WinSxS folder minimizing with DISM online /SPSuperseded vs DISM online /StartComponentCleanup /ResetBase

Question

In order to minimize WinSxS folder you can use the following DISM commands:

1. dism /online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup /ResetBase

   Using the /ResetBase switch with the /StartComponentCleanup parameter of DISM.exe on a running version of Windows 10 removes all superseded versions of every component in the component store.

2. dism /online /Cleanup-Image /SPSuperseded

   To reduce the amount of space used by a Service Pack, use the /SPSuperseded parameter of Dism.exe on a running version of Windows 10 to remove any backup components needed for uninstallation of the service pack.

My questions:

1. What is the difference between removes all superseded versions and remove any backup components?
2. Which of them should I use in order to minimize the WinSxS folder?
3. In a case if I have to use both of them, in which order should I execute these programs?

Solution

The /SPSuperseded was only relevant for Windows Vista and Windows 7. Those Windows versions got Service Packs (for Windows 8, 8.1 is treated as service pack, but both are different versions and not a classic service pack). Here The Service Packer installer keeped the older Windows version (Vista RTM, Sp1 or Windows 7 RTM) to be able to uninstall the service pack. When you now run the DISM command with the /SPSuperseded option, those files got removed and you can't uninstall the Service Pack.

This /StartComponentCleanup /ResetBase removes all replaced normal updates (superseded updates) and also removes the RTM data. So if you run the ResetBase, the last installed cumulative update is fixed and can't be removed via control panel. So if you install installed KB4088876 on Windows 8.1, run the /ResetBase option, you can't uninstall older updates. If you get issues, you have to wait for next month update to fix them.

Comments

[Seth]

Isn't most of that covered int he article you actually link?

[Mike]

@Seth, in the article it is not covered the difference between removes all superseded versions and remove any backup components. What's the difference between superseded versions and backup?

[Seth]

Sure I'm not a 100% sure but if you look at the full sentence the second options would be in relation to files for a SP. While the first would include a bit more. So if you have an SP and two updates following that the first option would at least remove one of the update files as well.

[Mike]

@Seth, that's the point that since Windows 10 Microsoft retired the Service Pack approach and moved towards updates only.

[Seth]

For one those articles and tools are probably being ported from an older Windows version. So indeed it might be incorrect. In addition it's not entirely correct that they don't have SPs anymore. It's just that they've shortened the cycle and renamed them. You can even rollback the current major updates that are essentially SPs.

[Mike]

thanks for the clarification. Do I understand it correctly that in Windows 10 /SPSuperseded is not relevant and it's enough to use /StartComponentCleanup /ResetBase to complete clean WinSxS out of garbage after update installation?

[magicandre1981]

yes, if you want to be able to uninstall last cumulative Update pack, only use /StartComponentCleanup without ResetBase.

[magicandre1981]

If the question is answered you can accept my reply as answer to "close" the question.