Windows 10.1------ disk clean up/system

thorpe

Commendable
Oct 19, 2016
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Is telling me I can clear 4.2TB of Windows updates. Can this be right or are they the upgrade?
 
Solution
Seems you aren't alone. ITs a bug in disk cleanup

The folder is WinSxS and the apparently impossible size (unless you actually do have a >4TB HDD) is due to hard links.

A hard link is a file system object that lets two files refer to the same location on disk. Some tools, such as the File Explorer, determine the size of directories without taking into account that the contained files might be hard linked. This might lead you to think that the WinSxS folder takes up more disk space than it really does.
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-GB/.../dn251566.aspx

Apparently Disk Clean-up is another of those tools that doesn't check for hard links when calculating sizes. It is safe to continue and let Disk Clean-up delete these files...

Colif

Win 11 Master
Moderator
Seems you aren't alone. ITs a bug in disk cleanup

The folder is WinSxS and the apparently impossible size (unless you actually do have a >4TB HDD) is due to hard links.

A hard link is a file system object that lets two files refer to the same location on disk. Some tools, such as the File Explorer, determine the size of directories without taking into account that the contained files might be hard linked. This might lead you to think that the WinSxS folder takes up more disk space than it really does.
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-GB/.../dn251566.aspx

Apparently Disk Clean-up is another of those tools that doesn't check for hard links when calculating sizes. It is safe to continue and let Disk Clean-up delete these files because the actual physical copy of the file only gets deleted when the last of its hard links is deleted.

PS: don't forget to restart your PC. Disk Clean-up really means it when it says "(you might need to restart your computer.)" for the Windows Update Clean-up. It won't prompt you for a restart, but you will more than likely see the blue 'Windows is configuring uppdates' screens and followed by a lengthy 'Cleaning up...' screen when you shut down, Only then is the clean up complete.

http://www.tenforums.com/windows-updates-activation/66632-windows-update-clean-up-files-3-99tb.html
 
Solution

thorpe

Commendable
Oct 19, 2016
10
0
1,510


 

thorpe

Commendable
Oct 19, 2016
10
0
1,510


 

thorpe

Commendable
Oct 19, 2016
10
0
1,510


 

thorpe

Commendable
Oct 19, 2016
10
0
1,510
Hello Colif Tried for hours to delete the files but no luck. Have just run Windows update tool and results below.
Also ran scannow with no errors found. So thought I would pass info on. Have given up for now as do not fancy downloading all the updates again.


Windows Update
Issues found Potential Windows Update Database error detected Not fixed Repair Windows Update Database Corruption Not run Windows Update components must be repaired Fixed Repair Windows Update components Completed
Potential issues that were checked Default Windows Update data locations have changed Issue not present System date and time aren't correct Issue not present
Issues found
< Potential Windows Update Database error detected Not fixed Possible issues may prevent Windows Update from keeping your system up to date.
Repair Windows Update Database Corruption Not run One troubleshooting step to resolve WU issues is to delete and re-download updates to your computer. Would you like to try this step now? Depending on your network configuration, you may incur download costs.
< Windows Update components must be repaired Fixed One or more Windows Update components are configured incorrectly.
Repair Windows Update components Completed
 

Colif

Win 11 Master
Moderator
As its an error and we don't actually know how much it is trying to clean up, I would just ignore the 4.2tb figure as its clearly wrong, you can't have 10x more free space than you have on drive. Don't bother trying to clean it.

As for Windows Update:
Are you on anniversary edition of Win 10? If so, try this and see if it fixes it
Download a copy of the win 10 iso from Here - create ISO by telling it you want to make DVD - and then mount that ISO in file explorer (see Here) and then copy paste the below command into command prompt (admin)

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /source:WIM:X:\Sources\Install.wim:1 /LimitAccess
Where "X" is the drive letter where the ISO is located. Simply change the "X" to the correct drive letter
 

thorpe

Commendable
Oct 19, 2016
10
0
1,510


 

thorpe

Commendable
Oct 19, 2016
10
0
1,510
Hi Colif------ Have done the fix suggested re the updates and run disk clean up again which is working much faster so will
let it finish and see if it works. Fingers crossed and it is moving twice as fast this time.
If it does not work I will go for your option. Again many thanks and will let you know if disk clean up works this time.
I am on Win 10 anniversary edition.


 

Colif

Win 11 Master
Moderator
The Windows component store (C:\Windows\winsxs) directory is used during servicing operations within Windows installations. Servicing operations include, but are not limited to, Windows Update, service pack, and hotfix installations.

The component store contains all the files that are required for a Windows installation. And, any updates to those files are also held within the component store as the updates are installed. This causes the component store to grow over time as more updates, features, or roles are added to the installation. The component store uses NTFS hard links between itself and other Windows directories to increase the robustness of the Windows platform.

The component store will show a large directory size because of how the Windows Explorer shell accounts for hard links. The Windows shell will count each reference to a hard link as a single instance of the file for each directory in which the file resides. For example, if a file that is named advapi32.dll is 700 KB and is contained in the component store and in the \Windows\system32 directory, Windows Explorer would inaccurately report that the file consumes 1,400 KB of hard disk space.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/kb/2795190

last part is the key, cleanup sees the same file being in multiple locations when in fact it isn't. Disk cleanup will never get them all unless every usage of that file is no longer in place.
 

thorpe

Commendable
Oct 19, 2016
10
0
1,510