Disk Cleanup option to “Clean up system files” is missing

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Re Fred Langa’s piece on July 23rd on Winsxs and Win7 cleanup: I have KB2852386 installed (I checked), but when I run Disk Cleanup on my Win7 x64 system, for my C drive, I do not see an option to “Clean up system files” like it says in Fred’s article. Why is this? In the list of “Files to delete”, with the check boxes, I do see an item “Windows update cleanup”. Is this the same thing? My Winsxs folder is 11.4 GB, even after running “Windows update cleanup”.

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See post 2 of this thread: http://windowssecrets.com/forums/showthread//170151-Huge-WinSxS-folder-stymies-PC-cleanup?p=1012039#post1012039

Jerry

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See post 2 of this thread: http://windowssecrets.com/forums/showthread//170151-Huge-WinSxS-folder-stymies-PC-cleanup?p=1012039#post1012039

Jerry

Jwitalka this post is what i was looking for

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Re Fred Langa’s piece on July 23rd on Winsxs and Win7 cleanup: I have KB2852386 installed (I checked), but when I run Disk Cleanup on my Win7 x64 system, for my C drive, I do not see an option to “Clean up system files” like it says in Fred’s article. Why is this? In the list of “Files to delete”, with the check boxes, I do see an item “Windows update cleanup”. Is this the same thing? My Winsxs folder is 11.4 GB, even after running “Windows update cleanup”.

What was the size of the Winsxs folder before you ran Disk Cleanup as an admin.

The update clean up only cleans out obsolete WUs.

I run Disk Cleanup as an admin after every month’s updates and mine is currently 9.17GB in size.

I only get the free version of the news letter so don’t know how Fred described it, but I don’t see that option in mine either in Win 7.

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Thanks for the replies, but not very helpful, unfortunately. Drew1903 recommends using the sageset/sagerun scenario. I have been through that, but it does not give me “Clean up system files”. In the link posted by jwitalka, there is a post from Petero which says “I ran the cleanup program but my version didn’t show “Clean up System Files”. I checked I had the updated version and discovered that there are two versions of the program. One which has the button and another which displays “Windows Update Cleanup” in the list of clean up options.” What are these two versions? I can only find one version of cleanmgr.exe on my system. Petero then links to a Microsoft support page which is even more confusing. It implies that “Clean up system files” and “Windows update cleanup” are mutually exclusive, because it says “If the Windows Update Cleanup option is not displayed on the Disk Cleanup tab, click Clean up system files.”

When I run disk cleanup, I do see “Windows update cleanup” in the list of things to delete, but I do NOT see a separate button, lower down, saying “Clean up system files”.

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Thanks for the replies, but not very helpful, unfortunately. Drew1903 recommends using the sageset/sagerun scenario. I have been through that, but it does not give me “Clean up system files”. In the link posted by jwitalka, there is a post from Petero which says “I ran the cleanup program but my version didn’t show “Clean up System Files”. I checked I had the updated version and discovered that there are two versions of the program. One which has the button and another which displays “Windows Update Cleanup” in the list of clean up options.” What are these two versions? I can only find one version of cleanmgr.exe on my system. Petero then links to a Microsoft support page which is even more confusing. It implies that “Clean up system files” and “Windows update cleanup” are mutually exclusive, because it says “If the Windows Update Cleanup option is not displayed on the Disk Cleanup tab, click Clean up system files.”

When I run disk cleanup, I do see “Windows update cleanup” in the list of things to delete, but I do NOT see a separate button, lower down, saying “Clean up system files”.

The link in the post is a Microsoft update to cleanmgr. Download and run the appropriate file at he bottom of the page in the link. If you have an older version of cleanmgr, it will update it.

Jerry

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@Bundaburra,

The only time I’ve seen the behavior which you describe is when the account being used is the Administrator account or disk cleanup is being started with “Run as administrator”.

Joe

--Joe

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Perhaps it’s time for Fred Langa to step in and explain what he meant.

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With due respect to Jerry, I don’t believe what he says is correct. The link at the bottom of that page is actually a link to KB2852386, which I already had, and it does not include cleanmgr.exe in the list of files it changes. Uninstalling and re-installing that update made no difference.

But Joe’s comment provided the solution. I found that if I ran cleanup with reduced privileges it did indeed show me the “Clean up system files” box. But then it did NOT show “Windows update cleanup” in the list of items to be deleted. Evidently it runs on two levels, one for ordinary users, and one for administrators. I had always run it as an administrator, because I believed that would give more access to things that needed cleaning up. (The version of cleanmgr.exe which I have is 6.1.7600.16385, dated July 2009,)

So now the question is: what is the difference between “Clean up system files” and “Windows update cleanup”? I can have one or the other, but not both, in a run of cleanup. What does each one do? Does one do more than the other?

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In normal circumstances, disk cleanup runs in two stages if you want to clean up system files and follow through with Windows update cleanup

This is what I observed on my computer today

In the first stage, you should see the button for Clean up system files but you will not see Windows update cleanup in the list during this first stage
When you click on clean up system files the 2nd part of the process might include Windows update cleanup
— If there aren’t any windows updates to cleanup you will not see Windows update cleanup in the list
— If there are windows updates to cleanup you will see Windows update cleanup in the list and it will be checked in

“What does each one do?”
— In the first stage clean up system files will clean out the checked items without cleaning windows updates
— If you continue into the 2nd stage, Windows update cleanup is included if there are windows updates to be cleaned up

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2852386
— The Windows Update Cleanup option is available only when the Disk Cleanup wizard detects Windows updates that you do not need on the computer.
— To let you roll back to previous updates, updates are stored in the WinSxS store even after they are superseded by later updates. Therefore, after you run the Disk Cleanup wizard, you may be unable to roll back to a superseded update. If you want to roll back to a superseded update that the Disk Cleanup wizard deletes, you can manually install the update.

It sounds like originally you did not have the Cleanup System Files button available
— Did this problem just occur once you investigated your Winsxs folder but the Cleanup System Files button was available before then?
— Either way it sounds like your Winsxs folder of 11.GB needs attention
— I haven’t read the article yet but I’m going to

You mention you used reduced privileges and the Cleanup System Files button is available now

Last but not least is UAC enabled or disabled.
— I lost track of a link from one of the Microsoft help sites that mention that can be a factor in Clean up system files button not being present

EDIT: I just read that article, not much to add from that article from the many posts that have been provided
However, now that you are able to run Clean up system files and then follow up with Windows Update cleanup when it applies, I’d say shut the computer down; after starting back up redo Disk Cleanup on a daily basis for a few days and see if your 12GB decreases. About a month ago I worked on a Win 8.1 which was about a year behind on Windows updates and the above procedure worked out very well. I do not know the original size of the WinSxS folder but it is at 6.18 GB today. Good luck

HP EliteBook 8540w laptop Windows 10 Pro (x64)

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In normal circumstances, disk cleanup runs in two stages if you want to clean up system files and follow through with Windows update cleanup

This is what I observed on my computer today

In the first stage, you should see the button for Clean up system files but you will not see Windows update cleanup in the list during this first stage
When you click on clean up system files the 2nd part of the process might include Windows update cleanup
— If there aren’t any windows updates to cleanup you will not see Windows update cleanup in the list
— If there are windows updates to cleanup you will see Windows update cleanup in the list and it will be checked in

“What does each one do?”
— In the first stage clean up system files will clean out the checked items without cleaning windows updates
— If you continue into the 2nd stage, Windows update cleanup is included if there are windows updates to be cleaned up

— The Windows Update Cleanup option is available only when the Disk Cleanup wizard detects Windows updates that you do not need on the computer.
— To let you roll back to previous updates, updates are stored in the WinSxS store even after they are superseded by later updates. Therefore, after you run the Disk Cleanup wizard, you may be unable to roll back to a superseded update. If you want to roll back to a superseded update that the Disk Cleanup wizard deletes, you can manually install the update.

It sounds like originally you did not have the Cleanup System Files button available
— Did this problem just occur once you investigated your Winsxs folder but the Cleanup System Files button was available before then?
— Either way it sounds like your Winsxs folder of 11.GB needs attention
— I haven’t read the article yet but I’m going to

You mention you used reduced privileges and the Cleanup System Files button is available now

Last but not least is UAC enabled or disabled.
— I lost track of a link from one of the Microsoft help sites that mention that can be a factor in Clean up system files button not being present

EDIT: I just read that article, not much to add from that article from the many posts that have been provided
However, now that you are able to run Clean up system files and then follow up with Windows Update cleanup when it applies, I’d say shut the computer down; after starting back up redo Disk Cleanup on a daily basis for a few days and see if your 12GB decreases. About a month ago I worked on a Win 8.1 which was about a year behind on Windows updates and the above procedure worked out very well. I do not know the original size of the WinSxS folder but it is at 6.18 GB today. Good luck

Thanks great help

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Drew I tried to do a daily scheduled task and it’s fine for running the disk cleanup but it doesn’t include the second section of clean up system files. There was a Sage included but I don’t recall which post I picked it up in.
Anyway if it’s possible to run disk cleanup including the second section of clean up system files I’d love to be able to do so. Can you help me on that?

HP EliteBook 8540w laptop Windows 10 Pro (x64)

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Thanks Drew, will this also work in Windows 10 when I upgrade to it?

EDIT: I know how to use a command prompt but I do not know how to use Power shell: Is there a tutorial I can use to learn how to use Power shell?

HP EliteBook 8540w laptop Windows 10 Pro (x64)

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cleanmgr sageset:01 doesn’t give you the full Extended Disk Cleanup options – this one does.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/76383-disk-cleanup-extended.html

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cleanmgr sageset:01 doesn’t give you the full Extended Disk Cleanup options – this one does.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/76383-disk-cleanup-extended.html

Why not? They’re both using sageset, sagerun. The numbers are irrelevant.

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cleanmgr sageset:01 doesn’t give you the full Extended Disk Cleanup options – this one does.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/76383-disk-cleanup-extended.html

Checking it looks identical to me, 22 options I think. FWIW I get the Windows update w/whatever sageset format I use.

Just because you don't know where you are going doesn't mean any road will get you there.

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Checking it looks identical to me, 22 options I think. FWIW I get the Windows update w/whatever sageset format I use.

I’ve previously posted that link for someone who had found Volume Shadow Copies eating up his disk space, but unless I missed it, I didn’t see an option to delete those with cleanmgr sagest:01.

I wouldn’t have thought the posted link’s actions would be more involved as they are if a simple cmd like cleanmgr sageset:01 would have facilitated the same options.

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I have not yet seen an option to delete Volume Shadow Copies .

Just because you don't know where you are going doesn't mean any road will get you there.

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I have not yet seen an option to delete Volume Shadow Copies .

I haven’t used the sevenforums tutorial to compare, I can only go by the successful use of it by the member on here and another one on another forum to remove Volume Shadow Copies so as to reclaim their disk space.

However, it still begs the question why the sevenforums procedure is required if cleanmgr sageset:01 would suffice.

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Don’t know!
Maybe because I have W7Ultimate, maybe an update changed the behavior.

Just because you don't know where you are going doesn't mean any road will get you there.

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I just compared the cleanmgr sagest:01 and the Windows 7 forum Cleanmgr /sagerun:65535 procedures are essentially equivalent to each other: the first time I compared them if I remember correctly the Cleanmgr /sagerun:65535 took about 2 seconds longer as it shows the progress bar after clicking on Clean system files but that’s it. Since that first time though they are as fast as each other: no issues there either way anyway.
However neither procedure shows the space each item takes up and naturally the total.
I had already created the Cleanmgr /sagerun:65535 batch file so I’ll keep it at that.
I did not schedule it to automatically run as running Disk Cleanup manually is part of my monthly maintenance plan on the weekend before Patch Tuesday at the time I’ll do them.
The thing I really like about the extended procedures is the additional items available to check.
BTW I checked both procedures on my Win7 Pro SP1 and my friends Win 8.1

On removing Volume Shadow Copies check out How to Delete Shadow Copies in Vista and Windows 7 http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/166102-shadow-copies-delete.html
— I haven’t read it myself but it looks very interesting
— You probably can tell that Volume Shadow Copies is over my head right now

HP EliteBook 8540w laptop Windows 10 Pro (x64)

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On removing Volume Shadow Copies check out How to Delete Shadow Copies in Vista and Windows 7 http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/166102-shadow-copies-delete.html
— I haven’t read it myself but it looks very interesting
— You probably can tell that Volume Shadow Copies is over my head right now

OK I will check that out,new info for me!:cheers:

Just because you don't know where you are going doesn't mean any road will get you there.

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