After migrating CleanMgr.exe and its MUI file to a fresh Windows Server 2012 R2 installation, many administrators encounter the frustrating compatibility error:

The Program or feature \\?system32\\cleanmgr.exe cannot start or run due to incompatibility with 64-bit version of windows

The standard approach of copying these files from a Windows 10/11 system no longer works due to:

• Binary incompatibility between newer client OS versions and Server 2012 R2
• Missing registry entries required for proper operation
• Dependency chain differences in the system32 folder

Here's the correct way to enable Disk Cleanup on Server 2012 R2:

dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:CleanupManager /all

Alternatively, through PowerShell:

Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName CleanupManager -All

After installation, verify the components:

dir %systemroot%\system32\cleanmgr.exe
dir %systemroot%\system32\en-US\cleanmgr.exe.mui

Check the registry key exists:

reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VolumeCaches" /s

For deployment across multiple servers, use this PowerShell script:

function Install-CleanMgr {
    param([string[]]$ComputerNames)
    
    foreach ($computer in $ComputerNames) {
        try {
            $session = New-PSSession -ComputerName $computer
            Invoke-Command -Session $session -ScriptBlock {
                $featureState = Get-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName CleanupManager
                if ($featureState.State -ne "Enabled") {
                    Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName CleanupManager -All -NoRestart
                    Write-Output "CleanMgr successfully installed on $env:COMPUTERNAME"
                } else {
                    Write-Output "CleanMgr already present on $env:COMPUTERNAME"
                }
            }
        } catch {
            Write-Warning "Failed to install CleanMgr on $computer : $_"
        } finally {
            if ($session) { Remove-PSSession $session }
        }
    }
}

• If DISM reports component store corruption: dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth
• For missing MUI files: copy from C:\Windows\winsxs matching architecture
• Check System32 permissions if access denied errors occur

For environments where features can't be enabled, consider:

# Using legacy cleanmgr from Server 2008 R2 (compatible version)
$source = "\\fileserver\utils\cleanmgr\2012R2_compat"
Copy-Item "$source\cleanmgr.exe" "$env:windir\system32" -Force
Copy-Item "$source\en-US\cleanmgr.exe.mui" "$env:windir\system32\en-US" -Force

When attempting to deploy CleanMgr.exe on Windows Server 2012 R2 (64-bit), administrators encounter the compatibility error: "The program or feature \?system32\cleanmgr.exe cannot start or run due to incompatibility with 64-bit version of Windows". This occurs even after manually copying both CleanMgr.exe and its MUI file to System32.

The fundamental issue stems from missing registry entries and component dependencies. Unlike client Windows versions, Server 2012 R2 doesn't include Disk Cleanup by default. The 64-bit OS requires proper registry mapping to locate both the executable and its resources.

Here's the proper way to install CleanMgr on Server 2012 R2:

@echo off
:: Copy files to system directories
copy CleanMgr.exe %windir%\System32\
copy CleanMgr.exe.mui %windir%\System32\en-US\

:: Register the component
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VolumeCaches\Low Disk Space Cleanup" /v "Folder" /t REG_SZ /d "%SystemRoot%\System32\cleanmgr.exe" /f
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VolumeCaches\Low Disk Space Cleanup" /v "Display" /t REG_SZ /d "@%SystemRoot%\System32\cleanmgr.exe,-9046" /f

For administrators preferring PowerShell:

# Copy files
Copy-Item -Path ".\CleanMgr.exe" -Destination "$env:windir\System32\"
Copy-Item -Path ".\CleanMgr.exe.mui" -Destination "$env:windir\System32\en-US\"

# Create registry entries
$regPath = "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VolumeCaches\Low Disk Space Cleanup"
New-Item -Path $regPath -Force | Out-Null
New-ItemProperty -Path $regPath -Name "Folder" -Value "$env:SystemRoot\System32\cleanmgr.exe" -PropertyType String -Force | Out-Null
New-ItemProperty -Path $regPath -Name "Display" -Value "@$env:SystemRoot\System32\cleanmgr.exe,-9046" -PropertyType String -Force | Out-Null

1. Run cleanmgr /sageset:1 in Command Prompt
2. Check Event Viewer for Application errors
3. Verify registry entries exist under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VolumeCaches

• Missing MUI file in language-specific folder (e.g., en-US)
• Incorrect permissions when copying to System32
• 32-bit version of CleanMgr.exe being used on 64-bit OS