Don't delete it as deleting it could stop some of your applications from working. The more apps you install the bigger it will get especially if the app you install relies on an older DLL/Library. Which with newer versions of windows such as Vista and 7 is more likely, hence why their is such a huge difference in size from XP.

Sadly this something completely out of your control and you just have to deal with it.

50.6 mb on XP on a 2 year old installation.

7Gb on a 500Gb drive, not bothered as there is plenty of room on the drive. As long as I get the software I want on it that is that matters, i use another drive for files.

In reply to a post by nredwood:

For comparison, on an XP system that was a fresh install 5 years ago - 78.6 MB

XP didn't use the sxs folder in the same way as Vista et seq, it had all those Uninstall things etc and "DLL hell" instead.

I'm looking at a 24 GB SXS folder on a vista SP2 machine - a laptop with a 60 GB drive

Discussed here: WinSxs Folder consuming enormous disk space but doesn't really solve it.

Sorry, I'm late but only found this this year.

10.5Gb on a 181Gb partition,
55,943 files. 15002 folders
split the disk in 2 and left half as another drive letter just for the photos I will not fill before computer is changed or drive dies. Only used 41 Gb in the photos D drive.

Did come as one drive when new, I split it when reinstalling from a Norton ghost back up.

Big mistake.

Now half available space of the C drive partition left as did a windows 8 upgrade from 7.

I find windows uses so much space and not got games, hundred or thousands of songs ( no songs).

Just the bit of editing programs, Microsoft office 2007 and the usual updates and windows stuff.

Hark disks cheap but a pain to change or replace if it dies, changing a big one to even bigger because of microsofts strange way if working, not good.

Still got machine how I like with space enough for the updates and what ever it wants to do so will be ok I guess and windows 7 never worked, on machine when bought and always stops responding and crashing on the most boring of tasks not pushing the thing like outlook email and internet explorer.

Did the windows upgrade in January when going cheap and is better, read when new in October, November time people did not like and worse, me argue that fact. I like, more stable and crashes every now and then but not anything like it did.

Off the point of the original question but my 10 pence worth.

The simple solution to everyone moaning about this is to upgrade to Windows 8. It will fix all your problems and also improve performance.

Got any free, legal licenses to share out?

Why should we spend more money to get a flaw fixed, when we spent money already?

/checks Pipexer's profile for "Occupation : MS salesman"

It is a flaw in your opinion, Microsoft make no guarantees for the size of the Windows folder, only recommendations. Also, numerous lab tests will show that the WinSxS folder does not grow abnormally large under normal use - it is 3rd party programs causing this, and when it comes to installing 3rd party programs, well, anything goes!

You should have upgraded when the offer was on - MS made it available for long enough. I paid the £25 for the upgrade in January, the best £25 I have spent on software, I think you would have been very impressed by the performance improvements.

The only times I have seen big WinSxS folders I have also observed that when running an sfc /scannow there are integrity violations and corrupt files - suggesting there is more at play here.

I am not saying it is your fault but I don't think it is Microsofts fault either. When Vista came out there was a hell of a lot of 3rd party software claiming to work with Vista (including security products) which were not fit for purpose, this was one of the problems.

I don't work for Microsoft - but if anyone from MS is reading and is impressed by all my praise, feel free to PM me a job offer

Edited by Pipexer (Sun 07-Apr-13 21:01:04)

In reply to a post by Pipexer:

It is a flaw in your opinion

No. Either the winsxs folder takes up space, or it misreports the space. It's a flaw in the OS.

In reply to a post by Pipexer:

You should have upgraded when the offer was on - MS made it available for long enough. I paid the £25 for the upgrade in January, the best £25 I have spent on software, I think you would have been very impressed by the performance improvements.

Didn't know of the offer, but wouldn't have taken it anyway. There's little to upgrade for, given that this is a 4-year old system.

In reply to a post by Pipexer:

The only times I have seen big WinSxS folders I have also observed that when running an sfc /scannow there are integrity violations and corrupt files - suggesting there is more at play here.

Nope. That would have to be IVs and CFs for 4 years now. No chance.

In reply to a post by Pipexer:

I am not saying it is your fault but I don't think it is Microsofts fault either.

There's where we differ. I do apportion blame to the problems of a product being down to the maker of the product, rather than the users of the product. I don't come up with solutions which involve the user spending £100+ to jump from a flawed product to a product which has no great advantage to the user over the previous product.

It's obvious you're sold on Windows 8, but don't force it down our throats, and don't assume there's some problem with peoples systems because of a flawed OS.