• Sådan aktiveres eller deaktiveres Arkiv Apps-funktionen i Windows 11/10

• Sådan kortlægger du et netværksdrev eller tilføjer et FTP-drev i Windows 11/10

• Sådan ændres nyheds- og interessefeedsprog i Windows 11/10

• Hvad er hurtig start, og hvordan man aktiverer eller deaktiverer det i Windows 11/10

• Sådan deaktiveres Windows-præsentationsindstillinger på Windows 11/10

• Sådan aktiverer og bruger du fjernskrivebordsforbindelse i Windows 11/10

• Miracast virker ikke på Windows 11/10 efter opdatering

• Microsoft Windows Error Reporting Service i Windows 11/10

• Sådan aktiveres Wake-on-LAN i Windows 11/10

• Slå Delte oplevelser til eller fra i Windows 11/10

• Sådan administreres Trusted Root-certifikater i Windows 11/10

• Sådan opretter du et systemgendannelsesdrev i Windows 11/10

• Sådan kører du DISM i Windows 11/10 for at reparere Windows System Image

• Sådan åbner du Diskhåndtering i Windows 11/10

• Sådan genereres en SSH-nøgle i Windows 11/10

• Vis eller skjul informationskort i widgets i Windows 11/10

• Sådan tilføjer eller fjerner du emner om nyheder og interesser i Windows 11/10

• Sådan opretter du spejlet volumen i Windows 11/10

• Hvad er funktionen til sabotagebeskyttelse i Windows 11/10