The component store keeps superseded update files and can grow to several gigabytes. The supported cleanup removes them without breaking updates.
Run **DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /AnalyzeComponentStore**, then **/StartComponentCleanup**. Use **/ResetBase** only if you accept that installed updates can no longer be uninstalled.
The analysis reports the actual size, the share of shared components and whether a cleanup is recommended. A store that reports no reclaimable space needs nothing.
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /AnalyzeComponentStoreThe cleanup removes superseded components after a grace period and keeps the ability to uninstall recent updates. It is the safe default and takes ten to twenty minutes.
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanupResetBase removes every superseded version immediately, including the ones needed to roll back an installed update. After it, uninstalling a recent patch is impossible.
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup /ResetBaseRun the analysis again. The reported size should drop, and the recommendation should change once the store is compact.
The folder uses hard links, and Explorer's reported size is larger than the real usage. Deleting files inside it breaks servicing in ways that need a repair install.
A feature update adds a full new component set. The store grows by several gigabytes each time, and one cleanup afterwards keeps it bounded.
A pending operation. Finish the update and reboot, then retry.
Normal after updates. The analyzer shows what is reclaimable.
That is the ResetBase trade. A restore point or an image is the fallback.
Hard links count the same file more than once. Trust the DISM report.
It frees disk space. The performance effect is small.
The standard cleanup, yes. ResetBase only when you are sure.
The cleanup cannot be undone. A restore point or a system image taken before the ResetBase run is the only way back.
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