IntelliTechs · Oct 07, 2026
In about ten minutes you can win back a few gigabytes on your SSD without installing anything. Run the analysis first: if Windows says cleanup isn't recommended, leave it alone.
WinSxS (short for "Windows Side by Side") lives at C:\Windows\WinSxS and works as the component store.
The commands in this guide are the ones Microsoft documents, and used as described they're the safe route.
DISM is a Windows command-line tool for servicing the system image. These steps work on Windows 10 and 11.
Per Microsoft, /StartComponentCleanup gives results similar to the automatic Windows task, with two differences: previous versions of updated components are deleted right away, with no…
Storage settings and Storage Sense. Under Settings > System > Storage, Windows can remove things you don't need on its own, such as temporary files and Recycle Bin contents.
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