http://blogs.msdn.co...disk-space.aspx
In practice, nearly every file in the WinSxS directory is a hard link to the physical files elsewhere on the system meaning that the files are not actually in this directory.
http://blogs.technet...l-with-vss.aspx
At Windows 7 there are system files too, not only manifest.\Winsxs\Backup: Backups of the manifest files in case the copy in \Winsxs\Manifests becomes corrupted
This files are not hardlinks on purpose, about 500 MB data.
As for testing:
Windows 7 x64 X17-59186.iso applied to a drive: imagex.exe /apply g:\sources\install.wim 2 f:\
used space at drive f: 7 586 697 216 bytes
for %a in (f:\windows\system32\drivers\*.sys) do @echo.&@fsutil hardlink list %a
E.g. the file wimmount.sys is hardlinked. And the file wmiacpi.sys not.\Windows\winsxs\amd64_microsoft-windows-wimgapi_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7600.16385_none_e4f094112e8f905d\wimmount.sys
\Windows\System32\drivers\wimmount.sys
\Windows\System32\drivers\wmiacpi.sys
\Windows\winsxs\amd64_microsoft-windows-wmilib_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7600.16385_none_b549ebfe1dddb7f1\wmilib.sys
\Windows\System32\drivers\wmilib.sys
Hardlink more files:
at admin permissions:
rem find double files rem http://www.sentex.net/~mwandel/finddupe/ finddupe.exe -bat hl.txt -hardlink f:\
Select WinSXS files
findstr.exe /I "winsxs" hl.txt > hl.cmd
at TrustedInstaller permission:
rem joakim http://reboot.pro/files/file/237-runassystem-and-runfromtoken/ net.exe start trustedinstaller runassystem64.exe "runfromtoken64.exe trustedinstaller.exe 1 cmd.exe" hl.cmdused space at drive f: 6 773 223 424 bytes
That's roughly ten percent space saved.
In addition:
findstr /I "boot.sdi .mui .nls DriverStore WindowsPowerShell .cat .rtf dlmanifests drivers DriverStore assembly MediaCenter ehome .inf RemoteAccess servicing winsxs" hl.txt > hl2.cmd hl2.cmdused space at drive f: 6 592 860 160 bytes
Windows installation is possible still.
Be aware: this breaks \Winsxs\Backup\ secured files.
Can be useful at a small drive.
Is it worth the risk at a big drive?